"I heard 'em plain enough.

'Tis the 'good people,' for sure." "Hold your tongue, do!" cried Aunt Charlotte in sore perplexity.

"Good people, indeed!--the devil himself, more likely.

I tell you what it is, Austin----" "Why, I thought you weren't superstitious!" observed Austin, in a tone of most exasperating surprise.

Three gentle knocks, running off into a ripple of pattering explosions, were then heard in a farther corner of the room.