who had brought him the letter,
"as I'm here, and you are here, perhaps you'll have no objection to give
me what I'm to have for the day and two nights as I've been here, cos I
can't stay in a family as is so familiar with all sorts o' ghostesses: I
ain't used to such company."

"What do you mean?" said Henry.

The question was a superfluous one--: too well he knew what the woman
meant, and the conviction came across his mind strongly that no domestic
would consent to live long in a house which was subject to such dreadful
visitations.

"What does I mean!" said the woman,--"why, sir, if it's all the same to
you, I don't myself come of a wampyre family, and I don't choose to
remain in a house where there is sich things encouraged. That's what I
means, sir."

"What wages are owing to you?" said Henry.

"Why, as to wages, I only comed here by the day."

"Go, then, and settle with my mother. The sooner you leave this house,
the better."

"Oh, indeed. I'm sure I don't want to stay."

This woman was one of those who were always armed at all points for a
row, and she had no notion of concluding any engagement, of any
character whatever, without some disturbance; therefore, to see Henry
take what she said with such provoking calmness was aggravating in the
extreme; but there was no help for such a source of vexation. She could
find no other ground of quarrel than what was connected with the
vampyre, and, as Henry would not quarrel with her on such a score, she
was compelled to give it up in despair.

When Henry found himself alone, and free from the annoyance of this
woman, he turned his attention to the letter he held in his hand, and
which, from the autograph in the corner, he knew came from his new
neighbour, Sir Francis Varney, whom, by some chance or another, he had
never yet seen.

To his great surprise, he found that the letter contained the following
words:--

Dear Sir,--"As a neighbour, by purchase of an estate contiguous
to your own, I am quite sure you have excused, and taken in good
part, the cordial offer I made to you of friendship and service
some short time since; but now, in addressing to you a distinct
proposition, I trust I shall meet with an indulgent
consideration, whether such proposition be accordant with your
views or not.

"What I have heard from common report induces me to believe that
Bannerworth Hall cannot be a desirable residence for yo