ring a loud peal indeed if you hear it: I think a cannon might be
fired at your ear without disturbing you."

"That's a mistake," said John, "I am a remarkably light sleeper: a fly
on my nose will make me turn round any time."

"I believe that, but it won't waken you. Good-night;" and she took
a hand of each of her sisters and went off with all the dignity
beseeming her position as head of the family and governor of the
castle. Her presence being withdrawn, Edwin felt much as you do on a
March day when the sun goes under a cloud, although he had not
enjoyed the sun either, owing to the undercurrent of east wind that
continually chilled him. He almost determined to give it up. Of what
use was it? Evidently she did not care for him, and the words, "Mr.
Forrester here again! he must surely be dull at home," sounded in
his ears. Very east-windy they were; still, he loved her with a great
love, and he could not give her up: he was in a mist, and could see
neither to go back nor forward.

"I say, Edwin," said John confidentially, "what do you think about
this bell business? Of course one couldn't speak of it before the
girls, they are frightened enough already--Bessie too, although she
pretends not. What's your own private opinion about it?"

"Oh, it must be a ghost," said Edwin: "they do things of that kind,
you know--turn tables and rap and so on. I've been thinking I must be
an unconscious medium."

"Well," said John, "I, for one, don't believe in that kind of thing:
if the spirits ever told anything worth hearing, or did anything worth