I say, the
Hook came out and down falls the Sconce Candle and all, and the
Looking-Glass broke all to pieces, with a horrible Noise; however, the
Candle falling out of the Sconce did not go out, but lay on the Floor
burning dully, and as it is usual on such Cases, all on one Side,
_Betty_ cries out again, _Law Madam_, that Candle burns blue too; the
very Moment she said this, the Footman that had thrown down the Sconce,
says to his fellow Servant, that came to his Assistance, I _think_ the
Devil _is in the Candles to Night_, and away he run out of the Room, for
fear of his Master.

The old Lady, who, upon the Maid _Betty_'s Notion of the Candles burning
blue, had her Head just full of that old _Chimney-Corner Story_, the
Candles _burn blue when the Spirits are in the Room_, heard the Footman
Say the Word _Devil_, but heard nothing else of what he said; upon this
she rises up in a terrible Fright, and cries out that the Footman said
the _Devil was in the Room_; as she was, indeed, frighted out of her
Wits, she frighted the Ladies most terribly, and they all starting up
together, down goes the Card Table, and put the Wax-Candles out.

Mrs. _Betty_, that had frighted them all, runs to the Sconce next the
Chimney, but that having a long Snuff, she cried out it burnt blue too,
and she durst not touch it; in short, tho' there were three Candles left
still burning in the Room, yet the Ladies we're all so frighted, that
they and the Maids too run out of the Parlour screaming like mad Folks.
The Master in a Rage kick'd his first Man out of the Room, and the
second Man was run out to avoid, as I said before, the like, so that no
Servant was to be had, but all was in Confusion.

The two other Gentlemen, who were sitting at the first Table, kept their
Seats composed and easy enough, only concern'd to see all the House in
such a fright; it was true, they said, the Candles burnt dim and very
oddly, but they could not perceive they _burnt blue_, except one of
those over the Chimney, and that on the Table, which was relighted
after the Fellow had snufft it out.

However, the Maid, the old Lady and the Footman that pull'd down the
Sconce, all insist that the Candles _burnt blue_, and all pretend that
the Devil was certainly in the Room, and was the Occasion of it; and
they now came to me with the Story, to desire my Opinion of it.

This put me upon Enquiry into the Notion of Candles _burning blue_ when
Spirits are in a Room, which