letters fresh and clear, caught especially his eye.

"Katherine, eldest child of Godfrey Monk, gentleman, and wife of the
Reverend Thomas Dancox," he read out aloud. "Was that he who was Vicar
here?"

"Ay, 'twas. She married him again her father's wish, and died, poor
thing, just a year after it," replied the clerk. "And only twenty-three,
as you see, sir! The Captain came down and forgave her on her dying bed,
and 'twas he that had the stone put up there. Her baby-girl was taken to
the Hall, and is there still: ten years old she must be now; 'twas but
an hour or two old when the mother died."

"It seems a sad history," observed Mr. Grame as he turned away to enter
the vestry.

John Cale did the honours of its mysteries; showing him the chest for
the surplices; the cupboard let into the wall for the register-book; the
place where candles and such-like stores were kept. Mr. Grame opened a
door at one end of the room and saw a square flagged place, containing
grave-digging tools and the hanging ropes of the bell which called
people to church. Shutting the door again, he crossed to a door on the
opposite side. But that he could not open.

"What does this lead to?" he asked. "It is locked."

"It's always kept locked, that door is, sir; and it's a'most as much as
my post is worth to open it," said the clerk, his voice sinking to a
mysterious whisper. "It leads up to the chimes."

"The chimes!" echoed the new parson in surprise. "Do you mean to say
this little country church can boast of chimes?"

John Cale nodded. "Lovely, pleasant things they be to listen to, sir,
but we've not heard 'em since the midnight when Miss Katherine died.
They play a tune called 'The Bay of Biscay.'"

Selecting a key from the bunch that he carried in his hand, he opened
the door, displaying a narrow staircase, unprotected as a ladder and
nearly perpendicular. At its top was another small door, evidently
locked.

"Captain Monk had all this done when he put the chimes up," remarked he.
"I sweep the dust off these stairs, once in three months or so, but
otherwise the door's not opened. And that one," nodding to the door
above, "never."

"But why?" asked the clergyman. "If the chimes are there, and are, as
you say, melodious, why do they not play?"

"Well, sir, I b'lieve there's a bit of superstition at the bottom of
it," returned the clerk, not caring to explain too fully lest he should
have to tell about Mr. West's death, which might