From out the Vasty Deep

you, Pegler, were such

xed tone; and a curious kind of smile flitted over the ra

ou before in this exac

hat you certai

utifully shaped feet stretched out to the log fire. Her maid was standing a little to the right, her spare figure and

t you won't sleep next

s Farrow quite understood that that was Pegler's polite way of sayin

ing round so that she could look up into the woman's face: "What was it exactly you did see, Pegler?" And as the other still remained si

ange over Pegler's face. Her pale countenance flushed, it became di

nature would allow her to be. This woman had been her good a

though she was over forty; and went and took the other's hand. "

aciously. "After two such nights as I've had,"

one who could do hair as Pegler could-the woman was in some w

ght have finished the sentence with "or in anything else." But that fact, Pegler being the manner of woman she was, did not detract from the affection and esteem in which she held her lady. You can't have everything-such was he

was the first that mentioned it to me, after I'd spoken to you yesterday. As you know, ma'am, the servants here are a job lot; they don't know nothing about the hous

: "Still, as you and I well know, ma'am,

ge, lonely, beautiful old house is sure to be said to be haunted. What I want to know

Pegler inconsequently. "If you'll sit down in yo

December, and she knew she had a tiring, probably a boring, evening before her. Some strangers of whom she knew nothing, and cared less, excepti

. I wish you'd sit down too-somehow it worries me to see yo

had always refused, being one that knew her place. She had only sat in Miss Farrow's presence during the days and nights when she had

nto my room and thought how pleasant it looked. The curtains was drawn, and there was a nice fire, as you know, ma'am, which Mr. Varick so kindly ordered for me, and

and drew the curtains of one of the windows. Of course it's a much bigger room than I'm generally accustomed to occupy, as you know, ma'am.

arrow languidly. "

little narrow thing like a child's body-and-and all on a sudden a small white face seemed to look up into mine! O

evening of what had happened to me, but I couldn't keep myself from thinking of it. Well, then, ma'am, as you know, I came and undressed you, a

gler-that nothing did happ

nd yes-well, something did happen! I heard a kind of rustling in the room. It would leave off for a

w quietly, "was probabl

hear this peculiar rustle, ma'am, like a dress swishing along-an old-fashioned, rich, soft silk, such as ladies wore

you mean,

eyes were fixed; it was as if

ctly happened

ng breath, "last night, ma'am-I know yo

the woman's face with an

nche Farrow had but two close friends in the world-her host, Lionel Varick, the new owner of Wyndfell Hall; and the plain, spare, elderly woman standing now before her. She

pirit like?" sh

inclination to burst out laughing. For Pegler answere

ing a trifle satirically: "That c

was a woman-a woman with a dreadful, wicked, spiteful face! Once she came up clos

ually saw what you

d down that room in there, wringing her hands all the time-I'd

hing else

m-but there seemed no curtains there any more, nothing but just an opening into the

sked Miss Farrow quickly, "if

was supplying the light, as it were. I could see her

!" exclaimed Miss F

ese words would not carry any added conviction to her mistress. And, indeed, they would not have done so, for Miss Farrow, though she was m

t, there it would begin, con

underst

I'd try not to open my eyes, but somehow I felt I must see what was happening. So I'd look at last-and there she'd be! Walking up and down, walking up and down, he

at used to be much bigger and deeper t

row sharply. "Who do

about the pl

t told this strange story to the servants. Yo

I felt I must tell somebody, and if you tell one, as I did, you tell

"I know you wouldn't have done it if you could have h

as a rule," said the maid eagerly, "and I think they all quite sees that, ma'am. B

w, looking up and smi

with the way in which his Christmas party went off, he'd give them each a five-pound note at the end of the month. It ma

w spoke with a touch of meaning in her voice. "I did a very good t

did." But Pegler's tone was not

n what have you settled

m. There is a bell through, ma'am, but you'll have to go into the next room to ring it,

it and put you in here,"

good fire there. So when you

s pleasant to think that there should be a fire kept up in an empty room just so t

replace in your room, Pegler"-th

ut I don't mind that. I do

accounting

eading into the haunted chamber, but out on to the beautiful panelled landing, now gay with bowls of hothouse flowers