carriage slackened before a pair
of heavy old-fashioned gates, which were almost immediately opened by a
young woman who ran out from one of the two lodges guarding each a side
of the avenue.

"The drive up to the house looked very pretty even then--or rather as if
it would be exquisitely so in spring and summer time.

"'I'm sure there must be lots and lots of primroses and violets and
periwinkles down there in those woody places,' I cried. 'Oh Mary, Mary,
_do_ take this house.'

"Mary smiled, but I could see that she too was pleased. And when we saw
the house itself the pleasant impression was not decreased. It was built
of nice old red stone, or brick, with grey mullions and gables to the
roof. The hall was oak wainscotted all round, and the rooms that opened
out of it were home-like and comfortable, as well as spacious. Certainly
it was too large, a great deal too large, but then we could lock off some
of the rooms.

"'People often do so,' I said. 'I think it is a delicious house, don't
you, Mary?'

"One part was much older than the other, and it was curiously planned,
the garden, the terraced garden behind which I had heard of, rising so,
that after going upstairs in the house you yet found yourself on a level
with one part of this garden, and could walk out on to it through a
little covered passage. The rooms into which this passage opened were the
oldest of all--one in particular, tapestried all round, struck me
greatly.

"'I hope it isn't haunted,' I said suddenly. Mary smiled, but the young
woman looked grave.

"'You don't mean to say it _is_?' I exclaimed.

"'Well, Miss, I was housemaid here several years, and I certainly never
saw nor heard nothing. But the young gentlemen did used to say things
like that for to frighten us, and for me I'm one as never likes to say
as to those things that isn't for us to understand.'

"'I do believe it _is_ haunted,' I cried, more and more excited, and
though Mary checked me I would not leave off talking about it.

"We were turning to go out into the gardens when an exclamation from Mary
caught my attention.

"'It is snowing again and _so_ fast,' she said, 'and just see how dark it
is.'

"''Twill lighten up again when the snow leaves off, Miss,' said the
woman. 'It is not three o'clock yet. I'll make you a bit of fire in a
minute if you like, in one of the rooms. In here----' she added, opening
the door of a small bedroom next to the tapestry room, 'it'll light