426 A MYSTERIOUS CATASTROPHE. 



" moon's up full this morning nine o'clock, A. M., twenty 

 minutes and, supposing it \vas dark, I can put my hand on 

 e'er a one of the books in the bookcase. I should think so 

 a man in my capacity Order is admirable." " Well, if go 

 you will, go you must ; but I wouldn't to-night," repeated 

 Dolly, entreatingly, as Caleb opened the kitchen door, and 

 shut it resolutely behind him. 



Perhaps, however, when it was closed, a restraining some- 

 thing, sprung of Dolly's deprecating words or looks, or of his 

 own fireside musings, made Caleb linger on the threshold, for 

 a minute at least elapsed before we heard his creaking step 

 across the hall, up the stairs, and then along the dark narrow 

 passage which led into mv uncle's study, the door of which 



JO * w * 



we then heard close after him. " He might have left it open, 

 at any rate," said Mrs. Dove, with a look of fluttering wonder- 

 ment. Then all were silent, and, in momentary expectation of 

 Mr. Caligraph's return, minutes went on till they made up 

 perhaps a quarter of an hour but no Caleb re-appeared. 

 What on earth could he be about ? I would have gone to see, 

 but an imploring look from Dolly kept me back, till, thump ! 

 came the sound as of a heavy fall in the direction of the library. 

 We all three started to our feet, and Dolly was the first to reach 

 the kitchen door ; there, however, she hung back, and, holding 

 Lucy back by the hand too, followed me, bearing the candle, 

 up the stairs. 



The back-room door was shut, and something within ob- 

 structed its opening. Open it we however did, wide enough 

 to gain admittance, and then, on the floor behind, found ex- 

 tended the prostrate length of Caleb. Dolly's fears took at 

 the sight a new turn ; she held the candle with a trembling 

 hand over the features of her old fellow-servant, fixed now in 

 even more than usual rigidity ; but when by their scrutiny she 

 had ascertained that nothing serious, in the way at least of 

 bodily disorder, had overtaken him, she drew from that tra- 

 velling dispensary, her ample pocket, some pungent restorer of 



