The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral Summary

The narrator reads an obituary for John Haynes, an archdeacon who was in charge of the Barchester Cathedral at the time of his untimely death. The archdeacon is very devoted to his job. It takes him a while to attain his position, however, because the priest who held the position before him would not retire, even though he is 92. However, his predecessor is killed when he falls on the stairs at his home. An investigation finds a stair rod was missing, and the maid is blamed for not telling him. Haynes gets his position, and begins to devote himself to his work. However, he begins to notice something odd about the woodcarvings in his work room. A carving of a cat seems to come to life when he touches it. The carvings are made from...