“Debbil’s de matter wid it, young marster, jes’ de debbil! Not as I’d mind dat so much, if it war on’y de debbil, ’cause we read so much about him in de catechism dat he feels like a ole acquaintance ob ourn—natural like—on’y we don’t want to fall in his hands. No, I don’t mind him so much; but dere’s heap wuss dan de debbil as ails old Grippinwolf.” “What is it, then?” inquired David, interested, in spite of his better reason. The old negro paused, as if to give full effect to his words, and then solemnly replied: “Dead people!” “Dead people!” echoed David Lindsay, in amazement. “Ooome!” groaned the old man. “How can the dead trouble the place?” inquired the young man. “Ooome!” groaned the negro. “What do they do? They lie quietly in their graves, do they not?” “Ooome! Hush, honey! I wish dey did!” “What do they do, then?” Again the negro paused to give full effect to his words, as he mysteriously replied: “Dey walks!” “Walks!” “Yes, honey, de dead people walks in Grippinwolf—walks so continual dat dey won’t let anybody else lib dere.” “Why, Mrs. Brent, the housekeeper, lives there!” exclaimed Gloria, putting in her voice for the first time. “What say, honey?” inquired the negro. “I say the housekeeper, Mrs. Brent, lives there.” “Who? Her?” exclaimed Tubal, in such a tone of scornful denial that Gloria hastened to add: “She does live there, does she not?” “Ole mistress lib in Grippinwolf? Ooome! Yer better jes’ ax her to lib dere, dat’s all!” “Then the housekeeper does not live in the house, if I understand you aright?” said Gloria, in unpleasant surprise. “Hi, what I tell you, honey? Nobody can’t lib dere ’mong de dead people!” “What nonsense you talk, old man. Some one must live there to take care of the house.” “Well, den, dey don’t, young mist’ess, an’ I tell yer so good! De ghosts has ’jected everybody out ob dat house, and dey has had it all to deirselves dis twenty years or more.” “Then my guardian has been completely deceived! He has been paying a salary to a housekeeper who has abandoned her duties. And if the house is deserted, as he says, what shall we do, David Lindsay?” inquired Gloria, in a tone of indignant distress and perplexity. “Turn right roun’ an’ go straight back whar yer come from! You do dat while times is good. Dat’s de ’wice what I gibbed yer fust, an’ dat’s de ’wice what I gib yer last,” said Tubal, answering for his passenger. “Is there no one on the place to receive us, then?” inquired David Lindsay. “Oh, dere’s de oberseer, in his own house, ’bout quarter ob a mile dis side ob Grippinwolf Hall; but Lor’, de people ’bout here don’t call de place Grippinwolf no more—dey calls it Ghost Hall.” “Where does the housekeeper live?” inquired David Lindsay. “Oh, she—she libs at de gate lodge. She moved dere when she was dejected by de ghosts.”