force. Then 'e got 'er
into trouble, so the story goes, an' she up and stabbed 'erself with the
spindle of her spinning wheel--that there contraption wot stands in the
library terd'y and makes a rare job er dustin' fer Minnie the under
'ousemaid. She don't 'arf kick at it, I kin tell yer! Anyway, that was
'ers! And we 'ad a footman 'ere last May wot fancied 'imself very
partickler as a braive bloke. Well, he says, says 'e, 'I'll sit up
ternight and go dahn by the dungeon door, where she's supposed ter come
from, and see wot I kin see.' 'Course we laughed at him, and there was a
bit of friendly gamblin' done--_you_ know--an' I backed the blighter for
a pound-note."

"An' what 'appened?"

"Ah, that's the scrub of it, as Shakespeare says, me lad. Young fool sat
up there, and then abaht three o'clock in the mornin' we 'eard 'im come
a-screamin' ter 'is quarters, lookin' as pale as death. 'E said 'e'd
'eard the Peasant Girl rustlin' abaht in her room, and the chink o'
chains, and then the iron grille door began to open, and an unearthly
voice called out,'Avaunt ye, varlet, or I'll break yer bones!' and
then.... 'E was off like a pea from a catapult, and that was the last
we ever 'eard of 'is bravery. 'E gave notice next day, and forfeited a
month's money ter get away from the plyce. And I lost me money, of
course! That's wot comes of backin' a bad starter--mostly orlus loses
yer money I find."

During this enlightening recital Jarvis had been polishing the table
silver, pausing between his task to relate the story, while Dollops's
pale face went the colour of ivory, and the hair at the back of his neck
began to prickle with fright.

"Gawd's troof!" he ejaculated, stung to some show of feeling by this
gruesome tale. "Ain't that orful! 'Oo'd 'ave thought it? I wouldn't
spend a night down there fer a mint of money--would you, Guv'nor?"

"Not if I knows it. But no one never does go dahn very often, only ter
the wine-cellar. See that door there? Open that and you'll find a set o'
stairs leadin' right down inter the cellar, and the rest of the pleasant
little dungeon-places where they used ter put bad men like you an' me,
my boy. Orl right in daytime, er course, an' nothin' much ter see. And
perfectly safe. 'Ave a squint, won' yer?--while I send a maid ter find
yer gentleman. Quite a nifty little 'idin'-place 'twould be fer any one,
but as safe as 'ouses in the daylight. _Go_ on. Ain't scared, are yer?"

Now, if there is on