Chapter 13 - Page 2

the housekeeper, perhaps, first entered the room alone. Just as
she entered the jamb closed. The sudden report made her shriek; then,
afterwards, the noise of my fall prolonging itself, added to her fright,
while her repeated shrieks brought every soul in the house to her, who
aghast at seeing her lying in a pale faint, it may be, like a corpse, in
a room hung with crape for a man just dead, they also shrieked out, and
then with blended lamentations they bore the fainting person away. Now
this will follow; no doubt it _has_ followed ere now:--they believe that
the woman saw or heard the spirit of Squire Woodcock. Since I seem then
to understand how all these strange events have occurred, since I seem
to know that they have plain common causes, I begin to feel cool and
calm again. Let me see. Yes. I have it. By means of the idea of the
ghost prevailing among the frightened household, by that means I will
this very night make good my escape. If I can but lay hands on some of
the late Squire's clothing, if but a coat and hat of his, I shall be
certain to succeed. It is not too early to begin now. They will hardly
come back to the room in a hurry. I will return to it and see what I can
find to serve my purpose. It is the Squire's private closet, hence it is
not unlikely that here some at least of his clothing will be found."

With these, thoughts, he cautiously sprung the iron under foot, peeped
in, and, seeing all clear, boldly re-entered the apartment. He went
straight to a high, narrow door in the opposite wall. The key was in the
lock. Opening the door, there hung several coats, small-clothes, pairs
of silk stockings, and hats of the deceased. With little difficulty
Israel selected from these the complete suit in which he had last seen
his once jovial friend. Carefully closing the door, and carrying the
suit with him, he was returning towards the chimney, when he saw the
Squire's silver-headed cane leaning against a corner of the wainscot.
Taking this also, he stole back to his cell.

Slipping off his own clothing, he deliberately arrayed himself in the
borrowed raiment, silk small-clothes and all, then put on the cocked
hat, grasped the silver-headed cane in his right hand, and moving his
small shaving-glass slowly up and down before him, so as by piecemeal to
take in his whole figure, felt convinced that he would well pass for
Squire Woodcock's genuine phantom. But after the first feeling of
self-satisfaction with his anticipated success had left him, it was not
without some superstitious embarrassment that Israel felt himself
encased in a dead man's broadcloth; nay, in the very coat in which the
deceased had no doubt fallen down in his fit. By degrees he began to
feel almost as unreal and shadowy as