Page:Sylvester Sound the Somnambulist (1844).djvu/448

When the ghost of Banquo appeared at the banquet, it terribly startled Macbeth, but neither Macbeth nor any other individual was ever more startled than Mary was, when on entering the parlour alone the next morning, she saw a man lying asleep on the couch.

Of course she didn't stop in the room long. On the contrary, she very soon rushed out of it; and, although she neither screamed, nor fell, nor fainted, on reaching the kitchen, she felt "fit to drop."

"Oh! cook," she sighed, as she sank on a chair: "there's a man!—there's a man!"

"There's a man! Where's a man?" demanded cook.

"In the parlour."

"A man in the parlour. Why, what's he after there?"

"He's asleep—fast asleep. I know he's asleep; but the moment I saw him my heart was in my mouth."

"But what sort of a man does he look like?"

"I don't know. I couldn't stop to look; I only know he's a man."

"And asleep you say? You're quite sure he's asleep?"

"Oh! quite."

"Then I'll go and have a look at him. Come, come along."

"Oh! I durs'n't."

"Fiddlesticks. You're not afraid of a man when he's fast asleep, are you? Come along, do! and don't be silly."

Mary reluctantly rose from her chair and followed cook, softly and slowly; and when cook had reached the parlour door, she peeped, and beheld—the man!

"Why, it's only Mr. Sylvester, girl!" she exclaimed. "How stupid you are to be sure!"

"Mr. Sylvester!" said Mary, whose courage returned, and she looked in, and then found that he was the man.

"I wonder where Judkins is!" said cook, who had an idea that something was wrong. "He certainly ought to have been down by this time. Shall we go up and knock at the door?"

"If you like," replied Mary, who didn't at all understand cook's feelings, and therefore couldn't appreciate them: still she went up with her, and found the door open, and further, that Judkins was not in the room.

"Why, where on earth is he!" cried cook, who began to feel very much alarmed. "He's not in the garden?" she added, looking out. "No. Why, where in the world can he be?"

"In the tool-house, perhaps," suggested Mary, and cook at once ran down and went to the tool-house: but no!—he was not there. She