r the most part, as if he was ailing. My girl
brought him up his tea at five to-day, and as he was pouring of it out,
he fell down in a faint, or a fit, or a compound of both, for anything I
know. We couldn't bring him to, and I said he was dead. And, the doctor
couldn't bring him to, and the doctor said he was dead. And there he is.
And the coroner's inquest's coming as soon as it can. And that's as much
as I know about it."

Arthur held the candle close to the man's lips. The flame still burned
straight up as steadily as ever. There was a moment of silence, and the
rain pattered drearily through it against the panes of the window.

"If you haven't got nothing more to say to me," continued the landlord,
"I suppose I may go. You don't expect your five shillings back, do you?
There's the bed I promised you, clean and comfortable. There's the man
I warranted not to disturb you, quiet in this world forever. If you're
frightened to stop alone with him, that's not my lookout. I've kept my
part of the bargain, and I mean to keep the money. I'm not Yorkshire
myself, young gentleman, but I've lived long enough in these parts to
have my wits sharpened, and I shouldn't wonder if you found out the way
to brighten up yours next time you come among us."

With these words the landlord turned toward the door, and laughed to
himself softly, in high satisfaction at his own sharpness.

Startled and shocked as he was, Arthur had by this time sufficiently
recovered himself to feel indignant at the trick that had been played on
him, and at the insolent manner in which the landlord exulted in it.

"Don't laugh," he said sharply, "till you are quite sure you have got
the laugh against me. You shan't have the five shillings for nothing, my
man. I'll keep the bed."

"Will you?" said the landlord. "Then I wish you a good night's rest."
With that brief farewell he went out and shut the door after him.

A good night's rest! The words had hardly been spoken, the door had
hardly been closed, before Arthur half repented the hasty words that had
just escaped him. Though not naturally over-sensitive, and not wanting
in courage of the moral as well as the physical sort, the presence of
the dead man had an instantaneously chilling effect on his mind when he
found himself alone in the room--alone, and bound by his own rash words
to stay there till the next morning. An older man would have thought
nothing of those words, and would have acted, without