THE MIDNIGHT GUESTS.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume I, Issue 21, 25 May 1867, Page 3

THE MIDNIGHT GUESTS.

It was Christ-eve, and a jovial, merry party was assembled in a large but cozy room, in a comfortable country house. The candles burned brightly, the fire sent forth a cheerful blaze, the curtains were closely drawn, to exclude the noise of the rude blast, which howled and raged outside, and every face in the circle beamed with happiness. It was a sort of scene, the beauty of which only an Englishman could understand—the sterling; feeling and purity of which only an Englishman could appreciate.

The most conspicuous of the group arranged round the fire were an old lady and gentleman, the mistress and master of the house. They were beautiful examples, particularly the old lady, of serene and placid old age. At the time my story opens, the old gentleman was addressing a young man in a naval uniform—

“ Why I object to travel on Christmaseve is this. Some years ago —tha| is, when I first started in life—l was a sort of higgler, and used to travel about the country, buying up pigs, poultry and such like. Among others, I used to deal with an old couple, who lived in a solitary house, some five or six miles from any other habitation.

“It was a large, old, rattle-trap sort of place, and had, in former times, been an inn or public-house; but the road that passed it had been turned, and a short cut made to the next town, and so it had fallen into disuse and decay.

“ Around the house were stables, and also attached to it were a few acres of land, which the old couple cultivated, and a garden for vegetables; while in front there was a heath, upon which they turned a dock of geese. The house was some distance from the road, and the road to it was not kept in order, so that it was extremely rough and at certain seasons almost dangerous. Plow they ever came to take up their abode in such an out-of-the-way place I never could understand, for not only was the house very largo, but there was no market within twelve miles.

'‘There were, however, as there always

are, strange stories afloat, both about the people and the house, previous to their coming there, and it was said that the old man and his wife were in some way implicated in many a dark deed which took place there and elsewhere. All this, however, was mere report, and as far as I was concerned, I never saw anything to confirm it, or in any way to excite my suspicions.

“ I had had many a deal with the old couple for their geese, and occasionally had bought a pig or two of them ; hut they were such a cantankerous old pair, drove so hard a bargain, that I did not

care to go out of my way to trade with them, when I could lay out my money elsewhere. My visits occurred at irregular intervals during several years ; hut I had generally had to go to them at Christmas for several of their geese, which were the finest I could procure u One year, the day before Christmas’ eve, I started at daybreak to the old house, to purchase some geese, and having made a bargain with the old man for as many as I wanted, I put them into ray cart, and started hack leaving him and his wife mumbling and grinning at each other over the money I had just paid them, ““The day had been rough and stormy, and before I reached the house there had been a heavy fall of snow, I did not think ranch of this ; but as I proceeded on my homeward journey over the heath, it came thicker and thicker, and at last it was with difficulty I could keep tho track, for not only was tho road not distingnishahle, hut the snow foil so thick that I could not see my horse’s bead. “ After I bad been travelling on for more than an hour, I saw something dark looming in the distance. I pushed on, and at last saw that I was approachiug a house. At first I could not make it out, but you may judge of my surprise when I did so, to find that, instead of being nearly at the end of my jnurnev, I had made a circuit, and got back to the old house from whence I had started.

“ I was hesitating wliat I should do when, to bring- matters to a climax, pist at this moment the cart gave a sudden lurch, and the next instant Hay stunned and bleeding at the bottom of a disused graved pit.

“ After I had somewhat recovered from the shock, and found that none of my hones were broken, I rose up and made for the house. “ The old man and women were greatly surprised when they saw mo hack again, and did not appear wellpleased ; but when I told them of ray accident, the old man proffered his assistance, and after some considerable amount of trouble, my horse and the geese were extricated from the pit without much damage, though mv nag had received a blow in falling which rendered him for the time dead lame, Tly the time wc had got hack to the house, the storm was raging with such fury that we could hardly keep our feet, and I was not sorry to find myself in front of the large lire which the old women had made up while we had been absent, u There was no help for it hut to remain the night, and so I proceeded to make myself as comfortable as I could.

Their larder was, as I expected, hut sparingly furnished, and I therefore determined to kill one of my geese, and set thejold woman to cook it. The prospect of a good supper at another’s expense seemed to act like magic on the old woman, who Rustled about, put on a large pot, and verysoon my senses began to be assailed by a most pleasant ordour. “ When supper was concluded, the old man, on my offering to pay for it, produced a bottle of whisky. We finished this between us, and after smoking two or three pipes, I felt sleepy, and went to hed. The room in which I was put was better furnished than I expected ; but it was large, and the floor and windows so dilapidated, that the wind found its way in in a most unpleasant fashion. Still, when I got between the blankets, I found myself more comfortable than I could have expected, and very shortly fell asleep.

“ I had not been in hed, I should suppose, more than an hour, when I was aroused by violent knocking at the door. I lay for some time, and listened, and then the knocking was renewed. I was just thinking of rising, and seeing what or who it was, when I hoard footsteps on the stairs, and then the door opened, and some one was admitted. “In a short time, I could hear, from the crackling of the wood, that the fire was being made up; and presently the old man re-ascended the stairs aml brought back his wife.

“ For some time after this, I lay perfectly still, wondering what it could all mean, when suddenly I saw, through a crack in the partition, a light moving about in the room next mine.

“ I rose softly, and on looking through the chink, 1 could see the oi l woman preparing a bed. Her face was towards me, and there was something in the expression ofher countenance which startled me, I never saw anything more perfectly fiendish.

“ I was about to retire again to my bed, when, as I moved, one ofjthe hoards creaked. She started, left the bedside, and approached the chink, through which I had been looking'; but I drew on one side, so that sbe could not see me, though I could see the gleam of her eyes through the crack.

“ I stood still, for I was afraid to move. At last, to my relief, she turned away, and went on with her work, and without more ado I got back into my bed. “ I lav down again, and for some time all was quiet. “ Presently the sound of voices struck my ear, aud I listened. I could recognise that of the old man, mingling with two others. One soft, like a woman’s the other, clear and strong, as of a man. “Then, at times, came a ringing, merry laugh, aud hits of conversation, which I could not put together. All this excited my curiosity, till at last I half made up my mind to rise and see what was going on.

“ Just as I was in the act of dressing', I heard footsteps on the stairs, and my inquisitiveness getting the better of me, I approached the door, and peeped through a crevice. “ The old woman came first, followed by one of the most beautiful girls I ever set my eyes upon, and in the rear of this fair young creature, came a third young person—a man of about fifty-five or sixty.

“ I never saw a more interesting face. The features were all strikingly handsome ; hut the expression of the face was very mournful and sad, almost painful to look at.

“ They all stopped opposite to my door. There were a few whispered words between the father and daughter, for such they evidently were, a kiss, and then they separated, the girl following the old woman up the next flight of stairs, and the man turnihg into his room next mine.

“ I cannot toll yon how I felt as I gazed after the old hag and this young girl. 81) c seemed almost as if she was a lamb going to he slangtered, and when, as she ascended the stair, her sweet silver}' voice grew less distinct, till a door closed, and it no longer reached me, I felt that I was in some measure to blame in not giving her warning 1 ,. ‘ Warning! yes,’ I thought ; ‘ hut of what ?’ “ A gleam of light from the old gentleman’s candle recalled him to my mind. Should I speak to him { Should I tell him to fasten his door, and be upon his guard ? I was about to do so, and had approached the crack for tin 1 purpose, when I thought I would look through. Just as I reached it, he appeared to have finished a survey of the room, and, approaching the hen-side, fell on his knees and bowed his head in prayer. u I dared not interrupt him, and when he had done I thought better of it, and returning - to my bed, I once more fell asleep. I had a lot of muddling dreams, out ot one of which I awoke suddenly. 'lhere was a noise, I fancied, in the next room, and I rose up and listened. The strangers light was still burning l . What could he be about ? “After a second or two it moved, and passed into the passage. I sprang - out of bed and went to the door - There, in the middle of the passage, stood the old man, a candle in one hand, and a long 1 Spanish knife gleaming in the other. “.Never was anything 1 more diabolical than the expression of his face, and if ever there was murder written in a man’s eye it was ia his.

“ I stood like one transfixed—my whole frame trembled with excitement—yet I was rooted to the floor; I could not move or stir a limb.” “ The old man seemed almost in the same fix as I was, for he stood for some minutes motionless, gazing at his knife. He then put down the candle, and wiped it upon the tail of his coat, and when he had done so I saw that it was stained with blood.

(to be continued.)