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"Well, Mr. Legge," she added, on her return, "I find everything in the house as it should be; but I, nevertheless, highly appreciate your kindness. We must trust in Providence. Heaven I hope will protect us all."

Legge and his friend then left the cottage with many expressions of deep respect, and with feelings over which they had no controul, returned to the Crumpet and Crown.

"Sold again!" cried Obadiah, as they entered; "a dead sell, of course?"

"Not exactly," replied Legge; "no, not exactly."

"Did you see it, then?"

"Yes."

"And was it a ghost?"

"That I must leave. My impression is, that it was."

"I never," said Quocks, "in all my days, saw anything go through a panel so clean."

"Through a panel! What panel?"

"The panel of Mrs. Sound's door."

"It went clean through?"

"As clean as a whistle!"

"It's a ghost, then! Safe to be a ghost! Just exactly what I said. Didn't I say so? What's a door to a ghost? Why, no more than Bobby Peel is to Johnny Russell. You may bolt and bar your doors till you can't see out of your eyes! What do you think a real ghost cares about that? If it wants to come in, it will come in, and no mistake about it! A ghost cares no more for a door, my boys, than the Egyptians cared for the Turks, when they welted the Chinamen hollow with a single jaw-bone of an ass. I tell you now, as I told you before, a door is no more to a ghost, than Boney was to Nosey; not a mite."

"But did you see it really, though?" said Pokey. "Upon your soul, now, did you see it go into the cottage?"

"As true as I'm alive," replied Quocks; "I saw it go in, as plain as I see you now."

"It's a ghost," said the traveller; "as sure as you're born."

"I haven't half a doubt about it," cried Pokey; "I knew in a moment that it was, by the manner of it."

"Well," said Legge, who now wished them to go; "it certainly is a most mysterious piece of business, but I suppose we shall see no more of it to-night. Therefore, when you're ready, gentlemen—don't let me hurry you—but when you're ready, I'll close the house."

"I'm ready," said Pokey, who thought of his wife; "quite ready. But let us go together, you know: let us go together!"

"With all my heart," cried Obadiah. "As far as ghosts are concernel, I'm no more afraid of ghosts than Peter the Great was of Dickey the Third, still I think it will be as well for us all to go together."

And the rest thought so too; and they rose simultaneously and left the house, with the understanding that they were to meet with the view of discussing the matter in the morning.