I have to grind my colors, and often make more noise than I mean to." Paul fixed his eyes sharply on the woman as he spoke, but she seemed unconscious of it, and turned to go on, saying indifferently, "Oh, that's the odd sound, is it?
No, it doesn't trouble me, so grind away, and make an end of it as soon as may be." An anxious fold in the boy's forehead smoothed itself away as he left her, saying to himself with a sigh of relief, "A narrow escape; it's well I keep the door locked." The boy's light burned no more after that, and Hester was content till a new worry came to trouble her.

On her way to her room late one night, she saw a tall shadow flit down one of the side corridors that branched from the main one.

For a moment she was startled, but, being a woman of courage, she followed noiselessly, till the shadow seemed to vanish in the gloom of the great hall.
"If the house ever owned a ghost I'd say that's it, but it never did, so I suspect some deviltry.

I'll step to Paul.

He's not asleep, I dare say.
He's a brave and a sensible lad, and with him I'll quietly search the house." Away she went, more nervous than she would own, and tapped at the boy's door.