‘“You should have done. You haven’t any claim on the place, have you? Weren’t murdered here, or anything of that sort?”
‘“None, sir; but I thought as it was old and oak-panelled——”
‘“That’s no excuse.” I regarded him firmly. “Your coming here is a mistake,” I said, in a tone of friendly superiority. I feigned to see if I had my matches, and then looked up at him frankly. “If I were you I wouldn’t wait for cock-crow—I’d vanish right away.”
‘He looked embarrassed. “The fact is, sir——” he began.
‘“I’d vanish,” I said, driving it home.
‘“The fact is, sir, that—somehow—I can’t.”
‘“You can’t?”
‘“No, sir. There’s something I’ve forgotten. I’ve been hanging about here since midnight last night, hiding in the cupboards of the empty bedrooms and things like that. I’m flurried. I’ve never come haunting before, and it seems to put me out.”
‘“Put you out?”
‘“Yes, sir. I’ve tried to do it several times, and it doesn’t come off. There’s some little thing has slipped me, and I can’t get back.”