268 ‘PHILEMON.

' Theo. “Touched it? I tell you I kicked it.”

Tra. “Then you. have utterly ruined you and
yours. But tell those men to go away, and I’ll ex-
plain. For seven months past, ever since we left
it, no one has set foot inside that house.”

Theo. “But why?”

Tra. “Listen. But first, can any one hear me?”

Theo. “No, no. It’s all safe.”

Tra. “ Look again.”

- Theo. “There is no one; go on.”

Tra. “A frightful murder was once done in that
house. The crime was committed many years ago,
and had been forgotten. We only lately came to
know of it.”

Theo. “What was it? Who did it?”

Tra. “In that house a host murdered his guest, —
I fancy it was the man who sold the house to you, —
possessed himself of his victim’s money, and buried
the body somewhere in the house.”

Theo. “What makes you suspect that such a thing
happened ?”’ .

Tra. “Vl tell you: listen. One night your son
came home after dining out. He went to bed, and
so did we all. It so happened that I had forgotten
to put out one of the lamps. All of a sudden he
cried out —”’

Theo. “Who cried out, my son?”

Tra. “Hush! don’t say a word. He said that the
dead man had appeared to him in his sleep.”