“The Voice said that Leonora was near me! I feel sure that before long I shall see her again, and all my cruel doubts will be set at rest,” said Ricardo, with suppressed emotion. “Yes! yes! never fear. We shall see all who have preceded us!” replied Steinberg, “and through the agency of this uncouth, barbaric girl. It is almost too wonderful for belief.” At this juncture, Hannah roused herself, and gave a shriek at feeling the darkness by which she was surrounded. “O! lor! O! my! Where am I? O! wot is all this about? O! wot ’ave you bin a’doing of with me? O! please, Sirs, take me out of this ’ole, for if there is one thing which I can’t a’bear, it is to be in the dark. It’s ’orrible!” She struggled to her feet and stumbling to the door, threw it wide open, admitting a full light into the séance chamber. Then she glanced round at the black hangings and with another violent shriek, rushed helter-skelter into the adjoining apartment, and fell into a chair, kicking her huge feet against the floor in a kind of Devil’s tattoo. “My dear girl! my dear Hannah! pray compose yourself! Nothing is wrong,” exclaimed the Professor, as he patted her kindly on the head. “You’ve had a nice little sleep. The Doctor gave you some medicine for the purpose, because he thought it would do you good. You’d rather go to sleep for a little while than take bitter physic, wouldn’t you, Hannah?” “P’r’aps Sir, but I do feel so queer-like, as if my legs was all bruised. And my eyes seems weighted, as if I had lead on ’em. It’s a rummy sorter sleep I’ve had, and I think I’ll go downstairs and git into bed, for I’ve got no use of my legs at all.” “Good-night, Hannah! You won’t mind the Doctor’s medicine so much next time, will you?” “I’m sure I don’t know, Sir!” said the girl drowsily, as she passed the threshold, but the next minute she had started backwards with another scream. “Why! what’s the matter now?” cried the men simultaneously. Hannah was standing near the door with her hand pressed against her heart. “O! lawks! there’s a lady standing on the landing a’waiting for me--sich a ’ansome lady, with a voil”--(so Hannah pronounced “veil”)--“over her face. O! lor! I shall never be able to git to bed to-night!” “A lady!” exclaimed Ricardo, eagerly, “what was she like, Hannah?” “O! I’m sure I don’t know,” replied the girl, testily, “I only wish she wouldn’t come bothering me like that, jist when I was a’going to my bed. No! I don’t know nuffin about her, Sir, nor don’t want to either, a nasty black-eyed creetur, with a beastly voil. Here! let me go, please, Sir, or I’ll never git downstairs to-night.” And so she left the mystified men to themselves. CHAPTER V. The Professor and the Doctor sat up late that night, talking over the wonders they had experienced. “Do you believe that the spirits of the dead can return to earth _now?_” demanded Ricardo of his friend.