buried them might up foot to run away from. But they
no right, after the service of the Church, to come up for more than one
change of the moon, unless they been great malefactors. And then they be
ashamed of it; and I reminds them of it. 'Amen,' I say, in the very same
voice as I used at the tail of their funerals; and then they knows well
that I covered them up, and the most uneasy goes back again. Lor' bless
you, miss, I no fear of the dead. At both ends of life us be harmless.
It is in the life, and mostways in the middle of it, we makes all the
death for one another."

This was true enough; and I only nodded to him, fearing to interject any
new ideas from which he might go rambling.

"Well, that there figure were no joke, mind you," the old man continued,
as soon as he had freshened his narrative powers with another pinch of
snuff, "being tall and grim, and white in the face, and very onpleasant
for to look at, and its eyes seemed a'most to burn holes in the air. No
sooner did I see that it were not a ghostie, but a living man the
same as I be, than my knees begins to shake and my stumps of teeth to
chatter. And what do you think it was stopped me, miss, from slipping
round this corner, and away by belfry? Nort but the hoddest idea you
ever heared on. For all of a suddint it was borne unto my mind that the
Lord had been pleased to send us back the Captain; not so handsome as
he used to be, but in the living flesh, however, in spite of they
newspapers. And I were just at the pint of coming forrard, out of this
here dark cornder, knowing as I had done my duty by them graves that his
honor, to my mind, must 'a come looking after, when, lucky for me, I
see summat in his walk, and then in his countenance, and then in all
his features, unnateral on the Captain's part, whatever his time of life
might be. And sure enough, miss, it were no Captain more nor I myself
be."

"Of course not. How could it be? But who was it, Jacob?"

"You bide a bit, miss, and you shall hear the whole. Well, by that time
'twas too late for me to slip away, and I was bound to scrooge up into
the elbow of this nick here, and try not to breathe, as nigh as might
be, and keep my Lammas cough down; for I never see a face more full
of malice and uncharity. However, he come on as straight as a arrow,
holding his long chin out, like this, as if he gotten crutches under
it, as the folk does with bad water. A tall man, as tall as the Captain
a'most, bu