Moved by some feeling which he professed himself unable to "put a name
on," he proceeded to the door in question, and found it barred, chained,
and bolted. While he was standing wondering what it meant, he noticed
the light as of gas shining from underneath the library door; but when
he softly turned the handle and peeped in, the room was dark as the
grave, and "like cold water seemed running down his back."
Further, he averred, as he stole away into the hall, there was a sound
followed him as between a groan and a cry. Hearing which statement, an
impressionable charwoman went into hysterics, and had to be recalled to
her senses by a dose of gin, suggested and taken strictly as a medicine.
But no supply of spirituous liquors, even had Miss Blake been disposed
to distribute anything of the sort, could induce servants after a time
to remain in, or charwomen to come to, the house. It had received a bad
name, and that goes even further in disfavour of a residence than it
does against a man or woman.
Finally, Miss Blake's establishment was limited to an old creature
almost doting and totally deaf, the advantages of whose presence might
have been considered problematical; but, then, as Miss Blake remarked,
"she was somebody."
"And now she has taken fright," proceeded the lady.
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