round open and
swallow her up, Chicken and all! For you must know, worshipful Father,
that while She talked thus, She held the plate in her hand, on which
lay the identical roast Fowl. And a fine Bird it was, that I must say
for it! Done to a turn, for I superintended the cooking of it myself:
It was a little Gallician of my own raising, may it please your
Holiness, and the flesh was as white as an egg-shell, as indeed Donna
Elvira told me herself. "Dame Jacintha," said She, very
good-humouredly, though to say the truth, She was always very polite to
me .....'

Here Ambrosio's patience failed him. Eager to know Jacintha's business
in which Antonia seemed to be concerned, He was almost distracted while
listening to the rambling of this prosing old Woman. He interrupted
her, and protested that if She did not immediately tell her story and
have done with it, He should quit the Parlour, and leave her to get out
of her difficulties by herself. This threat had the desired effect.
Jacintha related her business in as few words as She could manage; But
her account was still so prolix that Ambrosio had need of his patience
to bear him to the conclusion.

'And so, your Reverence,' said She, after relating Elvira's death and
burial, with all their circumstances; 'And so, your Reverence, upon
hearing the shriek, I put away my work, and away posted I to Donna
Antonia's chamber. Finding nobody there, I past on to the next; But I
must own, I was a little timorous at going in, for this was the very
room where Donna Elvira used to sleep. However, in I went, and sure
enough, there lay the young Lady at full length upon the floor, as cold
as a stone, and as white as a sheet. I was surprized at this, as your
Holiness may well suppose; But Oh me! how I shook when I saw a great
tall figure at my elbow whose head touched the ceiling! The face was
Donna Elvira's, I must confess; But out of its mouth came clouds of
fire, its arms were loaded with heavy chains which it rattled
piteously, and every hair on its head was a Serpent as big as my arm!
At this I was frightened enough, and began to say my Ave-Maria: But
the Ghost interrupting me uttered three loud groans, and roared out in
a terrible voice, "Oh! That Chicken's wing! My poor soul suffers for
it!" As soon as She had said this, the Ground opened, the Spectre
sank down, I heard a clap of thunder, and the room was filled with a
smell of brimstone. When I recovered from my frigh