"fancy" phrase, "knocked its two daylights into one," as the
commingled fragments of my tea-service testified. I did my best to
gather comfort and courage from these evidences; but it would not do.
And then what could I say of those horrid bare feet, and the regular
tramp, tramp, tramp, which measured the distance of the entire staircase
through the solitude of my haunted dwelling, and at an hour when no good
influence was stirring? Confound it!--the whole affair was abominable. I
was out of spirits, and dreaded the approach of night.

It came, ushered ominously in with a thunder-storm and dull torrents of
depressing rain. Earlier than usual the streets grew silent; and by
twelve o'clock nothing but the comfortless pattering of the rain was to
be heard.

I made myself as snug as I could. I lighted _two_ candles instead of
one. I forswore bed, and held myself in readiness for a sally, candle in
hand; for, _coute qui coute_, I was resolved to _see_ the being, if
visible at all, who troubled the nightly stillness of my mansion. I was
fidgetty and nervous and tried in vain to interest myself with my books.
I walked up and down my room, whistling in turn martial and hilarious
music, and listening ever and anon for the dreaded noise. I sate down
and stared at the square label on the solemn and reserved-looking black
bottle, until "FLANAGAN & CO'S BEST OLD MALT WHISKY" grew into a sort of
subdued accompaniment to all the fantastic and horrible speculations
which chased one another through my brain.

Silence, meanwhile, grew more silent, and darkness darker. I listened in
vain for the rumble of a vehicle, or the dull clamour of a distant row.
There was nothing but the sound of a rising wind, which had succeeded
the thunder-storm that had travelled over the Dublin mountains quite out
of hearing. In the middle of this great city I began to feel myself
alone with nature, and Heaven knows what beside. My courage was ebbing.
Punch, however, which makes beasts of so many, made a man of me
again--just in time to hear with tolerable nerve and firmness the lumpy,
flabby, naked feet deliberately descending the stairs again.

I took a candle, not without a tremour. As I crossed the floor I tried
to extemporise a prayer, but stopped short to listen, and never finished
it. The steps continued. I confess I hesitated for some seconds at the
door before I took heart of grace and opened it. When I peeped out the
lobby was perfectly empty--th