"She will not recover until she is removed from this, Mrs. Legare," I said.
"Perhaps not; assist me to put her wrapper on, and we will take her down, and lay her on the parlor sofa," my hostess replied.
And after we had dressed our patient, we carried her down stairs, where the fire was still smoldering, and only needed replenishment.
When the wood was brought and thrown on, and the fire blazed up brightly, lighting and warming the whole room, and the shutters were unclosed, and the rising sun smiled in upon us all, I felt that the gladsome scene was enough to put to flight all the ghosts in Hades, and all the superstitious terrors that ignorance is heir to. I almost began to doubt that I was haunted; and would have done so, but for the sombre and disturbed countenance of my host, who, as soon as Rachel Noales was soothed and put to sleep on the sofa, turned to us and inquired:
"Now, my friends, will you be so good as to explain the cause of your disturbance?"
"A mere trifle, sir," said my brother, brusquely; "the house is haunted."
"You, of course, do not speak seriously; you cannot credit such absurdities."
"My dear, sir, I never believed in ghosts until within the last two nights; but now, with such evidence before me, I should be the most unbelieving of infidels to refuse credence," said my brother, with a mixture of gravity and banter in his tone, that made it impossible to think him in earnest.
"Will you be so kind, Mr. Howard, as to enlighten us?" inquired Mr. Legare, turning toward that gentleman.
"Since you desire me to do so, my dear sir. Well, then, for the two nights we have passed beneath your very hospitable and delightful roof, our rest has been somewhat disturbed——"