“Yes-yes-yes! Very fine specimen of old red sandstone, while the main building is of blue limestone. You’ll do, you’ll do, you’ll do! And now I will give you this paper, which contains full instructions as to your duties here, and I will leave it with you for reference,” said the agent, handing over to John a very formidable looking document in a long, yellow envelope, tied with red tape. “I will study this to-morrow morning,” said Palmer, stowing it away in the breast pocket of his coat. “I will rest here until the heat of the day is over, and then leave my horse here and take a fresh one and return-return-return,” said the agent as they all arose from the table when the frugal meal was ended. Leaving the women to clear away the table, John Palmer and his guest walked down on the front lawn, if lawn that could be called which was so thickly covered with trees as to be only the skirt of the deep forest that lay between the house and the river. “You spoke about your horse. I hope he is taken care of, sir. If so it had a been that I had knowed when you first came I’d a taken care of him myself,” said Palmer apologetically. “Oh, don’t bother, don’t bother!” exclaimed the visitor as he threw himself down at full length under one of the large shade trees, took a pipe and pouch of tobacco from his pocket, filled and lighted the pipe from a match, and began to smoke, continuing to talk between his whiffs. “Bless you, man, I’m more at home here, more at home, more at home than you are. I just rode around to the stable, gave my horse to Seth, the head groom, and then walked on to the house. The horse belongs here. I have none of my own, none of my own; but I have the privilege of using these, using these. I shall take a fresh one, a fresh one, a fresh one, when I go back. But, sit down, man, sit down, sit down. I want to talk to you about something else, and it tires me to see you standing.” John seated himself under the tree at some little distance from the agent, who then, lowering his tone, inquired: “Slept in the house last night, didn’t you? Slept in the house, slept in the house?” “Yes,” replied John. “I told you so, you know.” “Yes-yes-yes-yes! So you did! Hem! See anything unusual?” “Sir?” inquired John in a bewilderment. “See anything unsual—unusual—unusual?” rapidly reiterated the little man, fixing his keen black eyes on Palmer’s face. “I beg pardon. I—I don’t understand,” said John. “Any disturbance in the night—any fright-fright-fright?” “Not in the least. But now that reminds me that the same question was asked by old ’Si, the gate-porter, this morning! But I answered him as I answer you: nothing disturbed us. As far as I know we all slept like tops—we always do. What _should_ have disturbed us?” “Nothing-nothing-nothing! Bats, mice, wind! Nothing more, _I_ verily believe! But there are a lot of idiots who have got a story up about the old manor-house being haunted-haunted-haunted!”