NOTES ON GHOSTS AND GOBLINS. 425 



curtain the wind having risen somewhat and I got 

 up to close the window. As I turned round for the 

 purpose the curtain rose gently and disclosed a startling 

 object. A fearful face was there, black, long, and 

 hideous, and surmounted by two monstrous horns. Its 

 eyes, large and bright, gleamed horribly, and a mouth 

 garnished with immense teeth grinned at me. Then 

 the curtain slowly descended. But I knew the horrible 

 thing was there. I waited, by no means comfortably, 

 while the curtain fluttered about, showing parts of the 

 black monster. At last it rose again so as to disclose 

 the whole face. But thfc face had lost its horror for 

 me. For the horns were gone. Instead of the two 

 nearly upright horns which before had shown black and 

 frightful against the light background of sea and sky, 

 these were two sloped ears as unmistakably asinine as 

 I felt myself at the moment. When I went to the 

 window (which before I felt unable to approach) I saw 

 that several stray donkeys were wandering through the 

 front gardens of the row of houses to which my lodgings 

 belonged. It is possible that the inquisitive gentleman 

 who had looked in at my window was attracted by the 

 flapping curtain, which he may have taken for some- 

 thing edible. ' If so,' I remarked to myself, ' two of 

 your kind have been deceived to-night.' 



It would be easy to fill page after page with the 

 details of the various ideas entertained about ghosts, 

 goblins, and demons. Such ideas extend not only to 

 the appearance of such beings, their apparel, appur- 

 tenances, and so on, but to the noises which they make 



