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"In the dining-room—the dining-room: not here—not here: but there where I left it."

"Heaven be praised. If it were to come here, I should sink."

"Hark!" exclaimed Jib.

"How you frighten me. What is it—what do you hear?"

"Listen! Don't you hear that?"

"That. No. What?"

They both listened with anxiety the most intense, and, while listening, they heard the bell ring.

"That's master," said Jib; "he's come back."

"Then run down, and let him in at once," said cook.

Run down. Yes! Nothing could be much more easily said, but Jib, at the time, felt that he couldn't do it.

"I'm afraid," said he, "of that nasty brimstone. I know it will overcome me: I'm quite sure it will."

"But I don't smell it half so much now. In fact, I don't smell it at all!"

"Not smell it. Oh, it's enough to knock you down."

"Well, but what's to be done? Master must be let in. There you are!" she added, as the bell rang again. "He'll be in a passion presently."

"Cook," exclaimed Jib; "I can't help it!"

"Well, but somebody must go, you know. I can't go."

"Nor can I," replied Jib; "it's quite out of the question."

The bell rang again, and with increased violence.

"I knew how it would be," observed cook; "I knew he'd soon get in a passion. He'll pull the bell right down presently. You'll see if he don't."

"I wish he would," said Jib; "and then I couldn't hear it."

"Well, but what's to be done? You know something must be done."

"Something must be done; but what, I don't know. Did you name the ghost to Susan?"

"Not a word."

"That's lucky. Perhaps she'll go, for I don't feel well—indeed, I'm anything but well. I wish you'd go and ask her?"

Cook didn't at all like to leave the room; but as the bell rang again with greater violence still, and the case became, therefore, most urgent, she offered to compromise the matter by going with Jib, to which compromise Jib most reluctantly consented.

They accordingly went, with trembling steps, to Susan's door, and having looked round anxiously, knocked.

"Who's there?" demanded Susan.

"Me, Susan—only me," replied cook.

"What do you want?"

"Open the door: there's a good girl, open the door."

"I sha'n't! I'll do nothing of the sort. I'll have nothing at all to say to any such creature. But master shall know all about it, mind that!"

"Will you go and let him in?"