In plain terms,
he said it was haunted, and that no servants would live there more than
a few weeks, and that after what his son-in-law's family had suffered
there, not only should he be excused from taking a lease of it, but that
the house itself ought to be pulled down as a nuisance and the habitual
haunt of something worse than human malefactors.
Lord Castlemallard filed a bill in the Equity side of the Exchequer to
compel Mr. Alderman Harper to perform his contract, by taking out the
lease. But the Alderman drew an answer, supported by no less than seven
long affidavits, copies of all which were furnished to his lordship, and
with the desired effect; for rather than compel him to place them upon
the file of the court, his lordship struck, and consented to release
him.
I am sorry the cause did not proceed at least far enough to place upon
the files of the court the very authentic and unaccountable story which
Miss Rebecca relates.
The annoyances described did not begin till the end of August, when, one
evening, Mrs. Prosser, quite alone, was sitting in the twilight at the
back parlour window, which was open, looking out into the orchard, and
plainly saw a hand stealthily placed upon the stone window-sill outside,
as if by some one beneath the window, at her right side, intending to
climb up.
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