"Ah, sure!" said Norah, the cook, "there was the blackin'-and-bluin' man come around last Wednesday, and I tuk a bottle of the blue for the clothes. It's a poor mimiry I have, sure, since I came across the say. Afore that I could recollect beyond any thing, and the praste used to praise my rading. I think it was the tossin' an' rollin' ov the ship upsot my brain. It was Saturday, it wur, and oh, Lordy, it is setting me all of a trimble a-thinkin' of that day, and I see a little yeller dog a-stickin' his nose into the kitching door, which was open about half, and says I, there's vagabonds around sure, now, I knew by the dog, and I wint and looked out, and sure as me name's Norah, there was an old lame man wid a stick a-pretinding to look for rags an' bones in the alley to the stable, which I niver allows such about, as it's against the master's orthers, and I druv him off immajetly--and that, I think, was Saturday two weeks now, but I won't be sure; and I don't mind nobody else but the chany-woman, wid her basket, which I don't think it could have been her as done any thin' bad, for she's been round rig'ler, for a good while, and is a dacent-spoken body that I've had some dalin's wid myself. I sowld her my old plaid gown for the match-box of ebony that sits on the kitching-mantel now, and oh dear! but my heart's dead broke, sure! Margaret and I daren't set in the kitching of nights no more, unless Jim's there, an' I've woke up scr'aming two nights now--och hone! and if I'd seed any thing, I'd a told it long afore, which I wish I had, seein' you've axed me, sir. It don't do no good a-cooking delicacies which nobody eats no longer--I wish I had never come to Amyriky, to see poor Miss Eleanor so tuk down!" and having relieved herself of the sympathy which she had been aching to express, without the opportunity, she threw her apron over her head, and sobbed after the manner of her people. Margaret's testimony was no more to the point than Norah's. Mr. Burton let each one go on after her own heart, putting up with the tedious circumlocution, in the hope of some kernel of wheat in the bushel of chaff. After a deluge of tears and interjections, Maggie did finally come out with a statement which arrested the attention of her listeners. "I've never seen none gawking about as didn't belong here--not a living sowl. The howly Virgin prevint that iver I should see what Jim did--it wasn't a human being at all, but a wraith, and he seen it that very night. He niver told us of it, till the Tuesday night, as we sot talking about the funeral, and it frightened us so, we niver slept a wink till morning. Poor Jim's worried with it, too; he pretinds he isn't afraid of the livin' nor dead, but it's no shame to the best to stand in awe of the sperits, and I see he's backward about going about the place, alone, after dark, and no wonder! Sure, he saw a ghost!" "What was it like?"