crack went the whip, and clatter
went the wheels, as it rattled over the uneven pavement of the court.
A general and furious barking from all the dogs about the house, hailed
its arrival.

We hurried to the hall in time to hear the steps let down with the sharp
clanging noise peculiar to the operation, and the hum of voices exerted
in the bustle of arrival. The hall-door was now thrown open, and we all
stepped forth to greet our visitors.

The court was perfectly empty; the moon was shining broadly and brightly
upon all around; nothing was to be seen but the tall trees with their
long spectral shadows, now wet with the dews of midnight.

We stood gazing from right to left, as if suddenly awakened from a
dream; the dogs walked suspiciously, growling and snuffing about the
court, and by totally and suddenly ceasing their former loud barking,
expressing the predominance of fear.

We stared one upon another in perplexity and dismay, and I think I never
beheld more pale faces assembled. By my father's direction, we looked
about to find anything which might indicate or account for the noise
which we had heard; but no such thing was to be seen--even the mire
which lay upon the avenue was undisturbed. We returned to the house,
more panic-struck than I can describe.

On the next day, we learned by a messenger, who had ridden hard the
greater part of the night, that my sister was dead. On Sunday evening,
she had retired to bed rather unwell, and, on Monday, her indisposition
declared itself unequivocally to be malignant fever. She became hourly
worse and, on Tuesday night, a little after midnight, she expired.(2)

(2) The residuary legatee of the late Frances Purcell, who
has the honour of selecting such of his lamented old
friend's manuscripts as may appear fit for publication, in
order that the lore which they contain may reach the world
before scepticism and utility have robbed our species of the
precious gift of credulity, and scornfully kicked before
them, or trampled into annihilation those harmless fragments
of picturesque superstition which it is our object to
preserve, has been subjected to the charge of dealing too
largely in the marvellous; and it has been half insinuated
that such is his love for diablerie, that he is content to
wander a mile out of his way, in order to meet a fiend or a
goblin, and thus to sacrifice all regard for truth and