"Mr. Colman, who had hitherto been a silent but amazed listener to his daughter's narration, asked her what the gesture appeared to signify. "'It was as if it wanted the wall to be pulled down--at least, I thought so. I wish I had asked if that was what it wished, but I had not presence of mind; if I see it again, I will.' "'But we could not pull down the wall, you know, my dear,' said Mrs. Colman. "'I suppose we might, if we engaged to build it up again,' suggested one of the party. "'But if we told anybody, we should not get the money,' said the boys. "'Hush!' said Mary, 'Don't speak in that way; think what a solemn thing it is. I shall never forget his face--never, to the day of my death; and it looked at me so gratefully when I spoke to it, and then it disappeared into the wall.' "Of course this extraordinary occurrence formed the subject of conversation for the rest of the evening, and Mr. Colman narrowly questioned his daughter with regard to the particulars; but her story was always consistent, and as he had a very high opinion of Mary's courage and sense, the circumstance made so much impression on him, that he set about making enquiries as to the owner and antecedents of the house. It was difficult to obtain much information--for saying a house is haunted, is an injury to the landlord, and sometimes brings people into trouble--but he ascertained that it had had several tenants, that nobody had staid in it long, and that one of the persons who had inhabited it for a short time, was Mr. Bautte himself, whereupon he resolved to pay him a visit. "Mr. Bautte, as I have mentioned, was a watchmaker; and though very rich, still attended to his trade, so that it was easy to obtain an interview with him. Mr. Colman called at his place of business, which was not a shop, but a room on the first floor of a private house. He asked about the engraving of a seal that he had to his watch-chain; and then, having ascertained which was Mr. B., he told him he was his tenant. Mr. B. bowed and said, 'I hope you like the house, sir.' "My grandfather said that, perhaps, he might not have observed it but for what had happened, but that he fancied this was said with a sort of misgiving, as if he was conscious that there was something objectionable about the house. "'Why,' said my grandfather, drawing him rather aside, 'I like the house very much; but there's one great inconvenience about it--we can't get any servants to stay with us. One has left us already, and the others have given us warning, and nobody seems willing to come in their places. I understand you lived in the house yourself a short time; may I ask if you found any similar difficulty?' "'Well, sir,' said Mr. Bautte, trying to look unconcerned, 'you are aware how ignorant and foolish such people are--I fancy from the construction of the house that the sounds from the next door penetrate the walls.'