This time I was the first to break it."I suppose," I said, drearily, "all those horrid people will have come by now.""Horrid people," he repeated, with rather an uncertain laugh, and through the darkness I saw his figure bend forward as he stretched out his hand to caress my horse's neck."Why, Evie, I thought you were pining for gayety, and that it was, in fact, for the purpose of meeting these 'horrid people' that you came here.""Yes, I know," I said, wistfully; "but somehow the last week has been so pleasant that I cannot believe that anything will ever be quite so nice again."We had arrived at the house as I spoke, and the groom was standing at our horses' heads.Alan got off and came round to help me to dismount; but instead of putting up his arm as usual as a support for me to spring from, he laid his hand on mine."Yes, Evie," he said, "it has been indeed a pleasant time.God bless you for it."For an instant he stood there looking up at me, his face full in the light which streamed from the open door, his gray eyes shining with a radiance which was not wholly from thence.Then he straightened his arm, I sprang to the ground, and as if to preclude the possibility of any answer on my part, he turned sharply on his heel, and began giving some orders to the groom.I went on alone into the house, feeling, I knew not and cared not to know why, that the gloom had fled from my spirit, and that the last ride had not after all been such a melancholy failure as it had bid fair at one time to become.
III
In the hall I was met by the housekeeper, who informed me that, owing to a misunderstanding about dates, a gentleman had arrived whom Lucy had not expected at that time, and that in consequence my room had been changed.My things had been put into the East Room,--the haunted room,--the room of the Closed Cabinet, as I remembered with a certain sense of pleased importance, though without any surprise.It stood apart from the other guest-rooms, at the end of the passage from which opened George and Lucy's private apartment;and as it was consequently disagreeable to have a stranger there, it was always used when the house was full for a member of the family.My father and mother had often slept there: there was a little room next to it, though not communicating with it, which served for a dressing-room.Though I had never passed the night there myself, I knew it as well as any room in the house.I went there at once, and found Lucy superintending the last arrangements for my comfort.
She was full of apologies for the trouble she was giving me.Itold her that the apologies were due to my maid and to her own servants rather than to me; "and besides," I added, glancing round, "I am distinctly a gainer by the change.""You know, of course," she said, lightly, "that this is the haunted room of the house, and that you have no right to be here?""I know it is the haunted room," I answered; "but why have I no right to be here?""Oh, I don't know," she said."There is one of those tiresome Mervyn traditions against allowing unmarried girls to sleep in this room.I believe two girls died in it a hundred and fifty years ago, or something of that sort.""But I should think that people, married or unmarried, must have died in nearly every room in the house," I objected.
"Oh, yes, of course they have," said Lucy; "but once you come across a bit of superstition in this family, it is of no use to ask for reasons.However, this particular bit is too ridiculous even for George.Owing to Mr.Leslie having come to-day, we must use every room in the house: it is intolerable having a stranger here, and you are the only relation staying with us.I pointed all that out to George, and he agreed that, under the circumstances, it would be absurd not to put you here.""I am quite agreeable," I answered; "and, indeed, I think I am rather favored in having a room where the last recorded death appears to have taken place a hundred and fifty years ago, particularly as I should think that there can be scarcely anything now left in it which was here then, except, of course, the cabinet."The room had, in fact, been entirely done up and refurnished by my uncle, and was as bright and modern-looking an apartment as you could wish to see.It was large, and the walls were covered with one of those white and gold papers which were fashionable thirty years ago.Opposite us, as we stood warming our backs before the fire, was the bed--a large double one, hung with a pretty shade of pale blue.Material of the same color covered the comfortable modern furniture, and hung from gilded cornices before the two windows which pierced the side of the room on our left.Between them stood the toilet-table, all muslin, blue ribbons, and silver.
