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disturbit； an' whiles it was past a' bidin。' The noises； an' the
rum'lin's； an' abune a' the clankin' o' chains； that gaed on i' that
hoose； an' the groans； an' the cries； an' whiles the whustlin'； an'
what was 'maist waur nor a'； the lauchin'； was something dreidfu'；
an' 'ayont believin' to ony but them 'at was intil't。 I sometimes
think maybe the terror o' 't maks it luik waur i' the recollection
nor it was； but I canna keep my senses an' no believe there was
something a'thegither by ord'nar i' the affair。 An' whan； or lang；
it cam to the knowledge o' the lady； an' she was waukit up at nicht；
an' h'ard the thing； whatever it was； an' syne whan the bairns war
waukit up； an' aye the romage； noo i' this room； noo i' that； sae
that the leevin' wud be cryin' as lood as the deid； though they
could ill mak sic a din； it was beyond a' beirin'； an' the maister
made up his min' to flit at ance； come o' 't what micht！
〃For； as I oucht to hae tellt ye； he had written to the owner o' the
hoose； that was my ain maisterfor it wasna a hair o' use sayin'
onything further to the agent； he only leuch； an' declaret it maun
be some o' his ain folk was playin' tricks upon himwhich it angert
him to hear； bein' as impossible as it was fause； sae straucht awa'
to his lan'lord he wrote； as I say； but as he was travellin' aboot
on the continent； he supposed either the letter had not reached him；
an' never wud reach him or he was shelterin' himsel' under the idea
they wud think he had never had it； no wantin' to move in the
matter。 But the varra day he had made up his min' that nothing
should make him spend another week in the house； for Monday nights
were always the worst； there cam a letter from the gentleman； sayin'
that only that same hoor that he was writin' had he received the
maister's letter； an' he was sorry he had not had it before； but
prayed him to put up with things till he got to him； and he would
start at the farthest in two days more； and would set the thing
right in less time than it would take to tell him what was amiss。A
strange enough letter to be sure！ Mr。 Harper； that was their butler；
told me he had read every word of it！ And so； as； not to mention the
terrors of the nicht； the want of rest was like to ruin us
altogether； we were all on the outlook for the appearance of oor
promised deliverer； sae cock…sure o' settin' things straucht again！
〃Weel； at last； an' that was in a varra feow days； though they
luikit lang to some i' that hoose； he appearita nice luikin'
gentleman； wi' sae sweet a smile it wasna hard to believe whate'er
he tellt ye。 An' he had a licht airy w'y wi' him； that was to us
oppresst craturs strangely comfortin'； ill as it was to believe he
could ken what had been goin' on； an' treat it i' that fashion！
Hooever；an' noo； my lady； an' Mr。 Grant； I hae to tell ye what the
butler told me； for I wasna present to hear for mysel'。 Maybe he
wouldn't have told me； but that he wasn't an old man； though twice
my age； an' seemt to have taken a likin' to me； though it never came
to anything； an' as I was always ceevil to any person that was
ceevil to me； an' never went farther than was becomin'； he made me
the return o' talkin' to me at times； an' tellin' me what he knew。
〃The young gentleman was to stop an' lunch with the master； an' i'
the meantime would have a glass o' wine an' a biscuit； an' pullin' a
bunch o' keys from his pocket； he desired Mr。 Harper to take a
certain one and go to the door that was locked inside the
wine…cellar； and bring a bottle from a certain bin。 Harper took the
key； an' was just goin' from the room； when he h'ard the
visitorthough in truth he was more at hame there than any of
ush'ard him say； 'I'll tell you what you've been doing； sir； and
you'll tell me whether I'm not right！' Hearin' that； the butler drew
the door to； but not that close； and made no haste to leave it； and
so h'ard what followed。
〃'I'll tell you what you've been doin'；' says he。 'Didn't you find a
man's heada skull； I mean； upon the premises？' 'Well； yes； I
believe we did； when I think of it！' says the master； 'for my
butler'an' there was the butler outside a listenin' to the whole
tale！'my butler came to me one mornin'； sayin'； 〃Look here； sir！
that is what I found in a little box； close by the door of the
wine…cellar！ It's a skull！〃 〃Oh；〃 said I 'it was the master that
was speakin''〃it'll be some medical student has brought it home to
the house！〃 So he asked me what he had better do with it。' 'And you
told him；' interrupted the gentleman； 'to bury it！' 'I did； it
seemed the proper thing to do。' 'I hadn't a doubt of it！' said the
gentleman： 'that is the cause of all the disturbance。' 'That？' says
the master。 'That； and nothing else！' answers the gentleman。 And
with that； as Harper confessed when he told me； there cam ower him
such a horror； that he daured nae longer stan' at the door； but for
goin' doon to the cellar to fetch the bottle o' wine； that was
merely beyond his human faculty。 As it happed； I met him on the
stair； as white as a sheet； an' ready to drop。 'What's the matter；
Mr。 Harper？' said I； and he told me all about it。 'Come along；' I
said； 'we'll go to the cellar together！ It's broad daylight； an'
there's nothing to hurt us！' So he went down。
〃'There； that's the box the thing was lyin' in！' said he； as we cam
oot o' the wine…cellar。 An' wi' that cam a groan oot o' the varra
ground at oor feet！ We both h'ard it； an' stood shakin' an' dumb；
grippin' ane anither。 'I'm sure I don't know what in the name o'
heaven it can all mean！' said hebut that was when we were on the
way up again。 'Did ye show 't ony disrespec'？' said I。 'No；' said
he； 'I but buried it； as I would anything else that had to be putten
out o' sight；' An' as we wur talkin' togetherthat was at the top
o' the cellar…stairthere cam a great ringin' at the bell； an' said
he； 'They're won'erin' what's come o' me an' their wine； an' weel
they may！ I maun rin。' As soon as he entered the rooman' this
again； ye may see； my leddy an' maister Grant； he tellt me
efterwards'Whaur did ye bury the heid ye tuik frae the cellar？'
said his master til him； an' speiredna a word as to hoo he had been
sae lang gane for the wine。 'I buried it i' the garden；' answered
he。 'I hope you know the spot！' said the strange gentleman。 'Yes；
sir； I do；' said Harper。 'Then come and show me；' said he。
〃So the three of them went oot thegither； an' got a spade； an'
luckily the butler was able to show them at once the varra spot。 An'
the gentleman he howkit up the skull wi' his ain han's； carefu' not
to touch it with the spade； an' broucht it back in his han' to the
hoose； knockin' the earth aff it with his rouch traivellin' gluves。
But whan Harper lookit to be told to take it back to the place where
he found it； an' trembled at the thoucht； wonderin' hoo he was to
get haud o' me an' naebody the wiser； for he didna want to show
fricht i' the day…time； to his grit surprise an' no sma' pleesur；
the gentleman set the skull on the chimley…piece。 An' as lunch had
been laid i' the meantime； for Mr。 HeywoodI hae jist gotten a grup
o' his namehad to be awa' again direckly； he h'ard the whole story
as he waitit upo' them。 I suppose they thoucht it better he should
hear an' tell the rest； the sooner to gar them forget the terrors we
had come throuw。
〃Said the gentleman； 'Now you'll have no more trouble。 If you do；
write to me； to the care o'so an' soan' I'll release you from
your agreement。 But please to remember that you brought it on
yourself by interfering； I can't exackly say with my property； but
with the property of one who knows how to defend it without calling
in the aid of the lawwhich indeed would probably give him little
satisfaction。It was the burying of that skull that brought on you
all the annoyance。' 'I always thought；' said the master； 'the dead
preferred having their bones buried。 Their ghosts indeed； according
to Cocker； either wouldna or couldna lie quiet until their bodies
were properly buried： where then could be our offence？' 'You may say
what you will；' answered Mr。 Heywood； 'and I cannot answer you； or
preten' to explain the thing； I only know that when that head is
buried； these same disagreeables always begin。' 'Then is the head in
the way of being buried and dug up again？' asked the master。 'I will
tell you the whole story； if you like；' answered his landlord。 'I
would gladly hear it；' says he； 'for I would fain see daylight on
the affair！' 'That I cannot promise you；' he said； 'but the story；
as it is handed down in the family； you shall hear。'
〃You may be sure； my leddy； Harper was wide awake to hearken； an'
the more that he might tell it again in the hall！
〃'Somewhere about a hundred and fifty years ago；' Mr。 Heywood began；
'on a cold； stormy night； there came to the hall…door a poor
pedlar；'a travelling merchant； you know； my leddy'with his pack
on his back； and would fain have parted with some of his goods to
the folk of the hall。 The butler； who must have been a rough sort of
manthey were rough times thosetold him they wanted nothing he
could give them； and to go about his business。 But the man； who was
something obstinat