You would probably have cried out too—I do not know how I got out of bed—this room is haunted. CHARLES. You frightened me at first; but now I must laugh. Poor William was almost frightened to death; I will go and look for a bottle of wine, it is proper you should both take a glass. EDWARD. Do not go alone!—call one of the servants. CHARLES. Let the servants sleep; I could not call them without disturbing my mother, and I would avoid doing that, as there is not any real cause for fear. WILLIAM. And dare you go alone? CHARLES. Why not, my friend, I am sure there are no thieves in the house. EDWARD. I have as much courage as he—yet, William, I would not go down. Hush! pray listen—do you hear any thing? Here comes Charles—what have you seen? Surely, you must have met something. CHARLES. Yes; I have seen the stairs, the dining-room, and this bottle and glass. Come on, let us drink each a glass, and it will give us courage to wait for the apparition. EDWARD. I beg you will not make game of it. CHARLES. And why not?—It is only at apparitions I laugh. WILLIAM. Why, do you believe that there are no apparitions? CHARLES. Indeed I do not give credit to the stories I have been told lately; my father would never allow such subjects to be mentioned when I was a child. But, Edward, tell me now what made you so suddenly get out of bed? EDWARD. An apparition, I tell you, Charles. CHARLES. Perhaps you were dreaming? EDWARD. A likely story truly—I think I know when I am awake. CHARLES. And what did you see then? EDWARD. I had just put out my candle, and before I could fall asleep, I plainly heard something run across the chamber. I then started up in bed and saw in the farther corner two lights, they moved about, and sometimes appeared very small and then glared like large balls. CHARLES. That was certainly no more than a glittering in your eyes. EDWARD. What?—What I saw so clearly?—I then kept myself quite still—the light vanished, and I heard a great bounce against the door. WILLIAM. I should have been frightened, I am sure. EDWARD.