“‘That is what I heard,’ Brady said.  ‘What does it mean?’

“‘Is it the meaning of it you’re wanting to know?’ Maguire observed.  ’Sure ’tis the devil, for no one but him could make such a noise.  I’ve never heard the like of it before.  Who has the rooms on either side of you?’

“‘These?’ Brady replied, pointing to the right.  ’No one.  They were vacated at Easter, and are being repainted and decorated.  These on the left—­Dobson, who is, I happen to know, at the present moment in Co.  Mayo.  He won’t be back till next week.’

“‘Then we can search them,’ a student called Hartnoll intervened.

“‘To be sure we can,’ Brady replied, ’but I doubt if you’ll find anyone.’

“A search was made, and Brady proved to be correct.  Not a vestige of anyone was discovered.

“Much mystified, Maguire’s party was preparing to depart, when Hartnoll, who had taken the keenest interest in the proceedings, suddenly said, ’Who has the rooms over yours, Brady?  Sound, as you know, plays curious tricks, and it is just as likely as not that laugh came from above.’

“‘Oh, I don’t think so,’ Brady answered.  ’The man overhead is Belton, a very decent sort.  He is going in for his finals shortly, and is sweating fearfully hard at present.  We might certainly ask him if he heard the noise.’

“The students agreeing, Brady led the way upstairs, and in response to their summons Belton hastily opened the door.  He was a typical book-worm—­thin, pale and rather emaciated, but with a pleasant expression in his eyes and mouth, that all felt was assuring.

“‘Hulloa!’ he exclaimed, ’it isn’t often I’m favoured with a surprise party of this sort.  Come in’; and he pressed them so hard that they felt constrained to accept his hospitality, and before long were all seated round the fire, quaffing whisky and puffing cigars as if they meant to make a night of it.  At two o’clock someone suggested that it was high time they thought of bed, and Belton rose with them.

“‘Before we turn in, let’s have another search,’ he said.  ’It’s strange you should all hear that noise except me—­unless, of course, it came from below.’

“‘But there’s nothing under me,’ Brady remarked, ’except the Dining Hall.’

“‘Then let’s search that,’ Belton went on.  ’We ought to make a thorough job of it now we’ve once begun.  Besides, I don’t relish being in this lonely place with that laugh “knocking” around, any more than you do.’

“He went with them, and they completely overhauled the ground floor—­hall, dining-room, studies, passages, vestibules, everywhere that was not barred to them; but they were no wiser at the end of their search than at the beginning; there was not the slightest clue as to the author of the laugh.

* * * * *

“On the morrow there was a fresh shock.  One of the College servants, on entering Mr. Maguire’s rooms to call him, found that gentleman half dressed and lying on the floor.