lackville was broke open and robbed of about twelve hundred
dollars' worth of goods in one night."

"And none of it recovered!"

"No, sir. And, sir, Capping Pendulum's own house was entered and robbed
of jewelry and plate to the tune of about two thousand dollars."

"I am very sorry for that! And no clue to the robbers?"

"Not the leastest in the world, sir! And no later'n last night, Judge
Beresford was riding home from the village, where he had been at the
tavern, playing cards with a lot of gentlemen, and had won a deal of
money, which he had about him, when, in the middle of the long woods
below his own house, he was stopped by two men; one who seized his
bridle, and one who pinted a pistol at his head, and gave him his choice
of his money or his life. The Judge he choose his life, and handed over
his winnins."

"I'm not sorry for him! A man who gains money in that way deserves to
lose it. But I _am_ astounded at all that you have told me."

"Yes, sir! and the old ladies in charge of Black Hall is more 'stounded
than you are, sir; being 'stounded to that degree that they sleep with
the dogs in the room; long of 'em."

"This should be seen to. There should be a vigilance committee. But here
we are at the path, Joe, and my wife is still in a deep sleep; and I do
not wish to wake her; nor can we drive the cart through the thicket.
Hold! I'll tell you what we can do. We can take the mattress by its four
corners, and carry her on it to the chapel. If we are careful, we need
not even wake her," said Mr. Berners, as he stopped the cart and got
down from his seat.

Joe tied the two saddle horses to one of the trees, and came around to
the cart to help his master.

Between them they cautiously lifted the mattress, and bore it along
towards the opening of the path.

On first being moved, Sybil sighed once and turned over and then she
fell into a still deeper sleep, from which she did not again awake even
when they bore her into the dreadful Haunted Chapel, and laid her down,
still on the mattress, in the old place, to the right of the altar.

"Poor child! She was so tired, so worn out in body and mind, that she
could scarcely sit her horse. Yet she never once complained, nor should
I have even surmised the extent of her prostration, were it not for this
coma-like sleep. She will not wake now. We may safely leave her alone
while we go back and bring our saddle horses here, for we must bring
them in order to hide t