of the house. They found their way to
it. A bench was placed against one of the walls. They sat down.

"Shall I wait till you're better before I say any more?" Mrs. Ellmother
asked. "No? You want to hear about Mr. Mirabel? My dear, he came into
the parlor where I was; and Mr. Rook came in too---and waited, looking
at him. Mr. Mirabel sat down in a corner, in a dazed state as I thought.
It wasn't for long. He jumped up, and clapped his hand on his heart as
if his heart hurt him. 'I must and will know what's going on upstairs,'
he says. Mr. Rook pulled him back, and told him to wait till the
young lady came down. Mr. Mirabel wouldn't hear of it. 'Your wife's
frightening her,' he says; 'your wife's telling her horrible things
about me.' He was taken on a sudden with a shivering fit; his eyes
rolled, and his teeth chattered. Mr. Rook made matters worse; he lost
his temper. 'I'm damned,' he says, 'if I don't begin to think you
_are_ the man, after all; I've half a mind to send for the police.' Mr.
Mirabel dropped into his chair. His eyes stared, his mouth fell open. I
took hold of his hand. Cold--cold as ice. What it all meant I can't say.
Oh, miss, _you_ know! Let me tell you the rest of it some other time."

Emily insisted on hearing more. "The end!" she cried. "How did it end?"

"I don't know how it might have ended, if the doctor hadn't come in--to
pay his visit, you know, upstairs. He said some learned words. When
he came to plain English, he asked if anybody had frightened the
gentleman. I said Mr. Rook had frightened him. The doctor says to Mr.
Rook, 'Mind what you are about. If you frighten him again, you may have
his death to answer for.' That cowed Mr. Rook. He asked what he had
better do. 'Give me some brandy for him first,' says the doctor; 'and
then get him home at once.' I found the brandy, and went away to the inn
to order the carriage. Your ears are quicker than mine, miss--do I hear
it now?"

They rose, and went to the house door. The carriage was there.

Still cowed by what the doctor had said, Mr. Rook appeared, carefully
leading Mirabel out. He had revived under the action of the stimulant.
Passing Emily he raised his eyes to her--trembled--and looked down
again. When Mr. Rook opened the door of the carriage he paused, with one
of his feet on the step. A momentary impulse inspired him with a false
courage, and brought a flush into his ghastly face. He turned to Emily.

"May I speak to you?" he asked