d an
iron cage, such as wild beasts are kept in, only higher; it was about
four feet square, and eight in height, and there was an iron ring in the
wall at the back, to which was attached an old rusty chain, with a
collar fixed to the end of it! I confess it made my blood creep, when I
thought of the possibility of any human being having inhabited it! And
our old friend expressed as much horror as ourselves, assuring us that
it must certainly have been constructed for some such dreadful purpose.
As, however, we were no believer in ghosts, we all agreed that the
noises must proceed from somebody who had an interest in keeping the
house empty; and since it was very disagreeable to imagine that there
were secret means of entering it by night, we resolved, as soon as
possible, to look out for another residence, and, in the meantime, to
say nothing about the matter to anybody. About ten days after this
determination, my mother, observing one morning that Creswell, when she
came to dress her, looked exceedingly pale and ill, inquired if anything
was the matter with her? "Indeed, my lady," answered she, "we have been
frightened to death; and neither I nor Mrs Marsh can sleep again in the
room we are now in."

"Well," returned my mother, "you shall both come and sleep in the little
spare room next us; but what has alarmed you?"

"Someone, my lady, went through our room in the night; we both saw the
figure, but we covered our heads with the bed-clothes, and lay in a
dreadful fright till morning."

On hearing this, I could not help laughing, upon which Creswell burst
into tears; and seeing how nervous she was, we comforted her by saying
we had heard of a good house, and that we should very soon abandon our
present habitation.

A few nights afterwards, my mother requested me and Charles to go into
her bedroom, and fetch her frame, that she might prepare her work for
the next day. It was after supper; and we were ascending the stairs by
the light of a lamp which was always kept burning, when we saw going up
before us, a tall, thin figure, with hair flowing down his back, and
wearing a loose powdering gown. We both at once concluded it was my
sister Hannah, and called out: "It won't do, Hannah! you cannot frighten
us!" Upon which the figure turned into a recess in the wall; but as
there was nobody there when we passed, we concluded that Hannah had
contrived, somehow or other, to slip away and make her escape by the
back stairs.