water for an instant sparkled in her beams, and then was lost in deeper shadow. A spectre of human form, but of gigantic stature, arose from the spot to which the eyes of Isabella had been directed--was it the spirit of the Fountain? It appeared to advance, but the moon once again shining forth in splendour, it vanished. “And what seem’d corporal melted As breath into the wind.” The courage of Isabella was destined to sustain another trial, for scarcely had the vision disappeared than she distinctly heard her own name pronounced; and since, from the direction of the sound, she well knew that the spot from which it issued was inaccessible, we ought not to feel surprised at her having at the instant referred it to a supernatural origin--it was, however, but the illusion of the moment, and she determined to return to the house and submit the events of the evening to the judgment of Mr. Seymour. We shall not trespass any longer upon the patience of the reader, than to state that Miss Villers arrived safely at the lodge, and very shortly afterwards retired to rest. With your permission, gentle reader, we will follow her example; for, to say the truth, our lamp--that midnight sun which illumines the path of the author, is dimmed by the dark clouds that lower at its setting; our Pegasus, the pen, which has raced for so many hours over the snowy plains of foolscap, is fairly “done up,” and refuses any longer to sip of that spring which can alone sustain its powers, and impart utility to its movements. Ecce! [Illustration: A feather.] ----- Footnote 53: See p. 35. Footnote 54: See page 163, et seq. Footnote 55: The number of vibrations made by the wings of insects, as before stated, has been ingeniously deduced from the tone which they produce. Footnote 56: Horat. Sat. lib. i. sat. 3. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER XVI. _Origin of the Crescent as the Turkish Ensign.--Apparitions dispelled by Philosophy.--Musical instruments classed under three divisions.--Mixed instruments.--Theory of wind instruments.--The Jew’s Harp.--The Statue of Memnon.--An interesting experiment.--The Flute.--The whiz-gig, etc.--Echoes.--The Whispering Gallery in the Dome of St. Paul’s.--The Speaking Trumpet.--The Invisible Girl.--Other Acoustic Amusements._ On entering the library on the following morning, Mr. Seymour informed Miss Villers, that Major Snapwell had taken his departure, in order to breakfast with the vicar, and that he had invited Tom and Louisa to accompany him, for the sake of inspecting the cabinet of medals; but he added, that he expected the return of the party at two o’clock, when he proposed to give them a lecture upon the philosophy of the several toys which are indebted for their action to atmospheric vibrations.