“Tell me now, miss,” she said. “Do you ever get thinkin’ you hear quare noises in the night?—the sounds I was tellin’ you about when you first came? I’d be aisier in me mind if I knew that some one else heard the things I do be hearin’.”
“All rubbish, Julia,” I said, laughing. “In a house with so many people as this place has in it, you’re bound to hear movements at night some time. You’re very foolish to worry about it.”
Julia shook her head stubbornly.
“ ’Tis no right things I do be hearin’. People like the wild young things that’s in this house don’t move about as if they were tryin’ not to touch the floors with a foot. Bangin’ up an’ down stairs they are, makin’ as much noise as they can—to hear Mr. Harry or that young Mr. Atherton you’d say it was a regiment of horse they were. That’s the way people should move when they’re young an’ full of spirits. But the noises at night is very different—quare, muffled noises. If ’twas in Ireland you’d just say it was a ghost an’ be done with it. Many’s the good respectable house has its family ghost, just like the family pictures an’ silver. Only there’s no ghosts in Australia.”
“Certainly not,” I agreed. “You hear the trees rustling, Julia.”
“Ah, trees!” sniffed Julia. “The other night I heard them ould muffled noises till I couldn’t resht in me bed for them. I was that afraid, me heart was poundin’ on me ribs, but I up an’ puts on me coat, an’ crep’ out. Downstairs I went, an’ if annywan had spoke to me I’d have let a bawl fit to raise the roof!”
“And I’m certain you didn’t find anything,” I said.
“Well, I did not. But ’tis well known, miss, that them that goes lookin’ for them sounds isn’t the people that finds annything,” said Julia darkly. “An’ indeed, if I didn’t see a ghost at all, I med certain ’twasn’t only me that was afraid.” She paused, looking at me with a scared face.
I was trying hard to be practical and commonsensible, but in spite of myself I gave a little shiver. There was something eerie in her tragic tones.
“What do you mean?” I asked, forcing a smile that felt stiff at the corners.