He looked at the bed. In it lay the deceased lady with her long slit of a mouth shut like a rat-trap, and her hard eyes fixed on him. "It is of no use your thinking of marrying, Benjamin," she said. "I shall haunt you till you give it up." Mr. Woolfield sat by his fire all night, and only dozed off towards morning. During the day he called at the house of Miss Weston, and was shown into the drawing-room. But there, standing behind her chair, was his deceased wife with her arms folded on the back of the seat, glowering at him. It was impossible for the usual tender passages to ensue between the lovers with a witness present, expressing by gesture her disapproval of such matters and her inflexible determination to force on a rupture. The dear departed did not attend Mr. Woolfield continuously during the day, but appeared at intervals. He could never say when he would be free, when she would not turn up. In the evening he rang for the housemaid. "Jemima," he said, "put two hot bottles into my bed to-night. It is somewhat chilly." "Yes, sir." "And let the water be boiling--not with the chill off." "Yes, sir." When somewhat late Mr. Woolfield retired to his room he found, as he had feared, that his late wife was there before him. She lay in the bed with her mouth snapped, her eyes like black balls, staring at him. "My dear," said Benjamin, "I hope you are more comfortable." "I'm cold, deadly cold." "But I trust you are enjoying the hot bottles." "I lack animal heat," replied the late Mrs. Woolfield. Benjamin fled the room and returned to his study, where he unlocked his spirit case and filled his pipe. The fire was burning. He made it up. He would sit there all night During the passing hours, however, he was not left quite alone. At intervals the door was gently opened, and the night-capped head of the late Mrs. Woolfield was thrust in. "Don't think, Benjamin, that your engagement will lead to anything," she would say, "because it will not. I shall stop it." So time passed. Mr. Woolfield found it impossible to escape this persecution. He lost spirits; he lost flesh. At last, after sad thought, he saw but one way of relief, and that was to submit. And in order to break off the engagement he must have a prolonged interview with Philippa. He went to the theatre and bought two stall tickets, and sent one to her with the earnest request that she would accept it and meet him that evening at the theatre. He had something to communicate of the utmost importance. At the theatre he knew that he would be safe; the principles of Kesiah would not suffer her to enter there. At the proper time Mr. Woolfield drove round to Miss Weston's, picked her up, and together they went to the theatre and took their places in the stalls. Their seats were side by side.