386 THE HOME OF A NATURALIST. 



a rest as undisturbed as any that dead men enjoy in 

 Christian burying grounds ! Ha ! ha ! and they say 

 that his spirit haunts the Ha' ; and they know not 

 that old James Gertson's money shares the laird's 

 sepulchre ! If they did ! If they did ! " 



At that moment something glittering down in the 

 vault caught Gertson's eye ; and his heart, ever fearful 

 over its treasure, throbbed at the thought of a golden 

 piece having by some mischance rolled out of a bag, or 

 perhaps the bag had burst or opened, and the precious 

 coins might escape. The miser thought of his sove- 

 reigns and shillings as if they were sentient beings 

 who could move away if it so pleased them when a 

 loophole of escape was given ; and in much trepidation 

 he stooped and stretched his hand towards the object. 

 That hand was clutched fiercely by something — sharp 

 teeth or fleshless fingers ! A yell of mingled terror and 

 wrath burst from his lips, and by one great effort 

 he freed his hand from the grip of the invisible 

 assailant. 



There is a power stronger than even the ruling 

 passion of a strong man, and that power had complete 

 control of Gertson — both soul and body — then. That 

 power is conscience, which " makes cowards of us all ; " 

 and it could conjure up a more horrible phantom than 

 any vulgar fear of the supernatural had ever been able 

 to do. Why conscience had never scared the man till 

 that hour we know not, and never can know. Forget- 

 ful of everything but the eager desire to escape from 

 some awful enemy sent from the unseen world to 



