Part 1

December 31st, 1997.

Catherine Morland closed her eyes and counted off the minute that separated her from 1998. She always did this, and she had become the laughing stock of her family, saying that she could feel the transition into another year. She was celebrating it with her brother James and a few of his friends in an old abbey that her brother's university had acquired to house some of its students.

She could hear the others running downstairs to light the fireworks at exactly twelve o'clock. She preferred to stay in James' room and feel the year change.

"...three...two...one..." She felt a sudden draught as the door fell shut, though she interpreted it as a sign that the new year had arrived. The clock struck twelve and she opened her eyes. She stared wide-eyed at the strange young man sitting opposite her near the fire. It looked as if he had dozed off while reading, because he had a book in his lap. He was very oddly dressed, she noticed. But he had not been there before she closed her eyes!

"Who are you?" said a dumbfounded Catherine.

The young man opened his eyes and stared back with interest. He got up and bowed. "Henry Tinley at your service, Madam. Are you a burglar?"

"Tinley?" Catherine repeated. "Are you pulling my leg?"

He bowed again and held up his hands. "My hands are not long enough, as you see Madam. My name is indeed Tinley."

"Are you sure?" Catherine had read about Henry Tilney of course, and the name of this young man resembled it a lot.

The enigmatic Mr. Tinley raised his eyebrows. "Indeed, Madam. T-I-N-L-E-Y. You are trespassing and now you suggest that I don't know my own name?" he replied with a twinkle in his eyes.

Catherine frowned. "It would make more sense if you were called Tilney."

"And why is that, if I may ask, Madam?"

Catherine wondered why he was dressed as if he were playing a role in a costume drama. "Because that is a character in a book I have read, and you look like him."

He seemed to think that over. "I look like him...pray tell me, was there any picture of him in that book?"

"No," Catherine admitted.

"Then how can you say I look like him?"

"Because of your funny clothes," Catherine answered.

"That's an odd thing to say for someone who is dressed as if she is going to attend a costumed ball," he remarked.

Catherine was getting more and more confused. Who was he? An idea slowly began to enter her mind, but she didn't want to believe it. Could she be a time-traveler? She looked around the room. All the references to modern life had disappeared. The clock she had given James last year was no longer there, and all the books looked as if they were at least two hundred years old. With a surprised look on her face she looked back at Henry Tinley.

The strange young man smiled. "As you see, Madam, there is not much of value you can steal here."

Catherine didn't hear him. "What year is this?"

Henry Tinley raised his eyebrows and chuckled, "it is 1798, Madam."

Part 2

"It is 1798, Madam," said Henry, as he observed Catherine's confusion with a smile. She believes it, she really does! Oh this is capital! I have never had so much fun in my whole life! I hope James stays away a long time, and I hope she does not want to explore the rest of the building.

"1798?" she repeated, a little distressed, "where is my brother?"

Henry pretended to be alarmed. "What? A whole family gone out stealing? Where is my pistol?"

"No!"

"All right, I will not shoot your brother because you are such a likable girl. Pray tell me how you came to be here, Madam."

"I'm in the wrong place," Catherine said earnestly.

"You certainly are; this is my place."

"No, no!"

"No?" Henry raised his eyebrows. "I live here," said Henry, who lived a few doors down the corridor, and who had conceived this idea when he had answered the phone a few times when she called for James. Luckily Catherine didn't seem to remember that.

"I did not mean to deny that you live here. I meant I am in the wrong year."

"I agree with you there, last year we had a white Christmas," said Henry seriously, his eyes twinkling.

"Oh! I am sorry. I can't seem to make you understand me," Catherine apologized. "I meant --" Henry interrupted her by blowing his nose to hide his laughter. "I meant that I should be in 1998 and not in 1798."

"1998 indeed!" Henry exclaimed. "Ha! What nonsense. You came here to rob my house, and to defend yourself you invent such a story!"

Catherine looked indignant. "That's not very nice of you."

Part 3

"I offer my sincerest apologies," Henry said. "But it all sounds very strange. 1998!" He hadn't really thought how to end the charade, and was beginning to feel a little regret about having started it in the first place. Catherine had always sounded like a nice girl over the telephone, and now that he saw her, he had to admit that she was indeed a very nice girl. One he would not want to cause any pain or embarrassment by having the others find out. Especially Isabella, Henry thought, she would be too cruel.

"You are awfully nice, and I don't mind staying here for a while."

"You don't?" Henry was a little alarmed. What do I do now?

"No, of course not. This is one of my favourite time periods."

Henry groaned inwardly. I have to get her to change her mind. Soon I'll be out of resources and she'll find me out. "Is that so?" he asked politely.

"And the clothes too! They look so elegant."

"You do not prefer your own clothes?" he said with a smile.

"To wear maybe, but your clothes look infinitely better," Catherine said.

Henry laughed and bowed. "Thank you." No, thank the drama department.

"Can you give me a tour of the house?" Catherine asked eagerly.

Henry had been dreading this. Of course he could not give her a tour of the house. In the corridor there was a pile of things he had removed from the room when she was counting off the sixty seconds. And the rest of the building was equally modern. "I...I don't think I should," he replied carefully, "I have read somewhere that people who were misplaced in time can only go back in the first five minutes, or else they have to stay forever."

"How many minutes do I have left?"

"Two."

"Ah please!" she pleaded, "just a very quick tour then?"

"One."

"Time can't pass that quickly!"

"The hand on my watch just moved," Henry explained with a smile.

Catherine looked a little disappointed. "How do I go back?"

"The same way you came here. How did you come here?" He knew, but of course he couldn't let her know that.

"I closed my eyes and counted for a minute."

Henry needed a little more time than a minute to get everything back in order. "Obviously you did not count long enough if you entered the wrong year. I suggest you count two extra minutes to make sure you do it right this time."

Catherine thought that over. "I will. When do I start counting?"

"In twenty seconds."

A little regretfully she shook Henry's hand, "I am really sorry we could not continue our acquaintance. I wish you well," she said earnestly.

Henry did not know what to say, and he just smiled. Catherine sat down again and closed her eyes. "Tell me when."

"Five...four...three...two...one...NOW!"

Part 4

Catherine started counting off, "one hundred eighty...one hundred seventy nine...one hundred seventy eight..."

Henry jumped up silently, and quietly opened the door. He began to hang and put things back in the room. It did not take very long, because he had removed them within a minute too. When all had been replaced, he ran to his room to change. This took a bit longer, that's why he had suggested that she count three minutes.

Catherine looked around and saw that it was still the same room, but the clock was back, and several other small things that gave it a modern appearance. "Why...it almost looks as if only a few things were taken away two hundred years ago," she said to herself. This thought was a little startling. What if that is exactly what happened? Someone took these things away when I had my eyes closed, and put them back just now when I had my eyes closed again. But what about Henry Tinley? He was dressed like they were two hundred years ago. A costume. Henry Tinley...Henry...Henry! Oh no!

She raised her hands to her face and gasped. How stupid of me to believe all this! I should have known once he said his name was Henry. How could I forget about the Henry that is always fooling me when I call James?

Catherine was resolved not to let the others know of her silliness. She wasn't sure who else knew about this practical joke, she hoped it was just Henry and James. The only thing needed now was a way to get even with Henry.

While Catherine was thinking, Henry had run outside and joined the others. James had told them he'd be a little later because he had an other party to go to, so they were not too surprised to see him. After all the fireworks had been lit, they went back inside, where Catherine had forgotten to go out altogether.

Part 5

James and his friends arrived back in James' room, but Catherine was no longer there. At first they did not notice, because her seat was now occupied by Henry, so there were no empty seats. James was pouring drinks.

"Is that your glass, Isabella?"

"No, that's Catherine's. Catherine! Where is Catherine?"

"2098?" Henry joked, but no one understood him. He wondered where Catherine was, too. He had expected her to join them outside, and when she hadn't, he had assumed she'd still be here when they came back. Somehow this did not feel quite right.

"Where can she be Henry?" James asked, a little concerned.

"James! Don't be so stupid! Remember that Henry only just arrived. How could he know?" Isabella cried impatiently. She put her fingers on her temples. "Oh dear, I am so worried about her, my dear friend."

At that moment, someone somewhere in the building pulled a switch, and all the lights went off. Isabella screamed her head off, and several glasses fell. Everyone started talking at once.

"Wait! I have a candle," James exclaimed, "somewhere..."

"Quick, quick!" Isabella cried.

"What? Is something wrong?"

"No, but I am uncomfortable in the dark, and I feel there's a crease in my blouse but I can't see it."

Henry thought Isabella was the greatest twit he had ever encountered. James lit the candle, and Isabella snatched it away from him to examine her clothing. When she was done, she held out the candle. "Well! Don't just stand there, take it!"

"I hope Catherine is all right," James said. "Maybe I should go outside to look for her."

This was met with fiery opposition from Isabella, who was afraid to be left in the dark if James took the candle. "Let Henry go. I shall be dreadfully worried if you go out in the dark, James."

Henry did not object, and he exited. The corridor was very dark. At the end there was a window which admitted a little light. Henry started walking carefully towards the stairs. Suddenly he started. Something moved in the shadows at the end of the corridor. Something white. Henry halted. "Catherine, is that you?" No one answered. The white thing moved again, and at the same time something sped past his feet. Henry literally jumped. He did not want to admit it, but he was a tiny bit scared of this eerie stuff. Another thing went by. He could not figure out what it was. There were no animals in the building, except mice, but they would not make such sounds. Cautiously, he advanced towards the top of the stairs. He felt a draught. Aha...an open window. He could hear another 'thing' approach him, and suddenly it bumped into him. "Ouch!"

Part 6

The thing hit him on the leg. Henry jumped backwards. "What...?" He walked on with care. A white linen sheet! Just a white sheet, was that all? He laughed, relieved. Then he wondered what it was doing there. "Catherine? Are you there?"

He heard someone running down the stairs, and he followed. At the bottom of the stairs, he didn't know where to go, so he chose left. He did not hear any more sounds. He did not notice that the lights upstairs had been turned on again, because there was nobody downstairs the lights had been off there. Henry decided to return to James' room. To his big surprise, Catherine was sitting there, looking innocent.

"What took you so long?" Isabella cried, "Catherine has been here for ages."

Henry said nothing, he was too confused. He was sure she had had something to do with it although he did not understand how she could have arranged in such a short time. He looked at Catherine with some new admiration.

The End