'The name, madam, remains in my memory, associated elusively with some
hint of seriousness. Will you pardon me a moment?' and a vague thought
that I had seen the castle mentioned either in a newspaper, or a
clipping from one, caused me to pick up the latest bunch which had
come from my agent. I am imbued with no vanity at all; still it is
amusing to note what the newspapers say of one, and therefore I have
subscribed to a clipping agency. In fact, I indulge in two
subscriptions--one personal; the other calling for any pronouncement
pertaining to the differences between England and France; for it is my
determination yet to write a book on the comparative characteristics
of the two people. I hold a theory that the English people are utterly
incomprehensible to the rest of humanity, and this will be duly set
out in my forthcoming volume.

I speedily found the clipping I was in search of. It proved to be a
letter to the _Times_, and was headed: 'Proposed Destruction of
Rantremly Castle'. The letter went on to say that this edifice was one
of the most noted examples of Norman architecture in the north of
England; that Charles II had hidden there for some days after his
disastrous defeat at Worcester. Part of the castle had been battered
down by Cromwell, and later it again proved the refuge of a Stuart
when the Pretender made it a temporary place of concealment. The new
Lord Rantremly, it seemed, had determined to demolish this ancient
stronghold, so interesting architecturally and historically, and to
build with its stones a modern residence. Against this act of
vandalism the writer strongly protested, and suggested that England
should acquire the power which France constantly exerts, in making an
historical monument of an edifice so interwoven with the fortunes of
the country.

'Well, madam,' I said, 'all this extract alludes to is the coming
demolition of Rantremly Castle. Is that the tragedy of which you
speak?'

'Oh no,' she exclaimed; 'I mean the death of the eleventh Lord
Rantremly about six weeks ago. For ten years Lord Rantremly lived
practically alone in the castle. Servants would not remain there
because the place was haunted, and well it may be, for a terrible
family the Rantremlys have been, and a cruel, as I shall be able to
tell you. Up to a month and a half ago Lord Rantremly was waited on by
a butler older than himself, and if possible, more wicked. One morning
this old butler came up the stairs from the