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 admonitions, and obsecrations, had been exchanged, it was agreed to examine the affair in the company of the ladies. The latter took fearfully hold of the arms of their neighbours, the servants led the way with a blaze of torches, and we covered the procession with drawn swords.

"I did not rightly know what to think of the matter, which appeared to me to be rather strange, and quite unpre-concerted. It was impossible to draw any conclusion from the looks of our host. He really seemed to be rather agitated, and I knew that he was but a poor dissembler. I also could not imagine that he wantonly would alarm a whole company, merely to punish an individual. I concluded, therefore, that really something must have happened; and giving, at that time, very little credit to the apparition of ghosts, suspected some roguery, and resolved to behave with as much courage as my unhappy education would allow in that point.