MissPolewasevidentlyanxioustoprovethatsuchterribleeventshadoccurredwithinherexperiencethatshewasjustifiedinhersuddenpanic；andMissMattydidnotliketobeoutdone，andcappedeverystorywithoneyetmorehorrible，tillitremindedmeoddlyenough，ofanoldstoryIhadreadsomewhere，ofanightingaleandamusician，whostroveoneagainsttheotherwhichcouldproducethemostadmirablemusic，tillpoorPhilomeldroppeddowndead。
OneofthestoriesthathauntedmeforalongtimeafterwardswasofagirlwhowasleftinchargeofagreathouseinCumberlandonsomeparticularfair—day，whentheotherservantsallwentofftothegaieties。ThefamilywereawayinLondon，andapedlarcameby，andaskedtoleavehislargeandheavypackinthekitchen，sayinghewouldcallforitagainatnight；andthegirl（agamekeeper’sdaughter），roamingaboutinsearchofamusement，chancedtohituponagunhangingupinthehall，andtookitdowntolookatthechasing；anditwentoffthroughtheopenkitchendoor，hitthepack，andaslowdarkthreadofbloodcameoozingout。（HowMissPoleenjoyedthispartofthestory，dwellingoneachwordasifshelovedit！）Sheratherhurriedoverthefurtheraccountofthegirl’sbravery，andIhavebutaconfusedideathat，somehow，shebaffledtherobberswithItalianirons，heatedred—
hot，andthenrestoredtoblacknessbybeingdippedingrease。
Wepartedforthenightwithanawe—strickenwonderastowhatweshouldhearofinthemorning—and，onmypart，withavehementdesireforthenighttobeoverandgone：Iwassoafraidlesttherobbersshouldhaveseen，fromsomedarklurking—place，thatMissPolehadcarriedoffherplate，andthushaveadoublemotiveforattackingourhouse。
ButuntilLadyGlenmirecametocallnextdayweheardofnothingunusual。Thekitchenfire—ironswereinexactlythesamepositionagainstthebackdooraswhenMarthaandIhadskilfullypiledthemup，likespillikins，readytofallwithanawfulclatterifonlyacathadtouchedtheoutsidepanels。Ihadwonderedwhatweshouldalldoifthusawakenedandalarmed，andhadproposedtoMissMattythatweshouldcoverupourfacesunderthebedclothessothatthereshouldbenodangeroftherobbersthinkingthatwecouldidentifythem；butMissMatty，whowastremblingverymuch，scoutedthisidea，andsaidweowedittosocietytoapprehendthem，andthatsheshouldcertainlydoherbesttolayholdofthemandlockthemupinthegarrettillmorning。