10 A HAUNTED HOUSE. 



European resident at the place, — and any of his contem- 

 poraries in the Bengal Presidency who may chance to read 

 this, will wot how well and amusingly I was entertained by 

 my host, poor Frank Grossman, who has long since joined 

 the " majority." When bidding me " good-night," he laugh- 

 ingly expressed a hope that I might not be disturbed in the 

 house where I had taken up my quarters, as it was reputed 

 to be haunted. There certainly was a deserted, dismal look 

 about the place, which was anything but inviting. Long 

 rank grass and weeds grew in great profusion around it, and 

 the walls, which in many parts were falling to decay, were 

 green with damp and moss. Within a few yards of the 

 house there stood an old dilapidated tomb, which, report 

 said, had been desecrated by some ruffians who had ex- 

 humed the corpse interred long ago beneath it, in search of 

 plunder. There were many other queer stories concerning 

 the locality, one of them being of a quondam occupant of the 

 house having, in a fit of " D.T.," committed suicide there ; 

 possibly the individual buried under the ruined monument. 

 Altogether, from its lonely situation, the supernatural tales 

 concerning it, its general woe-begone appearance, which was 

 augmented by some funereal-looking pine-trees that grew 

 hard by, and the fact of the natives being loath to visit it 

 after nightfall, it might indeed have been considered a ghostly 

 sort of place. 



Not being of a superstitious turn of mind, I thought little 

 more about the reputation of my abode ; and, being rather 

 tired after my day's journey, was not long in turning into 

 bed, and was soon soundly slumbering. I must have been 

 asleep some time, when I was awakened by a hand, as 

 it were, touching my foot. The room was dark as Erebus, 

 and I had no matches at hand wherewith to strike a light. 

 Nor was there anybody within hail to bring one, for I was 

 alone in the house, all the servants having left it for their 

 own quarters, which, as is usual in India, were outside ; so 

 there was nothing for it but to lie still and try to collect 



