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doorway。　　Then；　continuing　my　way；　I　rapidly　descended　the　steps
and　remounted　my　horse；　glad　to　find　myself　once　again　in　the　open
air　and　by　my　cousin's　side。

The　train　of　thought　into　which　he　had　sunk　during　my　absence　was
apparently　an　absorbing　one；　for　to　my　first　question　as　to　the
painted　board　he　could　hardly　rouse　himself　to　answer。

〃A　board　with　a　legend　written　on　it？　　Yes；　he　remembered　something
of　the　kind　there。　　It　had　always　been　there；　he　thought。　　He　knew
nothing　about　it；〃and　so　the　subject　was　not　continued。

The　weird　feelings　which　had　haunted　me　in　the　tower　still
oppressed　me；　and　I　proceeded　to　ask　Alan　about　that　old　Dame　Alice
whom　the　traditions　of　my　childhood　represented　as　the　last
occupant　of　the　ruined　building。　　Alan　roused　himself　now；　but　did
not　seem　anxious　to　impart　information　on　the　subject。　　She　had
lived　there；　he　admitted；　and　no　one　had　lived　there　since。　　〃Had
she　not；〃　I　inquired；　〃something　to　do　with　the　mysterious　cabinet
at　the　house？　　I　remember　hearing　it　spoken　of　as　'Dame　Alice's
cabinet。'

〃So　they　say；〃　he　assented；　〃she　and　an　Italian　artificer　who　was
in　her　service；　and　who；　chiefly　I　imagine　on　account　of　his　skill；
shared　with　her　the　honor　of　reputed　witchcraft。〃

〃She　was　the　mother　of　Hugh　Mervyn；　the　man　who　was　murdered　by　his
wife；　was　she　not？〃　I　asked。

〃Yes；〃　said　Alan；　briefly。

〃And　had　she　not　something　to　do　with　the　curse？〃　　I　inquired　after
a　short　pause；　and　nervously　I　remembered　my　father's　experience　on
that　subject；　and　I　had　never　before　dared　to　allude　to　it　in　the
presence　of　any　member　of　the　family。　　My　nervousness　was　fully
warranted。　　The　gloom　on　Alan's　brow　deepened；　and　after　a　very
short　〃They　say　so〃　he　turned　full　upon　me；　and　inquired　with　some
asperity　why　on　earth　I　had　developed　this　sudden　curiosity　about
his　ancestress。

I　hesitated　a　moment；　for　I　was　a　little　ashamed　of　my　fancies；　but
the　darkness　gave　me　courage；　and　besides　I　was　not　afraid　of
telling　Alanhe　would　understand。　　I　told　him　of　the　strange
sensations　I　had　had　while　in　the　towersensations　which　had
struck　me　with　all　that　force　and　clearness　which　we　usually
associate　with　a　direct　experience　of　fact。　　〃Of　course　it　was　a
trick　of　imagination；〃　I　commented；　〃but　I　could　not　get　rid　of　the
feeling　that　the　person　who　had　dwelt　there　last　must　have　had
terrible　thoughts　for　the　companions　of　her　life。〃

Alan　listened　in　silence；　and　the　silence　continued　for　some　time
after　I　had　ceased　speaking。

〃It　is　strange；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃instincts　which　we　do　not
understand　form　the　motive…power　of　most　of　our　life's　actions；　and
yet　we　refuse　to　admit　them　as　evidence　of　any　external　truth。　　I
suppose　it　is　because　we　MUST　act　somehow；　rightly　or　wrongly；　and
there　are　a　great　many　things　which　we　need　not　believe　unless　we
choose。　　As　for　this　old　lady；　she　lived　longlong　enough；　like
most　of　us；　to　do　evil；　unlike　most　of　us；　long　enough　to　witness
some　of　the　results　of　that　evil。　　To　say　that；　is　to　say　that　the
last　years　of　her　life　must　have　been　weighted　heavily　enough　with
tragic　thought。〃

I　gave　a　little　shudder　of　repulsion。

〃That　is　a　depressing　view　of　life；　Alan；〃　I　said。　　〃Does　our　peace
of　mind　depend　only　upon　death　coming　early　enough　to　hide　from　us
the　truth？　　And；　after　all；　can　it？　　Our　spirits　do　not　die。　　From
another　world　they　may　witness　the　fruits　of　our　lives　in　this
one。〃

〃If　they　do；〃　he　answered　with　sudden　violence；　〃it　is　absurd　to
doubt　the　existence　of　a　purgatory。　　There　must　in　such　a　case　be　a
terrible　one　in　store　for　the　best　among　us。〃

I　was　silent。　　The　shadow　that　lay　on　his　soul　did　not　penetrate　to
mine；　but　it　hung　round　me　nevertheless；　a　cloud　which　I　felt
powerless　to　disperse。

After　a　moment　he　went　on；〃Provided　that　they　are　distant　enough；
how　little；　after　all；　do　we　think　of　the　results　of　our　actions！
There　are　few　men　who　would　deliberately　instill　into　a　child　a
love　of　drink；　or　wilfully　deprive　him　of　his　reason；　and　yet　a　man
with　drunkenness　or　madness　in　his　blood　thinks　nothing　of　bringing
children　into　the　world　tainted　as　deeply　with　the　curse　as　if　he
had　inoculated　them　with　it　directly。　　There　is　no　responsibility
so　completely　ignored　as　this　one　of　marriage　and　fatherhood；　and
yet　how　heavy　it　is　and　far…reaching。〃

〃Well；〃　I　said；　smiling；　〃let　us　console　ourselves　with　the　thought
that　we　are　not　all　lunatics　and　drunkards。〃

〃No；〃　he　answered；　〃but　there　are　other　evils　besides　these；　moral
taints　as　well　as　physical；　curses　which　have　their　roots　in　worlds
beyond　our　own；sins　of　the　fathers　which　are　visited　upon　the
children。〃

He　had　lost　all　violence　and　bitterness　of　tone　now；　but　the　weary
dejection　which　had　taken　their　place　communicated　itself　to　my
spirit　with　more　subtle　power　than　his　previous　mood　had　owned。

〃That　is　why；〃　he　went　on；　and　his　manner　seemed　to　give　more
purpose　to　his　speech　than　hitherto；〃that　is　why；　so　far　as　I　am
concerned；　I　mean　to　shirk　the　responsibility　and　remain
unmarried。〃

I　was　hardly　surprised　at　his　words。　　I　felt　that　I　had　expected
them；　but　their　utterance　seemed　to　intensify　the　gloom　which
rested　upon　us。　　Alan　was　the　first　to　arouse　himself　from　its
influence。

〃After　all；〃　he　said；　turning　round　to　me　and　speaking　lightly；
〃without　looking　so　far　and　so　deep；　I　think　my　resolve　is　a
prudent　one。　　Above　all　things；　let　us　take　life　easily；　and　you
know　what　St。　Paul　says　about　'trouble　in　the　flesh；'a　remark
which　I　am　sure　is　specially　applicable　to　briefless　barristers；
even　though　possessed　of　a　modest　competence　of　their　own。　　Perhaps
one　of　these　days；　when　I　am　a　fat　old　judge；　I　shall　give　my　cook
a　chance　if　she　is　satisfactory　in　her　clear　soups；　but　till　then　I
shall　expect　you；　Evie；　to　work　me　one　pair　of　carpet…slippers　per
annum；　as　tribute　due　to　a　bachelor　cousin。〃

I　don't　quite　know　what　I　answered；my　heart　was　heavy　and
aching；but　I　tried　with　true　feminine　docility　to　follow　the　lead
he　had　set　me。　　He　continued　for　some　time　in　the　same　vein；　but　as
we　approached　the　house　the　effort　seemed　to　become　too　much　for
him；　and　we　relapsed　again　into　silence。

This　time　I　was　the　first　to　break　it。　　〃I　suppose；〃　I　said；
drearily；　〃all　those　horrid　people　will　have　come　by　now。〃

〃Horrid　people；〃　he　repeated；　with　rather　an　uncertain　laugh；　and
through　the　darkness　I　saw　his　figure　bend　forward　as　he　stretched
out　his　hand　to　caress　my　horse's　neck。　　〃Why；　Evie；　I　thought　you
were　pining　for　gayety；　and　that　it　was；　in　fact；　for　the　purpose
of　meeting　these　'horrid　people'　that　you　came　here。〃

〃Yes；　I　know；〃　I　said；　wistfully；　〃but　somehow　the　last　week　has
been　so　pleasant　that　I　cannot　believe　that　anything　will　ever　be
quite　so　nice　again。〃

We　had　arrived　at　the　house　as　I　spoke；　and　the　groom　was　standing
at　our　horses'　heads。　　Alan　got　off　and　came　round　to　help　me　to
dismount；　but　instead　of　putting　up　his　arm　as　usual　as　a　support
for　me　to　spring　from；　he　laid　his　hand　on　mine。　　〃Yes；　Evie；〃　he
said；　〃it　has　been　indeed　a　pleasant　time。　　God　bless　you　for　it。〃
For　an　instant　he　stood　there　looking　up　at　me；　his　face　full　in
the　light　which　streamed　from　the　open　door；　his　gray　eyes　shining
with　a　radiance　which　was　not　wholly　from　thence。　　Then　he
straightened　his　arm；　I　sprang　to　the　ground；　and　as　if　to　preclude
the　possibility　of　any　answer　on　my　part；　he　turned　sharply　on　his
heel；　and　began　giving　some　orders　to　the　groom。　　I　went　on　alone
into　the　house；　feeling；　I　knew　not　and　cared　not　to　know　why；　that
the　gloom　had　fled　from　my　spirit；　and　that　the　last　ride　had　not
after　all　been　such　a　melancholy　failure　as　it　had　bid　fair　at　one
time　to　become。


III


In　the　hall　I　was　met　by　the　housekeeper；　who　informed　me　that；
owing　to　a　misunderstanding　about　dates；　a　gentleman　had　arrived
whom　Lucy　had　not　expected　at　that　time；　and　that　in　consequence　my
room　had　been　changed。　　My　things　had　been　put　into　the　East　Room；
the　haunted　room；the　room　of　the　Closed　Cabinet；　as　I　remembered
with　a　certain　sense　of　pleased　importance；　though　without　any
surprise。　　It　stood　apart　from　the　other　guest…rooms；　at　the　end　of
the　passage　from　which　opened　George　and　Lucy's　private　apartment；
and　as　it　was　consequently　disagreeable　to　have　a　stranger　there；
it　was　always　used　when　the　house　was　full　for　a　member　of　the
family。　　My　father　and　mother　had　often　slept　there：　there　was　a
little　room　next　to　it；　though　not　communicating　with　it；　which
served　for　a　dressing…room。　　Though　I　had　never　passed　the　night
there　myself；　I　knew　it　as　well　as　any　room　in　the　house。　　I　went
there　at　once；　and　found　Lucy　superintending　the　last　arrangements
for　my　comfort。

She　was　full　of　apologies　for　the　trouble　she　was　giving　me。　　I
told　her　that　the　apologies　were　due　to　my　maid　and　to　her　own
servants　rather　than　to　me；　〃and　besides；〃　I　added；　glancing　round；
〃I　am　distinctly　a　gainer　by　the　change。〃

〃You　know；　of　course；〃　she　said；　lightly；　〃that　this　is　the　haunted
room　of　the　house；　and　that　you　have　no　right　to　be　here？〃

〃I　know　it　is　the　haunted　room；〃