Later on in the evening, we were sent for to come in all haste to his house.  There we found him in great trouble of mind, and afraid to go to bed.  After talking to him for a short time, he went on to say that he had a strange thing to tell us—­that that very morning he was lying in bed (he thought he was quite awake), and looking at a little picture of the crucifixion which was hanging over the fireplace.  While doing so he saw as plainly as possible some black figures of imps and devils walking along the mantelpiece with a ladder, which they placed against the wall, evidently for the purpose of removing this picture from its place.  He watched them intently, and noticed that they seemed much troubled and perplexed as to how they were to accomplish their task:  Some of the imps put their shoulders to the under side of the frame, while others went up the ladder; one, in particular, mounted to the top with great dexterity, to get the cord off the nail, but without success.  Enraged at this, they made various other attempts, but all in vain, and at last they gave up in despair, if not something worse; for by this time they appeared furious, and dashed the ladder down to the ground, as if it were the fault of it, and not of themselves.  In rage and disappointment, they passed off the scene.

Presently the bedroom door opened, as he thought, and who should present himself but “Paul Pry” (that was the name he had given to a Dissenting preacher in the village, who was a portly man, and always went about with a thick umbrella under his arm)—­the veritable Paul Pry, umbrella and all, standing at the door.  He said to his visitor, “What do you want here?” The phantom pointed to the picture over the mantelpiece, and said, in a quiet, confiding way, “Now or never!  Do you hear, man?  Now or never!” The man was indignant at this untimely intrusion, and bade his visitor begone; but, for all that, he still stood at the door, and said, “Now or never!—­now or never!” He got out of bed, and went towards the door, but the figure disappeared, saying, “Now or never!—­now or never!”

Then he got into bed again, and all was still for a little while, when suddenly the door opened a second time, and the vicar appeared, just as Paul Pry had done, and came towards the bed, as if with a friendly and affectionate concern for his welfare, and said, “My dear fellow, be persuaded it is ‘now or never!’” Then, taking a seat at the corner of the bed, with his back leaning against the post, he went on talking, and saying, again and again, “Now or never!”

The poor churchwarden remonstrated in vain against being visited in this manner, and thought it very hard; but the vicar sat there, and persistently, said, “Now or never!” He became very angry, and bade him go out of the room immediately; but the vicar said, “Now or never!”

“I will ‘now’ you,” he said, “if you do not be off;” and so saying he rose up in his bed; while the vicar glided to the door, repeating, “Now or never!” and went away.  The poor man, in great distress of mind, turned to his wife, and asked her what could be the meaning of all this; but she only cried, and said nothing.