AN APPARITION. 427 



the wandering senses, and plied it assiduously till Caleb opened 

 his ink-blot eyes, and, with recollection still at fault, recovered 

 slowly sufficient of corporeal energy to rise from his recum- 

 bency, and totter, supported by the arm of Mrs. Dove, to his 

 dormitory and his bed. There we must leave him, and, taking 

 a few steps backward, relate his experiences of that memorable 

 evening, as in substance or in shadow they were imparted 

 next morning in the weakness of recent terror to the eager 

 but anticipative ear of Mrs. Dove. 



He had, as he declared, just entered the library, when the 

 door, as if taken by a draught though wind there was none 

 shut to behind him. The moon was shining brightly through 

 the casement opposite, and threw a long black shadow on the 

 floor from the high antique arm-chair, placed then with its 

 back towards him, and fronting the library table, which stood 

 not far from the cold empty fireplace. Caleb proceeded to- 

 wards the bookcase, that division of it a little to the right of the 

 chair, and just above it, which he knew so accurately to be the 

 precise place of the desired volume. He stood under it his 

 arm was raised towards it; but another arm was stretched forth at 

 the same time, and another hand, pale and shadowy, took down 

 the book before he could lay hold of it. The apparition to 

 which that hand belonged must have risen from the great arm- 

 chair, whose back had screened it on his entrance ; and before 

 Caleb had time, if he had dared, to look upon its features, was 

 again reseated, back towards him, book open, at an illustrated 

 page, whereon it was pointing with its thin white finger to the 

 figure of a cockroach. Caleb had seen enough, and attempted, 

 his few teeth chattering, and his knobby knees knocking, to 

 effect his exit from the library ; had almost reached the door, 

 when a cold arresting hand seemed laid upon his shoulder, and 

 he fell, as we had found him, prostrate on the floor. 



"Master is dead," said Dolly, after hearing the above 

 relation. "Master is dead; I know it;" and her supersti- 

 tious awe giving way presently to heart-breaking sorrow, she 

 burst into an agony of tears. 



