CHAPTER III 22
" Do you feel as if you should sleep , Miss ?" asked Bessie , rather softly .
Scarcely dared I answer her ; for I feared the next sentence might be rough . " I will try ."
" Would you like to drink , or could you eat anything ?" " No , thank you , Bessie ."
" Then I think I shall go to bed , for it is past twelve o ' clock ; but you may call me if you want anything in the night ."
Wonderful civility this ! It emboldened me to ask a question . " Bessie , what is the matter with me ? Am I ill ?"
" You fell sick , I suppose , in the red-room with crying ; you ' ll be better soon , no doubt ."
Bessie went into the housemaid ' s apartment , which was near . I heard her say -
" Sarah , come and sleep with me in the nursery ; I daren ' t for my life be alone with that poor child to-night : she might die ; it ' s such a strange thing she should have that fit : I wonder if she saw anything . Missis was rather too hard ."
Sarah came back with her ; they both went to bed ; they were whispering together for half-an-hour before they fell asleep . I caught scraps of their conversation , from which I was able only too distinctly to infer the main subject discussed .
" Something passed her , all dressed in white , and vanished " -- " A great black dog behind him " -- " Three loud raps on the chamber door " -- " A light in the churchyard just over his grave ," & c . & c .