"He went flying through the air, bellowing enough to arouse the neighbourhood, and tumbled in at your kitchen window in a fit, saying he had seen Robert Hunter's ghost." "Breaking the glass and setting the maids a-screeching like mad," put in Sarah. "He saw it in the churchyard, he says, in its fur coat." A troubled expression passed across Isaac's countenance. Captain Copp, attempting to drink some rum-and-water while he laughed, began to choke. "What absurd story can they be getting up?" cried Isaac, sternly. "Some rumour of this sort--that Hunter had been seen in the churchyard--was abroad yesterday." "You never saw a boy in such a state of fright, sir," observed Sarah. "Whether he saw anything or nothing, he'll not get over it this many a week." "Saw anything or nothing! What d'ye mean?" fiercely demanded Captain Copp, suspending his laughter for the moment. "What d'ye suppose he saw?" "Not a ghost," independently retorted Sarah. "I'm not such a simpleton. But some ill-disposed fellow may have dressed himself up to frighten people." "If so, he shall get his punishment," spoke Isaac Thornycroft, with the imperative authority of a magistrate's son. Captain Copp broke into laughter still. He could not forget the joke; but somehow all inclination for merriment seemed to have gone out of Isaac. He sat silent and abstracted for a few minutes longer, and then took his leave, declining to partake of supper. "Where's Miss Anna gone?" cried the Captain to Sarah, suddenly missing her. "Tell her we are waiting." Isaac lingered unseen in the little hall until she appeared, and took her hand in silence. "Anna, this--" But she contrived to twist it from him and turned to the parlour. He drew her forcibly to him, speaking in a whisper. "Are you going to visit upon me for ever the work of that miserable night?" "Hush! they will hear you." But there was no other answer. Her face grew white, her lips dry and trembling. "Don't you know that you are my wife?" "Oh, heaven, yes! I would rather have died. I would die now to undo that night's work." She seemed bewildered, as if unconscious of her words; but there was always the struggle to get from him. Had he been an ogre who might eat her, she could not have evinced more terror. Sarah opened the kitchen door, and Anna took the opportunity to escape. Isaac looked after her. If ever misery, horror, despair, were depicted on a human countenance, they were on Anna's. "I did not think she was one to take it up like this," he said, as he let himself out. And in the tone of his voice, despairing as her face, there was a perfectly hopeless sound, as if he felt that he could not combat fate.