"She's gone?"
"Then get up and light the candle, dear," exclaimed Mrs S; but
suffering as I was from catarrh, I might have made myself worse--at all
events, such a proceeding would have been imprudent--so I lay quite
still, thinking that, perhaps, after all, it was but a delusion and a
snare, and that I might be attacked as soon as I got out of bed; or even
if the ghost were gone, might she not come back again?
It was of no use though. I fought hard, but some women are so powerful
in their arguments; and before ten minutes had passed, I was standing
shivering by the dressing-table, fumbling about after the matches, which
I could not find until I had knocked over the candlestick and a
scent-bottle, and then put my foot upon one of the broken pieces. Then,
when I opened the box and took hold of a match, it would come off all
diabolical and phosphorescent upon my fingers, but no light could I get.
Sometimes it was the wrong end I was rubbing upon the sand-paper;
sometimes the head came off, and I could see it shining like a tiny star
upon the carpet. The beastly things would not light upon the
looking-glass, nor yet upon the table; but after I can't say how many
tries, I managed to get a light, though it went out again in an instant,
and there I stood trembling and expecting to be clutched by a cold hand
or to be dragged back.
Light at last though, for, drying my damp hands as well as I could, I
tried again by rubbing the match upon the paper of the wall, and then,
though the candle would not ignite with the extinguisher upon it, yet I
managed to get it well alight at last, and then tremblingly began to
search the room.
The door was fast, and at the first glance there was nothing to be seen
anywhere; but I examined behind the curtains, beneath the bed, in the
cupboard, and, as a last resource, up the chimney, and found--nothing.
"Why, it was fancy," I said, quite boldly, putting down the candle upon
the dressing-table, and looking at my watch, which, for the moment, I
made sure was wrong, for it pointed to seven.
"Don't put out the candle," said Mrs S, and I left it burning; but I
had hard work to make her believe it was so late.
"But not another night will I stop," she exclaimed. "I could not bear
it, for my nerves would be completely shattered if I had to put up with
this long. The place must be haunted."
Hot water and daylight put a stop to the dissertation which we had upon
the subject, and soon after--that is to say, about nine o'clock--we made
our way to the breakfast-parlour, where our host and hostess did not
appear for another quarter of an hour, and then it was nearly half an
hour more before we began breakfast, on account of delays in the kitchen
relating to toast, eggs, bacon, hot water, and other necessaries for the
matutinal repast.
"You see, it happened so unfortunately," said our hostess; "but I'm sure
you will look over it, as we wanted to be all clear for Christmas-day."
"Oh, don't name it," said Mrs S; "we are often later than this, for Mr
S will keep such late hours, especially if he is interested in anything
he is reading or writing."
"I'm sure I need not ask if you both slept comfortably," said our
hostess, "for you both look so well."
"Hem!" said Mrs Scribe; and I supplemented her cough with another much
louder.
"Surely the bed was not damp," exclaimed our hostess.
"Oh, no," said Mrs S; "but--but--er--did you ever hear any particular
noise about the house of a night?"
Our hostess shook her head, and then looked at me, but my face appeared
so placid and happy, that she looked back at Mrs S, who was
telegraphing for me to speak.
"No," said our host, putting down his letters, "no, I don't think we are
much troubled with noises here of a night. I often thought I should
like a good haunted house. But surely you heard nothing?"
"Oh, yes," said my wife, excitedly; "but pray ask Mr S--he will
explain;" and she again telegraphed for me to act as chief speaker.
"Well, what was it, Scribe?" exclaimed our host. "What did you hear?"
"What did I hear?" I said, for I had smelt out the rat--or the soot.
"Oh, I heard nothing but the sweeps."
Mrs S looked daggers.