The last guest had departed, and very
soon the whole house would be at rest for the night. "How I shall laugh
at her to-morrow!" I muttered. "Never again will she impose--"
My meditations were interrupted by an icy touch on my wrist. Turning, I
saw Irene by my side, with a dark cloak thrown over her evening dress.
Without speaking a word she drew me towards a side door into the garden,
which was seldom used, and, producing a key from her pocket, opened it
noiselessly.
"We can't go out at this time of night!" I gasped, making a faint effort
to break loose. "I haven't even a hat! It's really past a joke!"
"Remember your promise!" she whispered, in a voice of such awful menace
that, feeling all resistance was useless, I followed her out into the
darkness. At that moment a sudden gust of wind slammed the door.
"_Now_ what shall we do!" I exclaimed. "There is no handle and the key
is inside!"
"Hush!" she whispered. "No more of these trivialities! I tell you the
Spirits are abroad to-night; the air is thick with unseen forms. Obey me
in silence, or you are lost."
Speechless with annoyance, my teeth chattering with cold and general
creepiness, I followed her through the shrubberies until we reached the
site of a ruined chapel, which had originally joined on to the old wing
of the house. Of this building little remained except portions of the
outer walls, overgrown with ivy.
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