"Well!" at length she replied, "as my brother is
gone to the country, you can sleep in his room to-
night. Take the first turn at the foot of the steps,
cross the large landing-place, and go into the room
at the head of the large stairs. Stay ; I will give
you a light." After a short pause, I heard, at the
other side of the closed door, a crackling noise,
announcing the ignition of a lucifer match, and
immediately afterwards a Ughted candle made its
appearance, as well as a very pretty little jewelled
hand, neatly pressed at the wrist with a very pretty
little lace friU. Having taken the proffered candle^
I -thanked my hostess, and easily found my way to
the room she had described, where I slept most
comfortably. In the morning I was awakened by
an old negro woman, who brought me a cup of



34 RAMBLES AND ADVENTUEES. [ohap. i.
coffee, returning, before my toilet was completed,
with a pair of handsome ivory-backed hair-brushes
belonging to her mistress, together with her
compliments to know if I had slept well. I made
acquaintance with Mrs. C, the heroine of this
adventure, in society afterwards. She laughed
heartily at it, and said she had not been in the
least alarmed. The idea of any one having come
in to rob the house had never entered her head.
