A loud knocking at the door at length aroused me.

I got up and opened it.

No one was there.

I looked around as well as the coming gloom of evening would permit, but saw nothing.

I listened, and heard, at some distance off, my friend Power's manly voice as he sang,-- "Oh, love is the soul of an Irish dragoon!" I hallooed out, "Power!" "Eh, O'Malley, is that you ?" inquired he.