to see Mrs. Witham and to thank her for her
kindness. When she saw him coming through the diamond-paned bay window
of her sanctum she came out to meet him and asked him in. She looked
at him searchingly and shook her head as she said:

'You must not overdo it, sir. You are paler this morning than you
should be. Too late hours and too hard work on the brain isn't good
for any man! But tell me, sir, how did you pass the night? Well, I
hope? But my heart! sir, I was glad when Mrs. Dempster told me this
morning that you were all right and sleeping sound when she went in.'

'Oh, I was all right,' he answered smiling, 'the "somethings" didn't
worry me, as yet. Only the rats; and they had a circus, I tell you,
all over the place. There was one wicked looking old devil that sat up
on my own chair by the fire, and wouldn't go till I took the poker to
him, and then he ran up the rope of the alarm bell and got to
somewhere up the wall or the ceiling--I couldn't see where, it was so
dark.'

'Mercy on us,' said Mrs. Witham, 'an old devil, and sitting on a chair
by the fireside! Take care, sir! take care! There's many a true word
spoken in jest.'

'How do you mean? Pon my word I don't understand.'

'An old devil! The old devil, perhaps. There! sir, you needn't laugh,'
for Malcolmson had broken into a hearty peal. 'You young folks thinks
it easy to laugh at things that makes older ones shudder. Never mind,
sir! never mind! Please God, you'll laugh all the time. It's what I
wish you myself!' and the good lady beamed all over in sympathy with
his enjoyment, her fears gone for a moment.

'Oh, forgive me!' said Malcolmson presently. 'Don't think me rude; but
the idea was too much for me--that the old devil himself was on the
chair last night!' And at the thought he laughed again. Then he went
home to dinner.

This evening the scampering of the rats began earlier; indeed it had
been going on before his arrival, and only ceased whilst his presence
by its freshness disturbed them. After dinner he sat by the fire for a
while and had a smoke; and then, having cleared his table, began to
work as before. Tonight the rats disturbed him more than they had done
on the previous night. How they scampered up and down and under and
over! How they squeaked, and scratched, and gnawed! How they, getting
bolder by degrees, came to the mouths of their holes and to the chinks
and cracks and crannies in the wainscoting till their eyes shone like
tiny