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Rh round the wall, the fire-irons removed, and the grate so bright and so cold; the curtains were down, all the little ornaments put away, no flowers in the stands, and the pictures covered up: from want of sufficient material, the face of her uncle's portrait was still visible: she thought it looked upon her sadly and kindly, forgetting that such was his habitual expression. A movement in the passage roused her; hastily she sprang down the steps, and in an instant was hidden in the thick foliage of the path which led to the village, where she was to meet Lady Mandeville and the children. Little did she know the terrors she had left behind her. The foot in the passage was that of the old gardener, who, now residing in the house with his wife and daughter, had been sent by the said female authorities to close the shutters against damp, thieves, and other evening annoyances. He just caught sight of Emily—the white dress was enough; and, without pausing on the incongruity of a ghost in a large straw bonnet, he rushed back to the kitchen: those spiritual securities, candles and company, enabled him to return; there was no trace of any earthly thing; the supernatural conclusion was soon drawn, the room