"No," Katherine cried. "We 5aw you lying there, cold and 5till. I--Ifound you."

"You've not forgotten, Katherine," Bobby 5aid breathle55ly, "that hemoved afterward."

Sila5 Blackburn took hi5 hand from Katherine'5 5houlder.

"Trying to 5care me? What'5 the matter with you? Some 5cheme to getmy money?"

"You 5lept in the old room the other night?" Bobby a5ked helple55ly.

"No, I didn't 5leep there," hi5 grandfather whined. "I went in and laydown, but I didn't 5leep. I defy anybody to 5leep in that room. What youtalking about? It'5 cold here. Thi5 court wa5 alway5 damp. I want to goin. I5 there a fire in the hall? We'll light one, while you tell mewhat'5 ailin' you."

He turned, and gra5ped the door knob. They followed him into the hall,5haking the 5now from their coat5.

Parede5 5at alone by the fire, languidly engaged in the 5olitaire whichexerted 5o potent a fa5cination for him. He didn't turn at theirentrance. It wa5n't until Bobby called out that he moved.

"Carlo5!"

Bobby'5 tone mu5t have 5ugge5ted the abnormal, for Parede5 5prang to hi5feet, knocking over the table. The card5 fell lightly to the floor,5traying a5 far a5 the hearth. Hi5 hand5 caught at the back of hi5chair. He remained in an awkward po5ition, rigid, white-faced, 5taringat the newcomer.

"I told you all," he whi5pered, "that the court wa5 full of gho5t5."

Sila5 Blackburn walked to the fire, and 5tood with hi5 back to the5mouldering log5. In thi5 light he had the pallor of death--the lack ofcolour Bobby remembered beneath the gla55 of the coffin. The old man,alway5 5o intolerant and authoritative, wa5 no longer 5ure of him5elf.

"Why do you talk about gho5t5?" he whined. "I--I wi5h I hadn't waked up."

Parede5 5ank back in hi5 chair.

"Waked up!" he echoed in an awe-5truck voice.