"No, I won't," Hortense replied, "not if you'll try to look and talk a bit cheerful." "That's easy to say," said Highboy, "but you don't have to stay in this room day and night with nobody to talk to. It gets on my nerves." "I'll talk to you," said Hortense, "but you should cultivate a cheerful disposition. I like bright people." "Then you'd better talk with my brother, Lowboy," said Highboy tartly. "He's always cheery. Nothing depresses me so much as people who are always cheerful. Tiresome, I say." "You could learn much from your brother," said Hortense severely. "Why don't you go down and see him now? I'm sure it would do you good." Highboy shivered. "It's so cold and dark in the hall," he said. "I almost never dare go except on bright warm nights in summer. Of course I daren't go in the daytime." "No, I suppose not," said Hortense. "However, I'll go with you, you are afraid. Grandmother has gone to bed, I think, and there will be a little fire left on the hearth." Highboy brightened a little. "Do you think we dare?" he said, "Suppose we should meet the cat." "I'm not afraid of the cat," Hortense declared. "And then there's the other one," said Highboy. "He's worse still. He's round, and bright, and hard, with sharp points all over--a terrible fellow." "Is he the 'ha'nt,' as Aunt Esmerelda calls it?" Hortense asked. Highboy knew nothing about that. He was only sure that the cat, Jeremiah, and his prickly companion were up to all manner of tricks and were best let alone. Hortense, on second thought, did not wholly relish the idea of going downstairs with Highboy, but she had made the offer and so she said, "Come on, we'll go now, for I mustn't stay up too late." Highboy stepped out of his wooden house. He looked so funny in his knee trousers and broad white collar with its big bow tie, exactly like a great overgrown boy, that Hortense laughed out loud. "If you laugh at me, I won't go," said Highboy in a mournful voice. "I beg your pardon," said Hortense. "It was rude of me. But you should wear long trousers you know! You are too big to wear such things as these." "I know it," said Highboy, "but I can't change. I haven't any others. Besides, I've always worn them and I'd not feel the same in anything different. One gets awfully attached to old clothes, don't you think?" "Boys do, I've observed," said Hortense. "Come on." She took Highboy by the hand, and they walked cautiously down the hall. At the top of the stairs Highboy paused and leaned over the bannisters. Somebody was walking to and fro in the hall beneath with soft regular footfalls like the ticking of a clock. "It's only Grandfather's Clock," said Highboy in a relieved whisper. "He always walks that way at night." Highboy and Hortense descended the stairs into the hall. Grandfather's Clock was walking up and down with regular footfalls, tick-tock, tick-tock. He smiled benevolently at them as they passed but did not pause in his walk or speak to them.