“My son, you must not tire Miss Brook with your questions. Ask some of us, who understand you better; and we will try to answer, as wisely as we know, though I begin to think our ignorance is mountainous, about country life at least.”
“No, no; I beg, dear Mrs. Beckwith! Don’t discourage inquisitiveness of this sort, not on my account. I am a lonely old woman who will be as glad to answer questions as a genuine boy is to ask them. I like it, please.”
The mother smiled gratefully. As for Robert, he slipped his hand again into his new friend’s, and looked up into her face encouragingly. “That’s a nice lady! And I’ll be good; I’ll ask you every single thing I can think of.”
Before that summer was over it seemed to poor Miss Joanna that he had fully redeemed his word; and yet the days on which this living interrogation point was out of her sight grew to be the loneliest days the gentle old lady knew.
Mr. Brook was as much at a loss to understand the mysterious rappings that had so disturbed his new tenants’ peace during their first night at The Lindens, as was anybody else; but he set himself to examine every part of the house and grounds, and, like his sister, declared his faith in a rational explanation of the occurrence.
It was left to Mr. Dolloway to solve the riddle. He had, to Mrs. Beckwith’s relief and Robert’s disgust, declared his intention of passing the following night in the old house, and, should the disturbing noises be repeated, searching for the cause till he found it. In his own words: “I’ll find the spirits or I’ll be a spirit myself!”
“That sounds large and reassuring, doesn’t it!” remarked Bonny to Belle. “I can imagine Mr. Dolloway in the condition of hunger necessary to make him ‘spiritual.’ For his sake and our own, I hope success will crown his efforts before he gets to the verge of starvation.”
The evening passed without any “manifestations.” Roland twanged his banjo for the amusement of their self-invited guest, Isabelle brought out her portfolio of drawings, Beatrice made character sketches of the different persons present, and so aptly that Robert remained in a hilarious condition that precluded his feeling any of the fear he had expected; and by nine o’clock, tired out with another day of “settling,” the whole family retired to their chambers.
Save and except Mr. Dolloway. “I will not lie down nor shut an eye, lad; there isn’t any use of urging me. I’ve come over here to ferret out this thing, an’ I’ll ferret it wide awake an’ dressed.” With that he settled himself in the most comfortable chair in the room, put his feet upon the fender, and in five minutes was sound asleep.
Bonny heard his snores as she lay awake in her bed, and laughed; then she heard something which did not add to her mirth. She had brought the kitchen poker with her, and, armed thus valiantly, she rose and summoned Roland. “Let’s be as still as mice, I think the rest are all asleep, and we’ll steal a march on them and Brother Dolloway as well. Listen to him, will you? he quite out-rackets the ‘spirits.’”