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of money; saw her lodged in one of the strongest cells of the establishment; and renewing his assurances that the unsparing application of the scourge was absolutely necessary, departed. His meaning was not misunderstood. So, at least, ran the story,-for the shrieks of poor Martha were heard day and night, as if the lash were indeed not spared.

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This at length attracted so much notice, and there were so many strange rumours circulating, that it was determined by the magistrates to make some enquiry into the business, which reaching the ears of Dr-, he voluntarily fixed a day for receiving them. In the interim, however, Martha was found dead in the very field I have mentioned.

Dear me! exclaimed Mrs Dagleish, how shocking!

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« Poor creature!» said Mary Falconer, with a sigh, how did she get there, and who killed her? »

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I cannot answer either of your questions,» replied Mr Carliel, and those who can, hold their tongues. It was given out that she had made her escape from the asylum, and destroyed herself; but though nobody could say she did not, nobody believed she did. Suppose the first improbability, that she could break out of her cell, and snap the heavy iron chain by which she was fastened to the wall, and elude the vigilance of all the keepers stationed in different parts of the asylum, was it likely she could have traversed the frequented road leading to the spot where she was found, without meeting some person, whose notice she would have excited by her wild appearance, and half-clad form? Besides, what were her means of self-destruction? Nothing was found near the body, or in any part of the field. In her clenched hand, indeed, she grasped a piece of ragged iron, and with that, it was pretended, she had so mangled her throat as to cause death. No-no; depend upon it the wretched woman never left the asylum alive. Marks of the chain and the whip were conspicuous on every part of her emaciated body; and long tufts of her thin grey hair were matted together with the blood which had issued from a deep gash on the back of her head. A lone cottager, too, whose hut stood in a lane adjoining the field, was awoke in the middle of the

night by the sound of men's voices, and when they were heard no more, such terrific screams rang through the air every five minutes, that the affrighted woman buried her face beneath the bedclothes in an agony of terror. »

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How does that agree with what you have just said, that she did not leave the asylum alive?» said Simon Barnardiston. How did it happen; replied M. Carliel, that the same screams were heard night after night, and every night on the same spot? How did it happen that scores of persons testified to this fact: until at last no one would come within a mile of the field after dark? How did it come that those same persons who heard the screaming, saw also the dim shadowy form of a female flying round and round the field, as if pursued, and then suddenly disappearing in the very place where the body was found? How did it happen that a pale, bloodless face was seen pressing against the bed-room windows of the house which stood in that field, and this so constantly just after midnight, that the family were forced to quit it, and no one since has ever ventnred to live in it? How did all these things happen? »

Nay, I know not,» replied Simon Barnardiston; besides, I don't know that they did happen. »

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« Well then listen to what I know; " said Mr Carliel, somewhat nettled at Simon's incredulity, which in this case implied a sort of reproach upon what would seem to be his own credulity.

There was something rather startling in his solemn invitation to listen, after the glimpse he had given of what might be expected; especially as the candles had been neglected, till their snuffs were become dismally long, and the log of wood had been suffered gradually to flicker down to a red heat, without a blaze.

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Snuff the candles, Stephen," said Mary Falconer to her brother in a whisper.

And give that wood a poke," said Hugh Buckner, addressing Simon, who sat next the fire.

The candles were certainly all the better for being snuffed: but the log was poked in vain. It merely splintered into

red-hot ashes, without emitting as much flame as lights up a glow-worm's tail.

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My uncle, resumed Mr Carliel when the little group had again settled down into silence, told me all these circumstances with much chagrin, observing that the foolish notions which had thus got abroad, would have the effect, he feared, of ruining the whole thing; and I proposed that he should go down, and by sleeping in the house himself, put an end to the delusion. I found, however, that, as much as he laughed at the idea of the Screaming Woman, and the pale bloodless face that was seen pressing against the windows, he had no fancy for undertaking the task I had assigned him; but he jumped at my proposal to undertake it myself. I accordingly went down, and was most cordially received by the family, who seemed half to believe, and quite to wish, that my presence might dissolve the spell. I inquired, as you may be sure, very minutely into all the particulars, and asked if there was any one room in the house which the lady fancied more than another; because if there was, I should prefer that one for my bed-chamber. I was promised the room at the window of which she had appeared three several times the preceding night; an occurrence, it seemed, which had never happened before. With this I declared myself satisfied; and supper being announced, we were just about to go into the apartment where it was laid, when I saw the gentleman's eldest daughter, a young lady of about twenty, turn suddenly pale.

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Now, it's coming! said she. I know by that low moaning sound which the wind seems to make. O God! what shall I do while it lasts? and covering her ears with her hands, she crouched down upon a chair in one corner of the

room.

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«She had scarcely done so before the very apartment in which we were all standing appeared to vibrate with a prolonged piercing scream, which made my blood run cold. It died away, and again it came, still louder, and still more piercing; so as to give one the notion of some poor wretch upon whom the most exquisite torments were being inflicted.

A third time it came; but now it was faint, and tremulous, and broken by languid sobs, as if life were ebbing fast under the torture. Never while I live shall I forget the terrible sound of those screams, or of that agonizing one, which seemed to denote exhausted suffering yielding up its worn-out spirit.

«Let us go to the door," said I, wishing to ascertain whether the other part of the story was true, that the dim shadowy form of a female might be seen flying round and round the field. I did so. The master of the house accompanied me. The night was very dark, and not an object of any kind was visible. I strained my sight into the darkness in every direction, but could see nothing. This was a sort of relief to me; the screaming had a little staggered my resolution; but I now began to think that possibly it was either delusion, or some trick, being unaccompanied by that which it would have been more difficult to contrive, if there were any artifice at the bottom. But the relief, such as it was, soon vanished. There!» said my companion, suddenly grasping my arm, and whispering in my ear, there! there! do you see? there she goes! round and round like lightning!» «I looked in the direction he pointed, and as plainly as I now see you," said Mr Carliel, addressing himself to Mary Falconer

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Lord! don't look at me," exclaimed the affrighted girl, who had been listening with breathless attention, and whom this appeal startled. I shall fancy you see the SCREAMING WOMAN here. »

- As plainly as I now see you,» repeated Mr Carliel, «I saw whirling round the field, but not touching the ground, the form of a tall, thin woman, with outstretched arms, and her long white dress streaming behind her. Nay as the spectral shadow seemed to pass within a few feet of where we were standing, in its rapid flight I could distinctly hear the rushing sound of a body passing through the air with great velocity. This continued for two or three minutes, when the phantom darted towards the middle of the field, sank down, and disappeared.

That's the exact spot where the body was found,» observed my companion. "Now are you satisfied? We may go in : she will appear no more till after midnight. »

"I was indeed satisfied: more than satisfied I was convinced. I had had ocular demonstration of a thing which could not be the effect either of imagination or contrivance ; and to tell you the plain truth, if shame would have let me, I should have dispensed with the remaining part of my task. However I kept my fears to myself, put a bold face upon the matter, admitted it was very strange; but like our friend Simon there in the corner, affected to believe that whatever it might be, it could be nothing supernatural; and thus trying to screw my courage to the sticking-place, I took possession of my bed-chamber, gaily promising to give a good account of the ghost next morning at breakfast. »

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That was very venturesome, I think, » observed Mrs Dagleish. I hope you said your prayers the moment you were alone. » I said them before I went to bed, as I always do," replied Mr Carliel,» but I do not remember that I put up any special one for the occasion. »

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What! did you go to bed?» inquired Mary Falconer, « and put out the candle! »

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I went to bed; but, to confess the truth, I did not put out the candle. »

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"I would have had half-a-dozen candles had I been you, " observed Hugh Buckner; I always think one doesn't feel so afraid of anything when there's plenty of light. It wasn't a rushlight, I hope? Rushlights are nasty things-they burn so dim, and are so apt to gutter and go out. »

"Did you go to sleep? asked Mrs Dagleish.

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"Oh yes; for I did not want to lie awake; but may the next slumber (if ever I am doomed to have such another ), that is to end in so horrible a way--never be broken! A dream was upon me full of blood and death. The shrieking maniac flitted through my brain in a thousand shapes. At one moment she seemed to be standing over me, brandishing a sword of fire. The next she advanced from a dark corner of the room, bearing in her right hand a skull filled with

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