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The doctor sent a couple of nurses from the County Hospital, not choosing to trust his patient to the management he had selected, and he went down himself to Gylingden to meet them in the evening. Old Cooper was ordered to occupy the dressing room, and sit up at night, which satisfied the squire, who was in a strangely excited state, very low, and threatened, the doctor said, with fever.

The clergyman came, an old, gentle, “book-learned” man, and talked and prayed with him late that evening. After he had gone the squire called the nurses to his bedside, and said: “There’s a fellow sometimes comes; you’ll never mind him. He looks in at the door and beckons-a thin, humpbacked chap in mourning, wi’ black gloves on; ye’ll know him by his lean face, as brown as the wainscot: don’t ye mind his smilin’. You don’t go out to him, nor ask him in; he won’t say nou’t; and if he grows anger’d and looks awry at ye, don’t be afeared, for he can’t hurt ye, and he’ll grow tired waitin’, and go away; and for God’s sake mind ye don’t ask him in, nor go out after him!”

The nurses put their heads together when this was over, and held afterwards a whispering conference with old Cooper.”Law bless ye!-no, there’s no madman in the house,” he protested; “not a soul but what ye saw-it’s just a trifle o’ the fever in his head-no more.”

The squire grew worse as the night wore on. He was heavy and delirious, talking of all sorts of things-of wine, and dogs, and lawyers; and then he began to talk, as it were, to his brother Scroope. As he did so, Mrs. Oliver, the nurse, who was sitting up alone with him, heard, as she thought, a hand softly laid on the door handle outside, and a stealthy attempt to turn it.”Lord bless us! Who’s there?” she cried, and her heart jumped into her mouth as she thought of the hump-backed man ill black, who was to put in his head smiling and beckoning-“Mr. Cooper! Sir! Are you there?” she cried.”Come here, Mr. Cooper, please-do, sir, quick!”

Old Cooper, called up from his doze by the fire, stumbled in from the dressing room, and Mrs. Oliver seized him tightly as he emerged.

“The man with the hump has been atryin’ the door, Mr. Cooper, as sure as I am here.” The squire was moaning and mumbling in his fever, understanding nothing, as she spoke. “No,no! Mrs. Oliver, ma’am, it’s impossible, for there’s no sich man in the house: what is Master Charlie sayin’?”

“He’s sayingScroopeevery minute, whatever he means by that, and-and-hisht!-listen-there’s the handle again,” and, with a loud scream, she added-“Look at his head and neck in at the door!” and in her tremor she strained old Cooper in an agonizing embrace.

The candle was flaring, and there was a wavering shadow at the door that looked like the head of a man with a long neck, and a longish sharp nose, peeping in and drawing back.

“Don’t be a d– fool, ma’am!” cried Cooper, very white, and shaking her with all his might.”It’s only the candle, I tell you-nothing in life but that. Don’t you see?” and he raised the light.”And I’m sure

there was no one at the door, and I’ll try, if you let mego.”

The other nurse was asleep on a sofa, and Mrs. Oliver called her up in a panic, for company, as old Cooper opened the door. There was no one near it, but at the angle of the gallery was a shadow resembling that which he had seen in the room. He raised the candle a little, and it seemed to beckon with a long hand as the head drew back.”Shadow from the candle!” exclaimed Cooper aloud, resolved not to yield to Mrs. Oliver’s panic; and, candle in hand, he walked to the corner.