It had been too far from me for that. But its colour was what had
impressed me most. It was of a livid, dead yellow, and with something
set and rigid about it, which was shockingly unnatural. So disturbed was
I, that I determined to see a little more of the new inmates of the
cottage. I approached and knocked at the door, which was instantly
opened by a tall, gaunt woman, with a harsh, forbidding face.

"'What may you be wantin'?' she asked, in a northern accent.

"'I am your neighbour over yonder,' said I, nodding towards my house. 'I
see that you have only just moved in, so I thought that if I could be of
any help to you in any----'

"'Aye, we'll just ask ye when we want ye,' said she, and shut the door
in my face. Annoyed at the churlish rebuff, I turned my back and walked
home. All the evening, though I tried to think of other things, my mind
would still turn to the apparition at the window and the rudeness of the
woman. I determined to say nothing about the former to my wife, for she
is a nervous, highly-strung woman, and I had no wish that she should
share the unpleasant impression which had been produced upon myself. I
remarked to her, however, before I fell asleep that the cottage was now
occupied, to which she returned no reply.

[Illustration: "WHAT MAY YOU BE WANTIN'?"]

"I am usually an extremely sound sleeper. It has been a standing jest in
the family that nothing could ever wake me during the night; and yet
somehow on that particular night, whether it may have been the slight
excitement produced by my little adventure or not, I know not, but I
slept much more lightly than usual. Half in my dreams I was dimly
conscious that something was going on in the room, and gradually became
aware that my wife had dressed herself and was slipping on her mantle
and her bonnet. My lips were parted to murmur out some sleepy words of
surprise or remonstrance at this untimely preparation, when suddenly my
half-opened eyes fell upon her face, illuminated by the candle light,
and astonishment held me dumb. She wore an expression such as I had
never seen before--such as I should have thought her incapable of
assuming. She was deadly pale, and breathing fast, glancing furtively
towards the bed, as she fastened her mantle, to see if she had disturbed
me. Then, thinking that I was still asleep, she slipped noiselessly from
the room, and an instant later I heard a sharp creaking, which could
only come from the hinges of the fr