urning_ their marks into your flesh, but the blue
spots! they are made by good strong muscles. Was your _spook_ polite
enough to bring your lamp, as well as yourself, into your room?"

"I never thought of that! I am sure not, for I always put it on the
dressing-table; come and see!"

They looked, and no lamp was there; they examined the staircase, and
there was a large grease spot, but no lamp.

"See, sister! here is a corroboration of my tale!"

"Oh, I don't doubt a word of it; and I don't doubt the ghost put the
lamp into the pantry this morning, nicely trimmed. There is villany
here, Magdalena; I believe that rascal of a Baptista--I must call him
so, he has such a hang-dog look--wants to drive us away, for reasons of
his own: I can never forgive him for frightening my poor darling so.
We'll see if the ghost assail you, or pay you any polite attentions,
while you are with me! I've never been so lucky as to see any of the
creatures, and should like to try a few experiments upon them: I never
even meet snakes in the woods, or any of those things that frighten
others. So, Senor Hobgoblin, come and welcome!"

By this time Clara had completely chased away her sister's lowness of
spirits, and they descended to the breakfast-room, pleasantly talking
together. The castellan was in the hall, and Clara did not fail to
notice that he fixed his eye searchingly upon Magdalena as they passed,
and did not take it off while he asked, with an obsequious air, if the
senoritas had passed a comfortable night in the cheerless old castle?

"An uncommonly refreshing one, owing to the hospitable cares of yourself
and Francisca," said Clara, answering for both; "my sister had something
like the nightmare, but otherwise we were very comfortable."

When they were alone, they told their father the events of the night,
and it was his first impulse at once to charge the castellan with
villany, and to dismiss him from his post; but Clara persuaded him to
wait yet some days, until the whole matter was well cleared up, before
he took any action.

"But, Magdalena! I cannot have my little girl's cheek blanched, and her
mind filled with ghostly terrors!" "Don't be afraid for me, dear
father," said his daughter, smiling; "Clara's bravery has quite
reanimated mine, and she has laughed me out of the belief of its being a
spirit at all; I now wonder I could ever have thought so." "All very
well, my beloved; but there is a great difference between br