’If ever thou gavest hosen and shoon—­
      Every nicht and all—­
   Sit thee down and put them on,
      And Christ receive thy saul

‘Alas, he never gave nane, puir man,’ said the woman with a sob.

At this moment the door of the chamber slowly opened.  The woman turned and gazed at it, frowning, her lips wide apart.

Logan went to the door, looked into the passage, closed the door and locked it; the key had to be turned twice, in the old fashion, and worked with a creaking jar.

’I had crooned thae last words,

   And Christ receive thy saul,

when the door opened, as ye saw it did the now.  It is weel kenned that a corp canna lie still in a room with the door hafflins open.  I rose to lock it, the catch is crazy.  I was backing to the door, with my face to the feet o’ the corp.  I saw them move backwards, slow they moved, and my heart stood still in my breist.  Then I saw’—­here she stepped to the head of the bed and drew apart the curtains, which opened in the middle—­’I saw the curtain was open, and naething but blackness ahint it.  Ye see, my Lord, ahint the bed-heid is the entrance o’ the auld secret passage.  The stanes hae lang syne fallen in, and closed it, but my Lord never would have the hole wa’ed up.  “There’s nae draught, Jean, or nane to mention, and I never was wastefu’ in needless repairs,” he aye said.  Weel, when I looked that way, his face, down to the chafts, was within the blackness, and aye draw, drawing further ben.  Then, I shame to say it, a sair dwawm cam ower me, I gae a bit chokit cry, and I kenned nae mair till I cam to mysel, a’ the candles were out, and the chamber was mirk and lown.  I heard the skirl o’ a passing train, and I crap to the bed, and the skirl kind o’ reminded me o’ living folk, and I felt a’ ower the bed wi’ my hands.  There was nae corp.  Ye ken that the Enemy has power, when a corp lies in a room, and the door is hafflins closed.  Whiles they sit up, and grin and yammer.  I hae kenned that.  Weel, how long I had lain in the dwawm I canna say.  The train that skirled maun hae been a coal train that rins by about half-past three in the morning.  There was a styme o’ licht that streeled in at the open door, frae a candle your lordship set on a table in the lobby; the auld lord would hae nae lichts in the house after the ten hours.  Sae I got to the door, and grippit to the candle, and flew off to your lordship’s room, and the rest ye ken.’

‘Thank you, very much, Mrs. Bower,’ said Logan.  ’You quite understand, Merton, don’t you?’

‘I thoroughly understand your story, Mrs. Bower,’ said Merton.

‘We need not keep you any longer, Mrs. Bower,’ said Logan.  ’Nobody need sit up for us; you must be terribly fatigued.’

‘You wunna forget to rake out the ha’ fire, my lord?’ said the old lady, ‘I wush your Lordship a sound sleep, and you, sir,’ so she curtsied and went, Logan unlocking the door.