By the time Stoker wrote Lair, he had descended into churning out formulaic fiction (and, depending on which account you read, was on the brink of madness due either to syphilis or Bright's Disease) so while Lair contains some interesting references, it could not be described as a classic work of fiction. Ken Russell practically re-wrote the work and, in my opinion at least, greatly improved upon it (Novel/Film Conflicts to follow). It still makes for curious reading though (if you can abide the racism), so to save you the trouble of trawling through the novel in its entirety I have provided chapter-by-chapter summaries for your easily-digestable pleasure. If, however, you would prefer to read the complete text for yourself it can be obtained (through Project Gutenberg) here, or as a zipped file here.

The Lair of the White Worm

by Bram Stoker (1911)

(Although not technically polite for an Edwardian novel, for the purposes of this summary I will refer to all characters throughout by their Christian names rather than using their titles - it just makes life easier).

Chapter One - Adam Salton Arrives

June 1860 - Adam Salton, a 27-year-old Australian in possession of a horse farm, receives a letter from the only remaining member of his family in England, 80-year-old Richard Salton, requesting him to visit. Upon arriving in Britain, Adam and Richard immediately become friendly and leave Southampton for the family estate further north, on the outskirts of Stafford.

Chapter Two - The Caswalls of Castra Regis

We learn that Adam is interested in historical research, and had sent a copy of his lecture on 'The Romans of Britain' to Richard, who also has an interest in the Roman area of Mercia. During the course of their travel north, Richard talks of the largest estate in the region, Castra Regis, which has had absentee owners for the past five generations but is about to welcome its current owner, a Mr Edgar Caswall, also a keen historian. Upon arriving at Richard's house they meet Sir Nathaniel de Salis, who fills in the violent, turulent history of the Caswells, lingering on how their strong, dark features have led people in other countries to assume them demon possessed. Through the chapter Richard and Nathaniel hint at some great truth of which it will be necessary for Adam to know, though it is not revealed.

Chapter Three - Diana's Grove

Nathaniel and Adam go for an early morning walk and survey the local territory - in the lowest part of the valley is Diana's Grove, built upon the ruins of a Roman temple which, in turn, was probably built in place of a Druidic one. The next property, entitled Mercy, is the site of a former nunnery and pagan temple. Richard's home, Lesser Hill, is next, then the Castle, which existed before the first records began.

Chapter Four - The Lady Arabella March

Richard, Nathaniel and Adam head off to meet Edgar Caswell off his boat from Africa, stopping on the way to look at an ancient rockpile begun in the 7th Century at the place of a Pagan/Christian murder. While there, Adam assists with the broken carriage of the mysterious and erotically white-clad Lady Arabella March of Diana's Grove, also on her way to meet Caswell. After fixing the fault a number of snakes crawl out of the rockpile and head towards Adam, but they appear to be greatly frightened when Arabella leaves her carriage. She invites Adam to have free run of the grounds of Diana's Grove, though he finds the juxtaposition of her warm words and cold manner slightly suspicious.

Upon driving away, Richard and Nathaniel inform Adam of Arabella's past - she had married a seemingly rich man, but he committed suicide leaving only bad debts and a mortgaged property - so they regard her as a shameless gold-digger. Adam decides to keep his distance, as he is, unknown to his uncle, actually extremely rich.

They reach Liverpool and warmly greet Edgar Caswell, though they all take an immediate dislike to the man's selfish, dominant, savage appearance. They grow more tolerant when he is compared with his African slave Oolanga, 'the lowest of all created things that could be regarded as in some form ostensibly human' (slightly racist, do we think?). When Arabella arrives Oolanga immediately bows before her in silent worship and will not be swayed for as long as she is present. Adam purchases a mongoose - the traditional enemy of the snake - and he, Nathaniel and Richard return home, Nathaniel hinting of some relevance between snakes and the traditional name of Diana's Grove.

The following night, at the Castra Regis party, Arabella and Edgar publicly arrive together. On cruising the crowd, Adam instantly falls in love with a young girl named Mimi. She lives with her grandfather and cousin Lilla at Mercy Farm, and is the half-Burmese sole offspring of her grandfather's deceased second son. She and Lilla, her good, fair, beautiful cousin, are devoted to each other, and Mimi only shows anger when Lilla in endangered or annoyed.

Chapter Five - The White Worm

Adam grows friendly with the Watfords, and joins them for the remainder of the banquet, Arabella remaining at Edgar's right hand (though Lilla could be regarded as a more attractive choice).

Back at Lesser Hill, Adam is evidently perturbed and eventually blurts out that he is displeased that Edgar had attempted to woe Lilla, and had even invited himself to tea at their farm, preying upon her like a hawk on a pigeon. Nathaniel and Richard sympathize, but advise that he remain civil to Edgar for the good of local relations. Adam agrees, but will keep an eye on Edgar at the farm the following day, where he also has an appointment. Talk turns to local legend, and Nathaniel reveals that the alternative name of Diana's Grove was, in Mercian tongue, 'The Lair of the White Worm'. He goes on to explain that the derivation of the word 'worm' implies a dragon or serpent of great size, rather than a worm as envisioned today, and that the geological formation of much of England would enable large creatures to grow below grounds. Therefore legends involving such tales (such as the Worm Well of Lambton Castle) could well be, at least in part, founded on truth.

Chapter Six - Hawk and Pigeon

The following morning, enthused by the talk of the previous evening, Adam takes a trip out with his mongoose and catches four snakes before preparing himself for his visit to Mercy Farm. He later regales Richard and Nathaniel with his experiences there. After a pleasant introduction, the arrival of Edgar and Oolanga gave Adam 'The Doom' - a second sight premonition that at least one life is at stake and a fight must occur. Richard and Nathaniel, not fully understanding his fears, agree to join him in this battle when/if the time comes. Adam continues describing tea at the farmhouse, explains that his fears arise from the look that Edgar persisted in giving Lilla - a continual gaze, like a bird of prey upon a victim - which both Adam and Mimi took offense at.

Chapter Seven - Oolanga

The next day, Nathaniel takes Adam to one side and asks him to elaborate upon his experiences at Mercy Farm, but implores him not to share these with Richard as they may cause him undue concern. Adam explains how Edgar had stared at Lilla with an intensity that appeared to sap her strength, which he appeared to feed from. Lilla grew pale so Mimi stepped in to hold her hand, which revitalized her, but eventually the force was too strong and Lilla fainted. Oolanga tried to intervene, but Adam's obvious anger caused him to slink away - though Adam grew certain that he is a definite enemy. Edgar also retreated, after which Lilla instantly recovered. Nathaniel inquires as to what has been uncovered regarding Oolanga, and he mentions that he had his man, Davenport, investigate the West African when they had been at Liverpool. Oolanga worked his way up from witch-finder to an evil user of Voodoo, was regarded as clever & powerful in his homeland, and made collections of all the evil creatures of nature. The next morning, Adam sees Oolanga collecting the corpses of the snakes that his mongoose killed the previous day (which someone had laid-out by the entrance to Diana's Grove), then later sees Arabella giving angry chase. Later, while out with the mongoose (which had now become quite playful) it suddenly works itself into a frenzy and attempts to attack Arabella, though she repeatedly shoots him before he has the opportunity, displaying even greater rage than the animal had. Adam, confused and embarrassed, retreats.

Chapter Eight - Survivals

Informing Nathaniel of these happenings, he grows grave and asks Adam if he feels these occurrences are mysterious. He then queries why the mongoose, which had grown affectionate with Adam and whose ancestors had for centuries only been associated with the attacking snakes, would suddenly go for Arabella. Nathaniel surmises that possibly it has to do with scent, and relates to Arabella residing in a house connected with such for centuries, as its previous name 'The Lair of the White Worm' might suggest, and that that smell would be connected with evil. He then considers if it is possible for the smell of good to continue over centuries also (such as through the rewards of religious observance), this evolution being 'survivals' of former times. Adam inquires that, if 'The Lair of the White Worm' and Castra Regis could be seen as evil, could not other places (such as Lesser Hill and Mercy Farm) be good? The full history of Mercy Farm as the site of a nunnery in honour of St. Columba, and its resident holy population of doves, is revealed, so its inhabitants could be seen to belong to holy ground.

That afternoon Adam informs Nathaniel of his exploits that morning - he found a dead child with strange bite marks and saw something white in the bushes. Upon further examination he found the girl still to be alive, but she could remember no details other than being grabbed by the throat. Adam then reveals that he suspects that what he saw in the bushes was Arabella, and that the bite marks on the girl were human. Nathaniel, not surprised at this idea, explains that Arabella was raised near his own estate, but as a young girl she received a poisonous bite from which they feared she would not recover. Yet, within a couple of days, she was perfectly revitalized, but had acquired a taste for maiming and killing animals. He also suspected her of killing her husband, probably as he had discovered something. As there have been a number of unexplained local disappearances, deaths and animal mutilations, Nathaniel voices his anxiety that Arabella has been taken over by the will of the white worm, which seized her body as her young soul escaped. Though they agree this is a possibility, both Adam and Nathaniel regretfully admit that there is little they can do except keep a watchful eye on Arabella.

Chapter Nine - Smelling Death

Adam sends Davenport to Liverpool to obtain a new mongoose and discover more information about Oolanga. He is successful, and manages to arrange a meeting the following day, having discovered that Oolanga can 'smell death'. He also obtains two mongooses - one like the one previously killed, the other a special type that had previously killed a king cobra.

Walking with Davenport, Oolanga smells many small deaths at Mercy Farm; a number of great deaths (which he finds exciting) at Diana's Grove cause him to bow with respect to a granite block amidst tree stumps and run in fear from a deep hollow, yet the high number of deaths at Castra Regis cause him to show no emotion. Later, Adam goes for a walk with his new mongoose, and is surprised that, when they meet Arabella, the animal is happy to be petted by her. Losing each other in the woods, when eventually both Arabella and the mongoose are found the creature has become changed; dazed, lifeless and anxious. Back at Lesser Hill, Nathaniel talks of the historical legend that the Caswells can dominate the wills of others, alluded to in a number of memoirs and earlier writings. A servant then informs them of a commotion in the locked room that Adam has been keeping the mongooses, and upon opening the cages finds the animal that had been with Arabella dead, looking as if it had been strangled.

Chapter Ten - The Kite

The following afternoon Adam takes another trip to Mercy Farm, where both Oolanga and Edgar are also present and Edgar again attempts to stare Lilla into a state of collapse. Mid-way through this hypnotic battle, with Mimi assisting Lilla and causing a sort of stalemate, Arabella unexpectedly appears and joins forces with Edgar and Oolanga. Adam finds himself powerless to help, as if held by steel bands of will, as Lilla grows weaker. Mimi, however, grasps her hand and her strength returns enough for her to make a sort of sweeping gesture that buffers Edgar towards the door at every move until finally he is forced out into the sunlight to the deafening sound of doves. The next day there are actual reports of a mass migration of birds to the area. Edgar, employing a technique from China, constructs a large kite shaped like a hawk, which he flies over the fields and succeeds in frightening the birds - but not away, they merely stay but are silenced, and their silence spreads to all the animals of the district. This terrible quiet brings nothing but gloom and apathy to all the people of the area (apart from Oolanga whose unfeeling personality causes him only to be amused by such proceedings). Lilla, affected as an actual dove would be by the looming presence of a hawk, grows weaker by the day.

Chapter Eleven - Mesmer's Chest

After a couple of weeks, Edgar grows obsessed with the kite (but does not cease to visit Lilla). He starts sending paper runners up the kite string, then writes messages on them before descending into actually holding conversation with it. He (and Oolanga) also grow irrationally obsessed with the various collections of stuffed animals, weapons and torture equipment present in the castle. Hungry for further information on the pieces, Edgar calls for Simon Chester, who had served as butler for many decades. He informs him of Dr Mesmer's Chest - a curious trunk brought from Paris many years before that has no visible means of opening. Simon entreats him not to open it, as it probably contains secrets which Dr Mesmer told the previous Edgar Caswell to his ruin - as legend had it he sold his soul to the Evil One.

Chapter Twelve - The Chest Opened

Edgar spends a couple of days examining the trunk, but can find no means of opening it. Finally, in a state of sleepwalk, he find the unnatural strength need to move the chest unaided and, upon regaining some form of consciousness, finds the trunk opened. He then carries it up to the turret room of the castle and locks himself in before unpacking various glass and metal objects and implements. Upon waking, however, he finds the trunk locked as it had been the previous night. The next night he again, somehow, manages to open the trunk, and eventually manages to insert a wedge into the catch so he can also open it in waking. Within it he finds a lodestone carving of Bes, the Egyptian god of the destructive side of nature, which he attaches to a wooden runner and sends up the string to the kite.

Chapter Thirteen - Oolanga's Hallucinations

Arabella, mindful of her staggering debt, grows impatient at Edgar's lack of interest in her, particularly since she publicly debased herself by standing alongside him and his servant during the mind struggle at Mercy Farm. She resolves to visit him, via the back door, at his rooms in Castra Regis. Oolanga - ever watchful in case discoveries that could be turned to his own advancement - is the only witness to her entrance at the house, and assumes that she must be trying to steal the contents of Dr Mesmer's chest, which he believes must contain great treasures. He follows her back to Diana's Grove and, believing himself to be of importance equal to that of a sun-god (as he was regarded in his own country) begins to profess his love to her. Arabella, with scornful cold pride, openly laughs in his face, then grows angry at his insolence and threatens him with her gun. In response he gibbers to her in his native dialect - love, marriage, wife - then splutters out a combination of declarations of love and grand threats, stating that he knows she tried to steal and would hand her over to his master for torture and killing.

Chapter Fourteen - Battle Renewed

Oolanga leaves Diana's Grove with his vanity greatly wounded and an intense hatred, while Arabella is merely more determined to marry Edgar to make the abuses worthwhile. She writes to Edgar inviting him (without Oolanga) to call on her, so that they may visit Mercy Farm together. The following afternoon the pair call at the Farm, with Arabella instructing Edgar to focus on Mimi rather than Lilla as she hated her and was convinced he could win. Just as Mimi & Lilla open the door birds begin to gather outside, and the cord on the great kite snaps - which Mimi takes as a sign of hope, and equates the noise of the birds with that of a snake charmer. With renewed strength, and a strong belief that this was a struggle of the very essences of good and evil, Mimi easily wins against Edgar, and Arabella's help proves worthless. Just at the point of triumph the noises stops - as the kite has been reaffixed.

Edgar retreats to Castra Regis, lists his enemies in the order of Mimi, Lilla, then Adam, and returns to spending days watching the kite. After a few weeks he notices that the kite has assumed a different position, against the wind, and that it now hovers over Diana's Grove. The following morning it has moved over Mercy Farm. Trying to ascertain what was could be effecting the kite, and displeased that he is not in control of it, he calls for Oolanga only to discover he has not been seen since the previous evening. Irritably, he calls for Simon Chester instead. Questioning him about the chest, Simon faints after mentioning he had indeed seen it open once, then dies without ever regaining consciousness.

Chapter Fifteen - On the Track

Edgar is upset at Simon's death, but purely because he no longer had a means of discovering information about his ancestor's dealings in Paris. Arabella uses the funeral as a prime opportunity to get closer to Edgar - a motive that only Oolanga notices, though he assumes she is still attempting to steal the treasure from the chest. Adam, who now always carries a cobra-killing mongoose with him, continues to make his own researches on Arabella and beomes involved in a 3-part tracking expedition - he being followed by Arabella (who believes he is on his way to Castra Regis), who in turn is followed by Oolanga (convinced that she is intending to steal from both Edgar and Adam) - all parties unaware that they are all being watched by Edgar from his high window. He therefore knows that Arabella is on the premises before he hears the tap on his door.

Chapter Sixteen - A Visit of Sympathy

Through an awkward beginning, where she offers her condolences at his grief and he makes it apparent he is not in the slightest perturbed, they settle down to a conversation where she explains her misgivings about Oolanga. He, amused by his impudence, tells her to shoot him on sight if she suspects him of anything (with impunity) as 'the law doesn't concern itself much about dead negroes. A few more or less do not matter' (very politically correct!).

Back at Lesser Hill, Adam takes luncheon with Nathaniel, who informs him that he once investigated the plans of Diana's Grove, before Captain March purchases the property. A house has stood at that location since the time of the Romans, and the current basement can date from no later than the Norman Conquest. There are a great many rooms deep underground, one of which contains a large well - though there is no indication of a winch or rope ever having been attached over it. The door is huge, with a lock over a foot square. No-one ever recalled having been permitted access to this room, or even to see inside it. A strange, intermittent, dim green light shone from inside the well, and a smell like bilge or a rank swamp eminated from it. Nathaniel surmised that this, at one point, was the entrance and exit for the White Worm into the world above. He, at the time, made requests to excavate the area underneath but his requests were denied. Adam and Nathaniel agree to meet after dinner to continue their discussion.

Chapter Seventeen - The Mystery of 'The Grove'

That afternoon Adam investigates the grounds of Diana's Grove, only to discover that Oolanga is also in the grounds - but is nor tracking him. Instead he is trying to obtain entry into the basement through the large iron door. When Arabella passes he (Oolanga) confronts her demanding to know about her secret. She tells him that, if he wishes to speak to her, he should meet back at the door at 7 o'clock. At the alloted time they meet, with Adam watching, and he is amused to discover than Oolanga is carrying his mongoose. He tries to give it to her as a token of his 'lub' (love). She says she will not be seen in public with a man such as him, and that he should come into the house (but only by the back door). After Oolanga has gone round the house out of sight, Adam leaves his hiding place to catch up with Arabella.

Chapter Eighteen - Exit Oolanga

Adam catches up with Arabella and warns her not to trust Oolanga. She replies that she doesn't, and that he incredulously wishes to marry her and live on the proceeds of a chest of supposed treasure stolen from Edgar. Adam laughs and informs her that the box he is carrying is not only of little value but is also his stolen property.

They enter the basement through the iron door, go up some stone steps (the whole area tinged with green light and with a stench like a slaughterhouse) and open another door - through which Oolanga enters. He has just begun talking of the number of deaths he can smell when he notices Adam and attempts to shoot him (missing). The two men wrestle by the well. Arabella tries to grab Oolanga but misses, so he fires at her, and she attempts a second attack. At this moment the lock breaks on the mongoose's box and it flies at Arabella - she tears it in two as if it were 'a sheet of paper'. She grabs Oolanga and the two of them fall deep into the well - Oolanga screaming as he falls through the seemingly endless gloom, lit only by the mysterious green light. Adam, distraught by the terror of what he has just observed, rushes from the the room into the outer chamber, only to observe Arabella - slightly bloodstained but otherwise perfectly composed - standing at the top of the stone steps.

Chapter Nineteen - An Enemy in the Dark

Adam heads back to Lesser Hill, attempting to compose his thoughts, but finds that Richard is away on business and Nathaniel has already retired, so he resolves to talk to Nathaniel in the morning. Upon waking he is given a letter from Arabella, written the previous evening. She talks of being haunted by the events with Oolanga, and entreats Adam to view her as more than a friend, who she can trust and be assured that his sympathies lie with her. She believes Oolanga to have staged everything except his own death. She was wearing an emerald-studded fur collar which may have interested him, and that he tore it from her as he fell into the well, and that she now understands the notion of freedom, for which she wholeheartedly thanks him (Adam). To try and soothe her troubles memories she is going to London for a week, and hopes he will join her there if he happens to be conducting business nearby.

Nathaniel & Adam meet in the study and the details of the previous day are regaled. Nathaniel patiently listens then inquires as to whether Adam is in anyway attracted to Arabella. He replies, although he would enjoy flirting, his answer is a quite emphatic No, as he is actually in love with Mimi. He stresses that his No is particularly heartfelt as he feels Arabella is an enemy of Mimi's who wishes for her destruction. Nathaniel checks outside the door and locks them both inside.

Chapter Twenty - Metabolism

Soon....

To be continued....