Page:History of the devil, ancient and modern (1).pdf/24

24 and because, as he thought he would be sure to snuff the candle well, he offers to take it down: but very unhappily, I say, the hook came, down falls the scone, candle and all and the looking-glass broke all to pieces with a horrible noise. However, the candle falling out of the scone, did not go out, but lay on the floor burning dully, and as is usual in such cases, all on one side. Betty cries out again, "La! Madam, that candle burns blue too!". The very moment she said this, the footman that had thrown down the scone, says to his fellow servant, that came to his assistance, I think the Devil is in the candles to night! and away he runs, out of the room for fear of his master.

The old lady, who, upon the maid Betty's notion of the candles burning blue, had her head just full of that old chimney corner story, the candles burn blue when the spirits are in the room, heard the footman say the word Devil! but heard nothing else of what he said. Upon this she rises up in a terrible fright, and cries out that the footman said the Devil was in the room! As she was indeed frightened out of her wits she frighted the ladies most terribly; and they all started up together, down goes the card table, and put the wax candles out.

Mrs. Betty, that had frighted them all, runs to the scone next the chimney, but that having a long snuff, she cried out it burnt blue too, and she durst not touch it! In short though there were three candles left still burning in the room, yet the ladies were all so frighted that they and the maids too, ran out of the parlour, screaming like mad folks. The master, in a rage, kicked his first man out of the room, and the second man ran out to avoid (as I said before) the like; so that no servant was to be had, but all was in confusion.

The two other gentlemen, who were sitting at the first table kept their seats composed and easy enough, only concerned to see all the house in such a fright. It was true, they said the candles turned dim and very odly; but they could not perceive they burnt blue, except one of those over the chimney, and that on the table, which was re-lighted after the fellow lad snuffed it out.

However, the maid, the old lady, and the footman that pulled down the scone all insist that the candles burned blue, and all pretended that the Devil was certainly in the room and was the occasion of it, and they now came to me with the story to desire my opinion of it.