her room when we retired to ours, apparently without the least
apprehension.

When she came down in the morning we were immediately struck at seeing
her look very ill; and, on inquiring if she, too, had been frightened,
she said she had been awakened in the night by something moving in her
room, and that, by the light of the night lamp, she saw most distinctly
a figure, and that the dog, which was very spirited and flew at
everything, never stirred, although she endeavoured to make him. We saw
clearly that she had been very much alarmed; and when Mr Atkyns came and
endeavoured to dissipate the feeling by persuading her that she might
have dreamt it, she got quite angry. We could not help thinking that she
had actually seen something; and my mother said, after she was gone,
that though she could not bring herself to believe it was really a
ghost, still she earnestly hoped that she might get out of the house
without seeing this figure which frightened people so much.

We were now within three days of the one fixed for our removal; I had
been taking a long ride, and being tired, had fallen asleep the moment I
lay down, but in the middle of the night I was suddenly awakened--I
cannot tell by what, for the step over our heads we had become so used
to that it no longer disturbed us. Well, I awoke; I had been lying with
my face towards my mother, who was asleep beside me, and, as one usually
does on awaking, I turned to the other side, where, the weather being
warm, the curtain of the bed was undrawn, as it was also at the foot,
and I saw standing by a chest of drawers, which were betwixt me and the
window, a thin, tall figure, in a loose powdering gown, one arm resting
on the drawers, and the face turned towards me. I saw it quite
distinctly by the night-light, which burnt clearly; it was a long, thin,
pale, young face, with oh! such a melancholy expression as can never be
effaced from my memory! I was, certainly, very much frightened; but my
great horror was lest my mother should awake and see the figure. I
turned my head gently towards her, and heard her breathing high in a
sound sleep. Just then the clock on the stairs struck four. I daresay it
was nearly an hour before I ventured to look again; and when I did take
courage to turn my eyes towards the drawers there was nothing, yet I had
not heard the slightest sound, though I had been listening with the
greatest intensity.

As you may suppose, I never closed my eyes agai