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corridor； an' says I；''Deed； sir； I was won'erin'！ an' wi' yer
leave； sir； I'll gang an' see；' I said； gaitherin' my shawl aboot me
as weel as I could to hide what was 'aneth it； or raither what wasna
'aneth it； for I hadna that mickle on。 But says he； 'No； no； you
must not go； who knows what it may be？ I'll go myself。 They may be
robbers； and the men fighting them。 You stop where you are。' Sayin'
that； he was half…ways doon the stair。 I stood whaur I was； lookin'
doon an' hearkenin'； an' the noise still goin' on。 But he could but
hae won the len'th o' the hall； whan it stoppit a' at ance an'
a'thegither。 Ye may think what a din it maun hae been； whan I tell
ye the quaiet that cam upo' the heels o' 't jist seemed to sting my
twa lugs。 The same moment I h'ard the maister cryin' til me to come
doon。 I ran； an' whan I reached the servan's ha'； whaur he stood
jist inside the door； I stood aside him an' glowered。 For； wad ye
believe me！ the place was as dacent an' still as ony kirkyard i' the
munelicht！ There wasna a thing oot o' it's place； nor an air o'
dist； nor the sma'est disorder to be seen！ A' the things luikit as
gien they had sattlet themsel's to sleep as usual； an' had sleepit
till we cam an' waukit them。 The maister glowert at me； an' I
glowert at the maister。 But a' he said was；'A false alarm； ye see；
Rose！' What he thoucht I canna tell； but withoot anither word we
turnt； an' gaed up the stair again thegither。
〃At the tap o' the stair； the lang corridor ran awa' intil the dark
afore 's； for the can'le the maister carried flangna licht half to
the en' o' 't； an' frae oot o' the mirk on a suddent cam to meet 's
a rampaugin' an' a rattlin' like o' a score o' nowt rinnin' awa' wi'
their iron tethers aboot their neckssic a rattlin' o' iron chains
as ye never h'ard！ an' a groanin' an' a gruntin' jist fearsome。
Again we stood an' luikit at ane anither； an' my word！ but the
maister's face was eneuch to fricht a body o' 'tsel'； lat alane the
thing we h'ard an' saw naething til accoont for！ 'Gang awa' back to
yer bed； Rose；' he said； 'this'll never do！' 'An' hoo are ye to help
it； sir？' said I。 'That I cannot tell；' answered he； but I wouldn't
for the world your mistress heard it！ I left her fast asleep； and I
hope she'll sleep through it。Did you ever hear anything strange
about the house before we came？' 'Never； sir；' said I； 'as sure as I
stan' here shiverin'！'for the nicht was i' the simmer； an' warm to
that degree！ an' yet I was shiverin' as i' the cauld fit o' a
fivver； an' my moo' wud hardly consent to mak the words I soucht to
frame！
〃We stood like mice 'afore the cat for a minute or twa； but there
cam naething mair； an' by degrees we grew a kin' o' ashamet； like as
gien we had been doobtfu' as to whether we had h'ard onything； an'
whan again he said to me gang to my bed； I gaed to my bed； an' wasna
lang upo' the ro'd； for fear I wud hear onything mairan' intil my
bed； an' my heid 'aneth the claes； an' lay trim'lin'。 But there was
nane mair o' 't that nicht； an' I wasna ower sair owercome to fa'
asleep。
〃I' the mornin' I tellt the hoosekeeper a' aboot it； but she held
her tongue in a mainner that was； to say the least o' 't； varra
strange。 She didna lauch； nor she didna grue nor yet glower； nor yet
she didna say the thing was nonsense； but she jist h'ard an' h'ard
an' saidna a word。 I thoucht wi' mysel'； is't possible she disna
believe me？ but I couldna mak that oot aither。 Sae as she heild her
tongue； I jist pu'd the bridle o' mine； an' vooed there should be
never anither word said by me till ance she spak hersel'。 An' I wud
sune hae had eneuch o' haudin' my tongue； but I hadna to haud it to
onybody but her； an' I cam to the conclusion that she was feart o'
bein' speirt questons by them 'at had a richt to speir them； for
that she had h'ard o' something 'afore； an' kenned mair nor she was
at leeberty to speak aboot。
〃But that was only the beginnin'； an' little to what followed！ For
frae that nicht there was na ae nicht passed but some ane or twa
disturbit； an' whiles it was past a' bidin。' The noises； an' the
rum'lin's； an' abune a' the clankin' o' chains； that gaed on i' that
hoose； an' the groans； an' the cries； an' whiles the whustlin'； an'
what was 'maist waur nor a'； the lauchin'； was something dreidfu'；
an' 'ayont believin' to ony but them 'at was intil't。 I sometimes
think maybe the terror o' 't maks it luik waur i' the recollection
nor it was； but I canna keep my senses an' no believe there was
something a'thegither by ord'nar i' the affair。 An' whan； or lang；
it cam to the knowledge o' the lady； an' she was waukit up at nicht；
an' h'ard the thing； whatever it was； an' syne whan the bairns war
waukit up； an' aye the romage； noo i' this room； noo i' that； sae
that the leevin' wud be cryin' as lood as the deid； though they
could ill mak sic a din； it was beyond a' beirin'； an' the maister
made up his min' to flit at ance； come o' 't what micht！
〃For； as I oucht to hae tellt ye； he had written to the owner o' the
hoose； that was my ain maisterfor it wasna a hair o' use sayin'
onything further to the agent； he only leuch； an' declaret it maun
be some o' his ain folk was playin' tricks upon himwhich it angert
him to hear； bein' as impossible as it was fause； sae straucht awa'
to his lan'lord he wrote； as I say； but as he was travellin' aboot
on the continent； he supposed either the letter had not reached him；
an' never wud reach him or he was shelterin' himsel' under the idea
they wud think he had never had it； no wantin' to move in the
matter。 But the varra day he had made up his min' that nothing
should make him spend another week in the house； for Monday nights
were always the worst； there cam a letter from the gentleman； sayin'
that only that same hoor that he was writin' had he received the
maister's letter； an' he was sorry he had not had it before； but
prayed him to put up with things till he got to him； and he would
start at the farthest in two days more； and would set the thing
right in less time than it would take to tell him what was amiss。A
strange enough letter to be sure！ Mr。 Harper； that was their butler；
told me he had read every word of it！ And so； as； not to mention the
terrors of the nicht； the want of rest was like to ruin us
altogether； we were all on the outlook for the appearance of oor
promised deliverer； sae cock…sure o' settin' things straucht again！
〃Weel； at last； an' that was in a varra feow days； though they
luikit lang to some i' that hoose； he appearita nice luikin'
gentleman； wi' sae sweet a smile it wasna hard to believe whate'er
he tellt ye。 An' he had a licht airy w'y wi' him； that was to us
oppresst craturs strangely comfortin'； ill as it was to believe he
could ken what had been goin' on； an' treat it i' that fashion！
Hooever；an' noo； my lady； an' Mr。 Grant； I hae to tell ye what the
butler told me； for I wasna present to hear for mysel'。 Maybe he
wouldn't have told me； but that he wasn't an old man； though twice
my age； an' seemt to have taken a likin' to me； though it never came
to anything； an' as I was always ceevil to any person that was
ceevil to me； an' never