A House to Let, et al | Page 6

longer than a couple of years,
and they knew no more about the House to Let than I did. Neither
could I find out anything concerning it among the trades- people or
otherwise; further than what Trottle had told me at first. It had been
empty, some said six years, some said eight, some said ten. It never did
let, they all agreed, and it never would let.
I soon felt convinced that I should work myself into one of my states
about the House; and I soon did. I lived for a whole month in a flurry,
that was always getting worse. Towers's prescriptions, which I had
brought to London with me, were of no more use than nothing. In the
cold winter sunlight, in the thick winter fog, in the black winter rain, in
the white winter snow, the House was equally on my mind. I have
heard, as everybody else has, of a spirit's haunting a house; but I have
had my own personal experience of a house's haunting a spirit; for that
House haunted mine.
In all that month's time, I never saw anyone go into the House nor
come out of the House. I supposed that such a thing must take place
sometimes, in the dead of the night, or the glimmer of the morning; but,
I never saw it done. I got no relief from having my curtains drawn
when it came on dark, and shutting out the House. The Eye then began
to shine in my fire.
I am a single old woman. I should say at once, without being at all
afraid of the name, I am an old maid; only that I am older than the
phrase would express. The time was when I had my love-trouble, but, it
is long and long ago. He was killed at sea (Dear Heaven rest his blessed
head!) when I was twenty-five. I have all my life, since ever I can
remember, been deeply fond of children. I have always felt such a love
for them, that I have had my sorrowful and sinful times when I have

fancied something must have gone wrong in my life- -something must
have been turned aside from its original intention I mean--or I should
have been the proud and happy mother of many children, and a fond
old grandmother this day. I have soon known better in the cheerfulness
and contentment that God has blessed me with and given me abundant
reason for; and yet I have had to dry my eyes even then, when I have
thought of my dear, brave, hopeful, handsome, bright-eyed Charley,
and the trust meant to cheer me with. Charley was my youngest brother,
and he went to India. He married there, and sent his gentle little wife
home to me to be confined, and she was to go back to him, and the
baby was to be left with me, and I was to bring it up. It never belonged
to this life. It took its silent place among the other incidents in my story
that might have been, but never were. I had hardly time to whisper to
her "Dead my own!" or she to answer, "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust! O
lay it on my breast and comfort Charley!" when she had gone to seek
her baby at Our Saviour's feet. I went to Charley, and I told him there
was nothing left but me, poor me; and I lived with Charley, out there,
several years. He was a man of fifty, when he fell asleep in my arms.
His face had changed to be almost old and a little stern; but, it softened,
and softened when I laid it down that I might cry and pray beside it;
and, when I looked at it for the last time, it was my dear, untroubled,
handsome, youthful Charley of long ago.
- I was going on to tell that the loneliness of the House to Let brought
back all these recollections, and that they had quite pierced my heart
one evening, when Flobbins, opening the door, and looking very much
as if she wanted to laugh but thought better of it, said:
"Mr. Jabez Jarber, ma'am!"
Upon which Mr. Jarber ambled in, in his usual absurd way, saying:
"Sophonisba!"
Which I am obliged to confess is my name. A pretty one and proper
one enough when it was given to me: but, a good many years out of
date now, and always sounding particularly high-flown and comical
from his lips. So I said, sharply:
"Though it is Sophonisba, Jarber, you are not obliged to mention it, that
I see."
In reply to this observation, the ridiculous man put the tips of my five
right-hand fingers to his lips, and said