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He surely could not have been mistaken it that? The very thought induced a doubt. He felt that he might have been mistaken: he thought it possible—just possible—that he had been dreaming, and, while dreaming, fancied he heard the bells.

"Well, if it is so, it is!" he at length exclaimed. "I certaidly thought that I heard theb. However, it's clear that there's dobody here, so I bay just as well go to bed agaid as dot."

He, therefore, descended, and put out the light, and, having established his stick near the pillow, got into bed again calmly. He had scarcely, however, covered himself comfortably up, when the bells began to ring again merrily.

"That's sobethidg dear the bark, at all evedts!" cried Tom, who was out of bed again in the twinkling of an eye. "There cad be doe bistake dow! Wud bobedt, by friedd," he added, grasping his stick—"odly stop wud bobedt, add you'll oblige be."

Again he stealthily ascended to the study, and with feelings of hope looked round and round. There wasn't a corner—there wasn't a hole sufficiently large to admit a mouse—that then escaped minute examination. He looked everywhere again and again, but the result was destruction to the hope he had inspired.

"If," he exclaimed, "I do dail you, Heaved have bercy upod your bodes, for they shall bake the sweetest busic bodes ever had the ability to bake."

Having given emphatic expression to this sentiment, he again descended and got into bed; but his head had not been on the pillow three minutes, when the bells again recommenced ringing.

"Go it!" he cried, "by all badder of beads. There's dothidg like bakidg edough doise. But if you thidk I'b goidg to cut up add dowd stairs all the blessed bordidg, you'll fide yourself bistaked, by friedd, doe doubt! Dow thed," he added, in the depths of thought, "what's to be dode? That fellow's sobewhere—there cad't be two opidiods about that. But where? That's the questiod. He's havidg a gabe, add a dice gabe it is. But sedd I could catch hib! Pull 'eb dowd," he added, as the bells continued to ring; "dod't be dice about it—dod't bidce the batter: pull 'eb dowd! Well, I'll go up agaid—wodce bore; add if I should dail this idgedious gedtlebad, it strikes be as beidg extrebely probable that he'll kdow it!"

Once more, accordingly, Tom left his room, and, on going up stairs he fell over a string, which not only brought the bells and the skeleton down, but pulled Sylvester half out of bed and awoke him.

"Who's there?" cried Sylvester, in startling tones—"Who's there?"

"I!" replied Tom. "Dod't be alarbed—dod't be alarbed!" and he rushed at once into the study.

"Tom!" cried the doctor, who had heard the noise, "what on earth are you about?"

"Adother gabe!" replied Tom. "Here's adother dice gabe! Just cobe up—odly cobe; frob this spot I'll dot bove ad idch!"

The doctor, who really felt very much annoyed, slipped on his dressing-gown at once; and as he was proceeding up stairs, with the view of