Page:Letters of the Late Lord Lyttleton.djvu/97

 proceed from a dog who might be accidentally confined in some part of the house: they very soon, therefore, composed themselves to sleep, and were very soon awakened by shrieks and cries of still greater terrour than the former. Alarmed at what they heard, several of them rung their bells, and, when the servants came, they declared that the horrid sounds proceeded from the stranger’s chamber. Some of the gentlemen immediately arose, to enquire into this extraordinary disturbance; and, while they were dressing themselves for that purpose, deeper groans of despair, and shriller shrieks of agony, again astonished and terrified them. After knocking some time at the stranger’s chamber-door, he answered them as one awakened from sleep, declared he had heard no noise, and, rather in an angry tone, desired he might not be again disturbed. Upon this they returned to one of their chambers, and had scarce begun to communicate their sentiments to each other, when their conversation was interrupted by a renewal of yells, screams, and shrieks, which, from the horrour of them, seemed to issue from the throats of damned and tortured spirits. They immediately followed the sounds, and traced them to the stranger’s chamber, the door of which