say if—you have conspired together with any wicked object in view, may heaven forgive you. Good night."
She then returned to her chamber and locked the door, leaving them greatly distressed at the idea of its being supposed that they had entered into any such conspiracy. They very soon, however, reverted to the ghost, when Judkins exclaimed, with all the fervour at his command—"If I didn't see it, why I didn't; but if I didn't—I'm dumb!"
"We saw it, too," said cook.
"You did?"
"It came into the kitchen!"
"Didn't it look horrid?"
"Oh, hideous! Did you see it's face?"
"The figure was quite enough for me. I think I see it now!"
"Where!" cried Mary. "Oh—don't frighten us. Where?"
"No, no; I mean that I shall never forgot it! But let us go to bed: missis is angry—I know she's angry; I never saw her angry before—but I'm sure she's no cause! One may be wrong—two may be wrong—but we can't all be wrong. We all of us saw it; nothing can get over that! But, good night—good night."
Cook and Mary then retired, and when, with hearts still full of fear, they had got into bed, Mary went to sleep with this expression on her lips—"I'm sure I shall not get a wink to-night."
Now, while these scenes were being enacted at the cottage, dreadful excitement prevailed near the church, and as it is essential to the due appreciation of the cause of this excitement, that the whole of the particulars should be known, it will be correct to state those particulars here, with the names of the persons excited.
It happened then, that on that very evening, a party of influential men had assembled at a house, of which the sign was "The Crumpet and Crown." This party consisted of Messrs. Blinkum, Pokey, Bobber, Snorkins, and Quocks, who were joined by another highly influential person, named Obadiah Drant, who was really an immense politician!—who could tell what the Emperor of China thought, and what were the strictly private feelings of the Czar—who had the faculty of going over much more ground in the space of five minutes, than the Wandering Jew ever did in five years—and whose intimate associates appeared to be persons whom he called Billy Pitt, Harry Brougham, Johnny Russell, Charley Fox, and Bobby Peel.
It may moreover be remarked—for it is remarkable—that in England we very seldom meet with a church without perceiving a public-house at hand. Sometimes it is opposite, sometimes next door, and sometimes even in the very churchyard. But whatever the relative positions may be, they are almost invariably found to be within a few yards of each other, as if every inhabitant, like every representative of Cato, were expected to exclaim, "My bane and antidote are both before me!" Some, indeed, may ascribe this remarkable association to the spirits, and some may attribute it solely to the beer; to some it may suggest the idea of those bosom friends—brandy and bitters—while others may imagine that the common announcement of "Good entertainment for man and
