use, the cheers of the excited assailants hardly
seemed to break it, so deeply was our attention fixed on that great
weather-beaten door of the Haunted House of Marnhoul.

Again Jocky, his face lint-white, and his voice coming and going
jerkily, cried aloud the great name of the law. Again there was silence,
deeper and longer than before.

At last from far within came a pattering as of little feet, quick and
light. We heard the bolts withdrawn one by one, and as the wards of the
lock rasped and whined, men got ready their weapons. The door swung back
and against the intense darkness of the wide hall, with the light of
evening on their faces, stood a girl in a black dress and crimson sash,
holding by the hand a little boy of five, with blue eyes and tight
yellow curls.

Both were smiling, and before them all that tumultuary array fell away
as from something supernatural. The words "In the name of----" were
choked on the lips of the constable. He even dropped his silver-headed
staff, and turned about as if to flee. As for us we watched with dazzled
eyes the marvels that had so suddenly altered the ideas of all men as to
the Haunted House of Marnhoul.

But for a space no one moved, no one spoke. Only the tall young girl and
the little child stood there, like children of high degree receiving
homage on the threshold of their own ancestral mansion, facing the
lifted bonnets and the pikes lowered as if in salutation.

CHAPTER III

MISS IRMA GIVES AN AUDIENCE

"My name is Irma Maitland, and this is my brother Louis!" Such were the
famous words with which, in response to law and order in the person of
Constable Jacky Black, the tall smiling girl in the doorway of the
Haunted House of Marnhoul saluted her "rescuers."

"And how came you to be occupying this house?" demanded Mr. Josiah
Kettle, father of Joseph the inventive. He was quite unaware of the
ghastly terrors with which his son had peopled the Great House, but as
the largest farmer on the estate he felt it to be his duty to protect
vested rights.

"In the same way that you enter your house," said the girl; "we came in
with a key, and have been living here ever since!"

"Are you not feared?" piped a voice from the crowd. It was afterwards
found that it was Kettle junior who had spoken.

"Afraid!" answered the girl scornfully, holding her head higher than
ever; "do you think that a few foolish people firing at our windows
could make us afraid? Can they