The Toll-House, Page 2

again.

  "Don't play the fool," said Barnes roughly.

  Meagle laughed. "I only wanted to convince you," he said kindly. "Thereought to be, at any rate, one ghost in the servants' hall."

  Barnes held up his hand for silence.

  "Yes?" said Meagle with a grin at the other two. "Is anybody coming?"

  "Suppose we drop this game and go back," said Barnes suddenly. "I don'tbelieve in spirits, but nerves are outside anybody's command. You maylaugh as you like, but it really seemed to me that I heard a door openbelow and steps on the stairs."

  His voice was drowned in a roar of laughter.

  "He is coming round," said Meagle with a smirk. "By the time I have donewith him he will be a confirmed believer. Well, who will go and get somewater? Will you, Barnes?"

  "No," was the reply.

  "If there is any it might not be safe to drink after all these years,"said Lester. "We must do without it."

  Meagle nodded, and taking a seat on the floor held out his hand for thecup. Pipes were lit and the clean, wholesome smell of tobacco filled theroom. White produced a pack of cards; talk and laughter rang through theroom and died away reluctantly in distant corridors.

  "Empty rooms always delude me into the belief that I possess a deepvoice," said Meagle. "To-morrow----"

  He started up with a smothered exclamation as the light went out suddenlyand something struck him on the head. The others sprang to their feet.Then Meagle laughed.

  "It's the candle," he exclaimed. "I didn't stick it enough."

  Barnes struck a match and relighting the candle stuck it on themantelpiece, and sitting down took up his cards again.

  "What was I going to say?" said Meagle. "Oh, I know; to-morrow I----"

  "Listen!" said White, laying his hand on the other's sleeve. "Upon myword I really thought I heard a laugh."

  "Look here!" said Barnes. "What do you say to going back? I've hadenough of this. I keep fancying that I hear things too; sounds ofsomething moving about in the passage outside. I know it's only fancy,but it's uncomfortable."

  "You go if you want to," said Meagle, "and we will play dummy. Or youmight ask the tramp to take your hand for you, as you go downstairs."

  Barnes shivered and exclaimed angrily. He got up and, walking to thehalf-closed door, listened.

  "Go outside," said Meagle, winking at the other two. "I'll dare you togo down to the hall door and back by yourself."

  Barnes came back and, bending forward, lit his pipe at the candle.

  "I am nervous but rational," he said, blowing out a thin cloud of smoke."My nerves tell me that there is something prowling up and down the longpassage outside; my reason tells me that it is all nonsense. Where aremy cards?"

  He sat down again, and taking up his hand, looked through it carefullyand led.

  "Your play, White," he said after a pause. White made no sign.

  "Why, he is asleep," said Meagle. "Wake up, old man. Wake up and play."

  Lester, who was sitting next to him, took the sleeping man by the arm andshook him, gently at first and then with some roughness; but White, withhis back against the wall and his head bowed, made no sign. Meaglebawled in his ear and then turned a puzzled face to the others.

  "He sleeps like the dead," he said, grimacing. "Well, there are stillthree of us to keep each other company."

  "Yes," said Lester, nodding. "Unless--Good Lord! suppose----"

  He broke off and eyed them trembling.

  "Suppose what?" inquired Meagle.

  "Nothing," stammered Lester. "Let's wake him. Try him again. _White!White!_"

  "It's no good," said Meagle seriously; "there's something wrong aboutthat sleep."

  "That's what I meant," said Lester; "and if he goes to sleep like that,why shouldn't----"

  Meagle sprang to his feet. "Nonsense," he said roughly. "He's tiredout; that's all. Still, let's take him up and clear out. You take hislegs and Barnes will lead the way with the candle. Yes? Who's that?"

  He looked up quickly towards the door. "Thought I heard somebody tap,"he said with a shamefaced laugh. "Now, Lester, up with him. One, two--Lester! Lester!"

  He sprang forward too late; Lester, with his face buried in his arms, hadrolled over on the floor fast asleep, and his utmost efforts failed toawaken him.

  "He--is--asleep," he stammered. "'Asleep!"

  Barnes, who had taken the candle from the mantel-piece, stood peering atthe sleepers in silence and dropping tallow over the floor.

  "Barnes, stood peering at the sleepers in silence anddropping tallow over the floor."]

  "We must get out of this," said Meagle. "Quick!" Barnes hesitated. "Wecan't leave them here--" he began.

  "We must," said Meagle in strident tones. "If you go to sleep I shallgo--Quick! Come."

  He seized the other by the arm and strove to drag him to the door.Barnes shook him off, and putting the candle back on the mantelpiece,tried again to arouse the sleepers.

  "It's no good," he said at last, and, turning from them, watched Meagle."Don't you go to sleep," he said anxiously.

  Meagle shook his head, and they stood for some time in uneasy silence."May as well shut the door," said Barnes at last.

  He crossed over and closed it gently. Then at a scuffling noise behindhim he turned and saw Meagle in a heap on the hearthstone.

  With a sharp catch in his breath he stood motionless. Inside the roomthe candle, fluttering in the draught, showed dimly the grotesqueattitudes of the sleepers. Beyond the door there seemed to his over-wrought imagination a strange and stealthy unrest. He tried to whistle,but his lips were parched, and in a mechanical fashion he stooped, andbegan to pick up the cards which littered the floor.

  He stopped once or twice and stood with bent head listening. The unrestoutside seemed to increase; a loud creaking sounded from the stairs.

  "Who is there?" he cried loudly.

  The creaking ceased. He crossed to the door and flinging it open, strodeout into the corridor. As he walked his fears left him suddenly.

  "Come on!" he cried with a low laugh. "All of you! All of you! Showyour faces--your infernal ugly faces! Don't skulk!"

  He laughed again and walked on; and the heap in the fireplace put out hishead tortoise fashion and listened in horror to the retreating footsteps.Not until they had become inaudible in the distance did the listeners'features relax.

  "Good Lord, Lester, we've driven him mad," he said in a frightenedwhisper. "We must go after him."

  There was no reply. Meagle sprung to his feet. "Do you hear?" hecried. "Stop your fooling now; this is serious. White! Lester! Do youhear?"

  He bent and surveyed them in angry bewilderment. "All right," he said ina trembling voice. "You won't frighten me, you know."

  He turned away and walked with exaggerated carelessness in the directionof the door. He even went outside and peeped through the crack, but thesleepers did not stir. He glanced into the blackness behind, and thencame hastily into the room again.

  He stood for a few seconds regarding them. The stillness in the housewas horrible; he could not even hear them breathe. With a suddenresolution he snatched the candle from the mantelpiece and held the flameto White's finger. Then as he reeled back stupefied the footsteps againbecame audible.

  He stood with the candle in his shaking hand listening. He heard themascending the farther staircase, but they stopped suddenly as he went tothe door. He walked a little way along the passage, and they wentscurrying down the stairs and then at a jog-trot along the corridorbelow. He went back to the main staircase, and they ceased again.

  For a time he hung over the balusters, listening and trying to pierce theblackness below; then slowly, step by step, he made his way downstairs,and, holding the candle above his head, peered about him.

  "Barnes!" he called. "Where are you?" Shaking with fright, he made hisway along the passage, and summoning up all his courage pushed open doorsand gazed fearfully into
empty rooms. Then, quite suddenly, he heard thefootsteps in front of him.

  He followed slowly for fear of extinguishing the candle, until they ledhim at last into a vast bare kitchen with damp walls and a broken floor.In front of him a door leading into an inside room had just closed. Heran towards it and flung it open, and a cold air blew out the candle. Hestood aghast.

  "Into a vast bare kitchen with damp walls and a brokenfloor."]

  "Barnes!" he cried again.