“Bless you, Mrs. Blamey, I ain’t afeared, no more than of a black beadle, but now you’ve put it straight afore me, I will find out what them two is a’doing with that gal, as sure as my name’s Martha Battleby! You never know what men are, till you find them out, and though these look so respectable and dull, they may be villains for all that. Keep a gal in the dark, indeed, and give ’er summat to make ’er go to sleep--I’ve ’eard summat like that afore, Mrs. Blamey, and no good come of it! So if there ain’t a key in the ’ouse as will fit that door, I’ll ’ave one made, afore I’m a day older. Good-night, and if I discovers any of their willainies, you’ll be the first to ’ear of it, you may depend on that!” Consequently, as soon as the Professor had departed on his round of teaching the following morning, Mrs. Battleby sent Hannah on an errand, and commenced her tour of inspection. As was to be expected, a common house had common locks to the doors, and she soon found that the key of her own bedroom proved an “Open Sesame” to the séance chamber. On her first view of the interior, Mrs. Battleby screamed aloud, so gloomy and funereal was its aspect. But when she had somewhat recovered her nerve, its appearance inspired her with but one notion----all this want of light and air meant the Devil, and nothing else! They were practising Sorcery in this mysterious little chamber, and had dragged the poor gal, with her dancing tables and chairs, and her “shadders” and “woices” into it, with themselves. And yet, after all, the landlady was not sufficiently sure to feel brave enough to accuse her lodger of mal-practices. So she resolved to wait for the next opportunity, and find out what she could for herself. She had the resolution to hold her tongue about her intentions--not only to the Professor, but to Hannah and her next-door neighbour, and when the Signor’s door had been locked upon the succeeding séance, Mrs. Battleby knelt outside in the darkness, with her ear applied to the keyhole. CHAPTER VII. At first she heard nothing but the ordinary salutations that passed between the Professor and the serving-maid, but she was patient and long-suffering in the cause of Curiosity, and after a while, she was rewarded. Silence ensued;--next, furtive whisperings between the two conspirators--then, a few words of awed surprise--and lastly, the Victory! “Leonora!” she heard the Professor say, “Leonora! come to me!”