92 | Hell-fire Dick, [Jan 
figure and lugubrious visage—points otherwise perfectly unintelligible in 
an inn-keeper, who, by his vocation, is bound to shew, in his own person; 
the happy results of good living. From his former trade, ‘he had naturally 
got upon a familiar footing with ghosts and goblins ; and he now struck 
into the conversation with the tone of one who feels he is master of his 
subject, and has a right to dictate to his more ignorant companions. But, 
while the rest of the company listened with awe and wonder to his ter- 
rible stories, now told for the nine hundred and ninety-ninth time, Frank 
only leered with his little, peery eyes, wrinkling his nose to and fro, that 
was as supple as the proboscis of an elephant, and, though he said 
nothing, gave evident tokens of his not believing a syllable. This net- 
tled mine host, who felt, he knew not why nor how, that his genius was 
cowed and rebuked by that of his guest, as Antony’s once was by that of 
Cesar. If any thing could have added to the dislike he already enter- 
tained for him, it would have been ‘this; and, certainly, to find another 
obstinately bent on disbelieving one’s creed, no matter what may be the 
subject of it—a point in politics, or a point in pin-making—is such an 
insult as no man, with a proper sense of his own dignity, would submit 
to, unless he wanted the means of resenting it. Now mine host, so far 
from being blind to his own extraordinary merits, was firmly of opinion 
that to differ from him, on any topic whatsoever, was to be a knave, or a 
fool at the least; and it was with more indignation than he thought it 
prudent to avow, that he attacked Frank on the score of his infidelity. 
«© Ay, ay,’ he exclaimed, ‘ there is many a one can look as bold as 
a lion, with the fire blazing on the hearth, and a score of jolly com- - 
panions about him, who would quake most confoundedly at being alone 
for half an hour in a church-yard at midnight. I wish you would try 
the experiment.’ . 
««« Much obliged to you,’ said Frank ; ‘ but, though I don’t object to 
an hour’s /éfe-d-iéte with your ghosts, I have a particular dislike to such 
a storm of rain and wind as I hear just now, beating against the win- 
dows, and blowing round the house-top as if it intended to carry off the 
chimneys.’ 
« « As to that matter,’ replied the landlord, ‘ there is no occasion for 
your wetting so much as a finger, or having a hair on your head blown 
away. Ican shew you to a place where you may meet with goblins 
enough, without stirring out of the house, since you are so dainty of your- 
self—But, twenty crowns to a single golden guinea, you have not heart. 
to undertake the business, with all your bragging.’ 
« «Done! said Frank, who was not sorry for this opportunity of 
filling his purse, which was at so low an ebb, it was a chance if it served 
to pay his reckoning in the morning. 
“« And done!’ echoed mine host, equally well pleased, on his part, . 
that he was likely to clear off the accumulated scores of the evening ‘with 
his guest ; for, if tradition spoke truth, the ghosts of the Prior’s Gallery 
were no jokers. 
“ Here I should mention, though Frank did not learn it till afterwards, 
that the inn was a portion only of the ruins of a large mansion, «which: 
had formerly gone undér the name of Flam Hail, and was even now so ~ 
called by the elders of the nearest villages. By one of those strange 
fatalities, which will sometimes occur in real life as well as in the pages 
of romance, it so happened that the heirs of the estate died, through five 
descents, in such rapid succession, that in no one instance was death’ 
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