? There was no other room in their house from which
the sound could proceed. She was not devoid of the superstitious
feelings of the age, and had heard before of ghostly tappings that
were said to be a harbinger of coming death or misfortune.

Tap! tap! tap! The sound continued with a ceaseless regularity, and
then came other strange sounds of wrenching and tearing. These were
perhaps not quite so ghostly, but equally alarming. What could it
be? Who and what could be behind that wall? Gertrude had heard
stories of ghastly robberies, committed during these past days in
plague-stricken houses, which were entered by worthless vagabonds,
when all within were dead or helpless, and from which vantage
ground they had gained access into other houses, and had sometimes
brought the dread infection with them.

Gertrude was by nature courageous, and she had always made it a
point of duty not to add to her mother's alarms by permitting
herself to fall a victim to nervous terrors. Frightened though she
undoubtedly was, therefore, she did not follow the impulse of her
fear and run below to summon her father, who was, she suspected,
bent on some serious work of his own; but she stood very still and
quiet, pressing her hands over her beating heart, resolved if
possible to discover the mystery for herself before giving any
alarm.

All at once the sounds grew louder; something seemed to give way,
and she saw a hand, a man's hand, pushed through some small
aperture. At that she uttered a little cry.

"Who is there?" she cried, in a shaking voice; and immediately the
hand was withdrawn, whilst a familiar and most reassuring voice
made answer:

"Is anybody there? I beg ten thousand pardons. I had thought the
attic would be hare and empty."

"Reuben!" cried Gertrude, springing forward towards the small
aperture in the wall. "Oh, what is it? Is it indeed thou? And what
art thou doing to the wall?"

"Gertrude! is that thy voice indeed? Nay, now, this is a good hap.
Sweet Mistress Gertrude, have I thy permission to open once again
betwixt thy home and mine that door which as children thy brother
and we did contrive, but which was presently sealed up, though not
over-strongly?"

"Ah, the door!" cried Gertrude, coming forward to the place and
feeling with her hands at the laths and woodwork; "I had forgot,
but it comes to me again. Yes, truly there was a rude door once.
Oh, open it quickly! I will get thee a light and hold it. Dost tho