The Ghost of Guir House

The musty smell had disappeared, and as the room was getting cold,

Paul got up and closed the window. At the moment he had done so,

there was a low knock at the door. He replied by a summons to enter,

but there was no answer. The knock was repeated, and again Paul

shouted, "Come in"; but, as before, there was no response. He now

went to the door and opened it, and found a servant standing outside

with his luggage.

"Why did you not come in?" Paul inquired.

But the man did not answer; he simply entered and placed the bags

upon the floor. Henley now asked him another question, but the fellow

did not even look at him, and left the room without saying a word.

Suddenly Paul remembered that he had seen him before. It was the dumb

man who had met them on their arrival. It was the only servant he had

seen. Could it be possible that these people kept no other?

When Henley had completed his toilet, he blew out the candle and then

groped his way down to the hall, where he found Miss Guir and Ah Ben

awaiting him. The girl came forward to greet her guest, and to reveal

her presence, the fire having died away and the hanging lamp

affording but a dull, copperish glow, barely sufficient to indicate

the furniture and outlines of the room.

Dorothy was radiant, but peculiarly so. She was unlike the girls to

whom he was accustomed in the city. Moreover, her manner was more

quiet, more earnest and dignified than theirs. She looked more

charming than ever in a white gown, while her burnished hair was held

in place by a tall Spanish comb, and decorated with a flower. To be

sure, the details of her costume were only suggested in the vague,

uncertain light, but her pose and manner were unusually impressive.

"I hope you will not think that all Virginians are as inhospitable as

we appear to be, Mr. Henley," she exclaimed, with a graciousness that

was quite bewitching.

"I'm sure," said Henley, "that I have never been treated with greater

consideration by any one; my room is simply perfect!"

"In its way, yes; but its way is that of a century past. But what I

was referring to in the matter of special negligence was the time we

have kept you from food."

"Do you know," Paul replied, "that I have been so absorbed with the

many strange things I have seen since my arrival that I have scarcely

had time to think of food?"