The Octave of Claudius by Barry Pain

This book, originally published in 1897, tells the story of Claudius Sandell, a down-and-out gentleman who makes a deal with an eccentric scientist -- in return for eight days of unlimited money to enjoy himself with, he binds himself for life to be the scientist's slave -- or worse. Things become more complicated for him when he meets a girl, and would like to go back on his bargain. To quote George Orwell in his essay Good Bad Books: "A cut above most of these [popular writers of the 1890s] was Barry Pain. Some of Pain's humorous writings are, I suppose, still in print, but to anyone who comes across it I recommend what must now be a very rare book-THE OCTAVE OF CLAUDIUS, a brilliant exercise in the macabre."