'And yer  going to attack it with a poker, eh?' said one of the guests. There was a strong atmosphere of brandy and cigars.

     'Yes,' said Susan simply.

     'Susan's  our  governess,' said  Mrs  Gaiter. 'Er ... I told  you about her.'

     There was  a change in the expression on the faces peering out from the dining room. It became a sort of amused respect.

     'She beats up monsters with a poker?' said someone.

     'Actually, that's  a very clever idea,'  said someone else. 'Little gel gets  it into her head there's a monster  in the cellar, you go in  with the poker  and  make  a  few bashing  noises while the child  listens, and  then everything's  all  right.  Good  thinkin',  that girl. Ver'  sensible.  Ver' modern.'

     'Is that what you're doing Susan?' said Mrs Gaiter anxiously.

     'Yes, Mrs Gaiter,' said Susan obediently.

     'This  I've got  to watch, by Io!  It's  not every day you see monsters beaten up by a gel,'  said the man behind her. There was a swish of silk and a cloud of cigar smoke as the diners poured out into the hall.

     Susan sighed  again  and went down  the  cellar stairs, while Twyla sat demurely at the top, hugging her knees.

     A door opened and shut.

     There was a short period of  silence and  then a terrifying scream. One woman fainted and a man dropped his cigar.

     'You  don't  have  to worry,  everything will be all right,' said Twyla calmly. 'She always wins. Everything will be all right.'

     There were thuds and clangs, and then a  whirring noise, and  finally a sort of bubbling.

     Susan pushed open the door. The poker was bent at  right  angles. There was nervous applause.

     'Ver' well  done,'  said a  guest.  'Ver' persykological.  Clever idea, that, bendin' the poker. And I expect you're not afraid any more, eh, little girl?'