in had fallen in dull drizzle; and when the vailed sun sunk
beneath the horizon, the darkness of night was added to the darkness of
clouds.

A dismal night! dismal without, and even more dismal within!

The three old guardians of the premises lived in the left wing of the
house, which corresponded exactly with the right wing once occupied on
the first floor by the unfortunate Rosa Blondelle with her child and
nurse, and on the second floor by Sybil Berners and her maid.

The old women had chosen the left wing partly because it had always been
occupied by Miss Tabby, who used the lower floor for housekeeper's room
and store-room, and the second floor as a bedchamber and linen closet,
but _chiefly_ because it was the furthest removed from the right wing,
the scene of the murder, and now the rumored resort of ghosts.

On this dismal but eventful Hallow Eve of which I now write, the three
old women, their early tea over, were gathered around the fire in the
lower room of this left wing.

It was a long, low room, with a broad fireplace in the lower end. It was
furnished in very plain country style. The walls were colored with a red
ochre wash somewhat duller than paint. The windows had blinds made of
cheap flowered wall paper. The floor was covered with a plaid woolen
carpet, the work of old Mrs. Winterose's wheel and loom. A corner
cupboard with glass doors, through which could be seen rows of blue delf
dishes and piles of white tea-cups and saucers, occupied the corner on
the right of the fireplace; the old-fashioned, coffin-like, tall
eight-day clock stood in the corner on the left-hand side. Flag-bottomed
wooden chairs flanked the walls. At the upper end of the room stood an
old-time chest of drawers. On the right-hand corner of this end, a door
opened upon a flight of stairs leading to the floor above. On the
left-hand corner a door opened into a back room, with a little back
porch, vine covered.

There was a large spinning-wheel near the stair door, and at it the
young ward of Mrs. Winterose stood spinning.

Before the fire stood a plain deal table, and on it a brass candlestick
supporting one tallow candle, that gave but a dim light to the three old
ladies who sat before the dull, smouldering green wood fire and worked.
Old Mrs. Winterose occupied her arm-chair, between the end of the table
and the fireside near the corner cupboard. She was carding rolls of
white wool for the spinner.

Miss Libby sat at the o