February 5th, Friday.—Miss Moore and I slept well. We were both desperately tired.

Mr. L. F—— awoke suddenly at 2.30. No phenomena. He has an excellent little apparatus, an electric flashlight, which he is able to keep under his pillow and turn on at a second's notice, very convenient for "ghost" hunting—no delay, and no possibility of blowing it out.

The maids tell mine that they heard the sounds below them of continuous speaking or reading, and "supposed the young ladies were reading to one another."

This is the first occasion on which there has been mention of the sound of continuous reading aloud, which afterwards became extremely familiar. The sound was always that well known to Roman Catholics as that of a priest "saying his office." It may be as well to remind the reader that Clerks in Holy Orders of that Church are, like those of the Anglican, strictly bound to read through the whole of the Daily Service every day, and it is not permitted to do this merely by the eye, the lips must utter the words. In practice some are accustomed to move the lips with hardly any sound, and such, we have ascertained, is the custom of the Rev. P—— H——; others read it absolutely aloud, and will retire to their own rooms or other places, where they may be alone for the purpose. This, we heard, was the invariable practice of the Rev. Mr. "I.," the chaplain of Mr. and Mrs. "G."

As a matter of fact, we were sleeping on the other side of the house, and the rooms under the maids' rooms were empty.... In the evening, about six o'clock, we strolled down the avenue again, and Scamp, who never does bark except under strong excitement, again barked and growled at the copse.

The Hon. E. F——, a fellow-member of an S.P.R. committee, arrives to-night. Hospitality constrains us to put him in No. 4, which is "not haunted."

I asked after the success of the new kitchenmaid, a local importation, who arrived yesterday. I was told she had already gone. The cook told me "she talked all sorts of nonsense about the house, and the things that had happened in it, and had been seen in it, all day; and then at night refused to sleep here, and the butler had to walk home with her at eleven o'clock."

The Factor [anglice: bailiff] came this morning, and I fancied a special intention in his manner. He was much annoyed about the kitchenmaid, said such talk was "all havers" [anglice: "drivel"], begged me not to employ her again, and undertook to get another, lending me a girl in his own service meanwhile.

I went with him into the wing to get him to see to things there. We have been too busy in getting the rest of the house into order to look after it yet; but I find the pipes are out of order, the cisterns frozen, and the "set-basins" in the three bedrooms and bath-room out of working order. He promised attention, but discouraged the use of the wing. "Had we not room enough without?" and so on. I suggested that, any way, for the sake of the rest of the house it must be aired and thawed, and he insisted that the kitchen fire below did that sufficiently.

I cannot help remembering that this is the scene of the phenomena recorded by Miss "B——," as Duncan R——, the factor, is well aware. Also, he was persistent about "keeping out the natives," and their chatter, if I wanted to keep the servants, but did not specify the nature of the chatter, and I asked no questions.

February 6th, Saturday.—No phenomena last night. The house perfectly still.

During Colonel Taylor's tenancy a good many experiments of different kinds were made in hypnotism, crystal gazing, and automatic writing. These, however, belong to a class of matter quite different from that of spontaneous phenomena, and are therefore not referred to, with the exception of a single instance of crystal gazing, which, though relating to B——, was made elsewhere, and one or two occasions of automatic writing. This latter method of inquiry displayed all the weakness to which it is usually, and apparently, inherently liable, and is only mentioned here as explaining other matters. Its chief interest was that it supplied a name marked by a certain peculiarity which afterwards became familiar, and that it led to a hypothesis as to at least one of the personalities by whom certain phenomena were professedly caused.

In the afternoon an experiment was made with the apparatus known as a Ouija board, and this, as is very often the case, resolved itself, after a time, into automatic writing. There is in the library a portrait of a very handsome woman, to which no name is attached, but which shows the costume of the last century. Her name was asked, and the word Ishbel was given several times. It is not certain whether this word was meant as an answer to the question, or whether, as often happens in such cases, it was intended merely as an announcement of the name of the informant supposed to communicate.

The word, as given, possesses the following peculiarity. In the Gaelic language the vowels e and i have the effect of aspirating an s immediately preceding them, in the same way in which they effect the c in Italian, or the g in Spanish, so that, as in Italian ce and ci are pronounced chay and chee, so in Gaelic se and si are pronounced shay and shee. The name Isabel is written in Gaelic Iseabal, but the e is absorbed in its effect upon the s (like the i in the Italian cio) and the first a is so slurred as to be almost inaudible, so that the word is pronounced "Ish-bel."

It was obvious, therefore, that the intelligence from which the writing proceeded (if such existed) could write in English, and was familiar with the colloquial Gaelic pronunciation of the name, but was unacquainted with the Gaelic orthography. On this occasion also the name "Margaret" was given in its Gaelic form of Marghearad (somewhat similarly misspelt as Marget), without any special connection either with the questions asked, or, so far as could be discovered, with anything in the mind of any present, none of whom had interested themselves at that time in the S—— ancestry.

In reply to questions as to what could be done that was of use or interest, the writers were told to go at dusk, and in silence, to the glen in the avenue, and this, rightly or wrongly, some of those present identified with what had been called Scamp's Copse. They were, however, perplexed by being told to go "up by the burn," for though Miss Freer and Miss Moore had twice explored the spot, they had not observed the presence of water. The journal continues—

We decided to walk in the avenue, and to explore "Scamp's Copse" before dinner, in spite of the fact that we were expecting Mr. MacP—— [a barrister], Mr. C—— [a solicitor], and Mr. W—— [an accountant] just about the time that we should be absent. Miss Moore took the dog off in the opposite direction, and we walked in silence to the plantation, Mr. L. F——, Mr. F——, and I. It was quite dark, but the snow gleamed so white, that we could see our way to the plantation. We went up among the trees, young firs; the snow was deep and untrodden; and when we got well off the road, we found that a burn comes down the brae side. It is frozen hard, and we found it out only by the shining of the ice.

We walked on in silence to the left of the burn, up the little valley, along a small opening between the trees and the railing which encloses them, Mr. L. F—— first, then I, then Mr. F——.

In a few minutes I saw what made me stop. The men stopped too, and we all stood leaning over the railings, and looking in silence across the burn to the steep bank opposite. This was white with snow, except to the left, where the boughs of a large oak-tree had protected the ground.

Against the snow I saw a slight black figure, a woman, moving slowly up the glen. She stopped, and turned and looked at me. She was dressed as a nun. Her face looked pale. I saw her hand in the folds of her habit. Then she moved on, as it seemed, on a slope too steep for walking. When she came under the tree she disappeared—perhaps because there was no snow to show her outline. Beyond the tree she reappeared for a moment, where there was again a white background, close by the burn. Then I saw no more. I waited, and then, still in silence, we returned to the avenue.

I described what I had seen. The others saw nothing. (This did not surprise me, for though both have been for many years concerned in psychical investigation, and have had unusual opportunities, neither has ever had any "experience," so that one may conclude that they are not by temperament likely to experience either subjective phenomena or even thought-transference.) It was proposed that we should ascend the glen in her track on the other side of the burn. It was very difficult walking, the snow very deep, and after two or three efforts to descend the side of the bank we gave it up, and followed to nearly her point of disappearance, keeping above the tree, not below as she had done. We saw no more, and returned to the house, agreeing not to describe what had occurred, merely to say that as the factor (who looks about eighteen stone) is said not to like the avenue at dark, we had been setting him and others a good example.

In a letter to Lord Bute under date February 25th, Miss Freer describes this figure with some detail:—

"As you know, these figures do not appear before 6.30 at earliest, therefore there is little light upon their surface. Like other phantasms seen at dark, they show 'by their own light,' i.e. they appear to be outlined by a thread of light. It is therefore only when the face appears in profile that one can describe the features, and this is somewhat prevented by the nun's veil. 'Ishbel' appears to me to be slight, and of fair height. I am unable, of course, to see the colour of her hair, but I should describe her as dark. There is an intensity in her gaze which is rare in light-coloured eyes. The face, as I see it, is in mental pain, so that it is perhaps hardly fair to say that it seems lacking in that repose and gentleness that one looks for in the religious life. Her dress presents no peculiarities. The habit is black, with the usual white about the face, and I have thought that when walking she showed a lighter under-dress. She speaks upon rather a high note, with a quality of youth in her voice. Her weeping seemed to me passionate and unrestrained."

The appearance of a nun was entirely unexpected, as the name "Ishbel" had been associated rather with the portrait of the beautiful woman in an eighteenth-century dress in the library, and it was she whom the witnesses, had they expected anything at all, would have expected to see. Miss Freer, moreover, the first witness, had regarded the statements of "Ouija" with her habitual scepticism as to induced phenomena, more particularly those of automatic writing, in which, as in dreams, it is almost always difficult to disentangle the operations of the normal from those of the subconscious personality.

If the name "Ishbel" were really intended to apply to the nun, it becomes a very curious question who is the person meant. A Robert S—— of B—— married, as has been already mentioned, Isabella H——, who died in 1784, but we know of no reason for supposing that she ever became a nun.

The portrait may possibly have represented her, but it shows a much older woman than the phantom so often seen; on the other hand, the dates are not inconsistent, and a considerable distance of time is suggested by certain phrases which occurred in the automatic writing.

The person to whom the mind more naturally reverts is Miss Isabella S——, the sister, and apparently the favourite sister, of Major S——. As already mentioned, she professed as a nun under the name of Frances Helen in 1850, and died in 1880, aged sixty-six. She did not, therefore, enter her convent till the age of thirty-five, an age much greater than that shown by the phantom.

It is, moreover, interesting to note that this lady's name was Isabella Margaret, so that both names, as given automatically, may have really referred to her. In the seventh edition of "Burke's Landed Gentry," 1886, there appears for the first time this entry—

"IV. Isabella Margaret, a nun, regular Canoness of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, d. 23 Feb. 1880."

The editors have obtained from the Nunnery, where she lived and died, a photograph, representing the dress of the Community, and a description of herself, which is as follows:—

"She died 23rd February 1880, quickly, of an attack of pneumonia or acute bronchitis. She died a most edifying death, in perfect consciousness, assisted by the Confessor ... and the Community around her, and having received the last Sacraments only a few hours before she expired. As to her appearance, she was short, rather fair, not at all stout, but not extraordinarily thin.

"She entered the Community in April 1848, was clothed in May 1849, and professed May 1850. We do not know whether she could speak Gaelic. She was very fond of Scotland, and very particular about the pronunciation of Scotch names. She was a most entertaining companion, being full of natural wit."

The dress, which is dignified, is very peculiar and striking, and not the least like the very ordinary nun's attire in which the phantom appeared, while it would be difficult to imagine a greater contrast than that between the merry old lady of the description and the weeping girl so often seen.

There was, however, at least one very peculiar reason, which will be noticed presently, for supposing that this phantom was really intended to represent the late Rev. Mother Frances Helen, and that its inaccuracy was owing to the stupid, and rather melodramatic misconception in the mind which originally imagined it and transferred it to the witnesses at B——.

This is our arrangement for to-night:—

Room 1 (where we heard noises). Mr. F——. " 2. Dressing-room communicating with Nos. 1 and 3; doors opened between. " 3. Mr. L. F—— (specially "haunted"). " 4. Mr. MacP——. " 5. Mr. W——. " 6. Dressing-room, Miss Moore. " 7. Myself. " 8. Mr. C——. (Sounds alleged, see evidence.) N.B.—Nothing is alleged against 4 and 5.

February 7th, Sunday.—Miss Moore was awakened this morning soon after one o'clock by a loud reverberating bang, which seemed close to her bed. She lay awake for a long time afterwards, but the sound was not repeated. The men heard nothing. They report that they went to bed soon after eleven, and very quietly.

My maid, who has had to give up her room, slept downstairs last night. She was kept awake nearly all night by noises and footsteps. The wing is not yet fit for use, as all the pipes are frozen, and the only downstairs bedroom was insufficiently aired; so I told her to use that for dressing, and make herself up a bed on one of the sitting-room sofas, and she slept (or rather, lay awake) in the drawing-room. She was not frightened, as she thought all the noises were made by the gentlemen; but they declare they made no noise.

I asked her as to the other servants. She says the maids are still very nervous. I spoke to them for the first time about the noises to-day. The butler's wife has heard sounds, but her husband only scoffs. The upper housemaid thinks ghosts the proper thing, and tolerates them along with the high families to which she is accustomed. The under housemaid is very shy, is Highland, and knows little English, and won't talk, but owns to discomfort, and is scoffed at by the other servants, who think it all part of her having been only a "general" till she came here. The kitchenmaid goes home to sleep, but I believe some one fetches her.

I have had a girl out of the village to make up the linen, and she, we notice, is careful to go home before dark.

This morning we all went to churches of various sorts. When the men came in to tea they reported that they had had a conversation with an outdoor servant, who proved to have been in the service of [Mr. F——'s father] Lord D——, and was consequently the more communicative. I know him, and have found him extremely intelligent.

He says that having heard from the H——s' butler (who slept on the dining-room floor, in the room my maid is to occupy to-night) that it was impossible to sleep in a room so noisy, he induced him to allow him to share his room, that they heard much, but they dared not show a light for fear of his admission being discovered (the H——s being much on the alert), and they saw nothing [cf. p. 40 for evidence of the H——s' butler].

We did not like to send for him on a Sunday, but decided to have him in on Monday, and test him as to the intensity of the noise.

In the evening, while we were all chatting in the drawing-room, Miss Moore came out into the hall, where she had been looking after the dog. In spite of the noise we were all making, she distinctly heard the clang noise upstairs. She had said the same thing, though with less certainty, once before, and we agreed that one night some one must sit up in the hall. (This was afterwards done without result.)

February 8th, Monday.—Last night my maid heard footsteps and the sound of hands fumbling on her door; this she told us when she came in with our early tea.

Miss Moore in the early morning, between one and two, heard again the sharp, reverberating bang as before. We speculated at breakfast as to whether the sound could have been made by the men after we had gone upstairs, though they were all sure of having been quite still before midnight. We made them rehearse every sound they had in fact made, but nothing was in the least like it, either in quality or quantity.

I had been disturbed about 5.30 A.M. by the sound (which we had not heard hitherto) described by former witnesses as "explosive." I know of nothing quite like it. I have heard the Portsmouth guns when at a place eight miles away; the sound was like that, but did not convey the same impression of distance. I heard it, at intervals, during half-an-hour. Miss Moore is a very light sleeper, but she did not awake. At six I got up and went through my room to the dressing-room door (No. 6), after a sound that seemed especially near. It was so near, that though I thought it quite unlikely under the circumstances, I wanted to satisfy myself that no one was playing jokes on Mr. C——, whose room was close by. The house was deadly still. I could hear the clocks ticking on the stairs. As I stood, the sound came again. It might have been caused by a very heavy fall of snow from a high roof—not sliding, but percussive. Miss Moore had wakened up and heard it too.

(N.B.—We afterwards found that, as the roof is flat, the snow is cleared away daily.)

Mr. W——, an utter sceptic, he declares, left early; then we all went for a walk. We spent the whole afternoon making experiments. Miss Moore or my maid or I, as having heard the noises, shut ourselves up in the room whence they were heard, or stood in the right places on hall or staircase.

The experimental noises made were as follows:—

1. Banging with poker or shovel as hard as possible on every part of the big iron stove in the hall; kicking it, hitting it with sticks (as Miss Moore and I persisted that the first noise was as of metal on wood, or vice versa).

2. Trampling and banging in every part of the house, obvious and obscure, in cupboards and cistern holes.

3. (On the hypothesis of tricks from outside.) Beating on outside doors with shovels and pokers and wooden things, on the walls and windows accessible; banging and clattering in outside coal-cellars and in the sunk area round the house. (N.B.—Beating on the front door handle with a wooden racket, was right in kind, but not nearly enough in degree.)

Miss Moore, who was familiar with the noise, did it rather well by going into a coal-cellar (always locked at night, however) outside and throwing big lumps of coal, from a distance, into a big pail, but it wasn't nearly loud enough.

4. Finally the men climbed on to the roof, outside, while Miss Moore and I shut ourselves into the proper places. They clattered and walked and stamped and kicked and struck the slates, but they couldn't make noise enough.

Then we had in the gardener they saw yesterday, and put him in the butler's room, and the four men made hideous rows as before. He was grateful and respectful, but contemptuous. They couldn't make noise enough.

We went out at dusk, having sent Mr. MacP—— and Mr. C—— to pay a visit (as they had not been told of the brook scene), intending that the same trio as before should go to the copse. Mr. L—— F—— couldn't come, and as Mr. F—— and I went on alone, we met Mr. MacP—— and Mr. C—— returning before they were expected. On the spur of the moment I asked Mr. C—— to come with me, leaving Mr. F—— and Mr. MacP—— in the avenue. The snow had gone, and I saw less distinctly; but I saw the nun again, and an older woman in grey, who talked earnestly with her, she answering at intervals. I could hear no words; the ice was giving, and the burn had begun to murmur. (I tried to persuade myself that the murmur accounted for the voices, but the sounds were entirely distinct, and different in quality and amount.)

This older woman in grey afterwards became familiar. The name "Marget" was given to her at first half in fun and simply because this was one of the two names given by Ouija (cf. p. 98). She is apparently the grey woman referred to in the paper published by Mrs. G—— (cf. p. 64).

The fact of voices being heard by two persons, while one alone saw the figures, seems a clear proof that the figures were hallucinatory. It seems probable that the sounds also were hallucinatory, but were what is called in the vocabulary of the S.P.R. the "collective" hallucination of two persons. This seems to render it highly probable that in the case of each the hallucination had a cause external to both, although common to both; moreover, hallucinations are often contagious. The Times correspondent states, that "the lady admitted that the apparition was purely subjective, but in regard to other matters was not willing to suppose that she might be the victim of hallucinations of hearing as well as of sight." On the contrary, as all readers of Miss Freer's published works are aware, she is entirely of opinion that such sights and sounds are pure sense-hallucinations, whatever may be their ultimate origin.

We rejoined the others in silence. Then Mr. MacP—— said to Mr. C——, "Did you see anything?" "Nothing; I only heard voices." "What sort of voices?" "Two women. The older voice talked most, almost continuously. I heard a younger voice, a higher one, now and then."

Note by Mr. MacP——.

"I knew previously, though Mr. C—— did not, that Miss Freer had seen something up the burn; and when waiting for her and Mr. C——, Mr. F—— told me the whole story."

February 9th, Tuesday.—Last night we—Miss Moore and I—heard the "explosive" noises about 11.30 P.M., and speculated as to the possibility of their being caused by the wind in the chimney. There was a little wind last night—very little. It is worth mentioning, that ever since we have been here the air has been phenomenally still. One can go outside, as we do frequently, to feed the birds and squirrels without hats and not feel a hair stirred. Even when the snow was on the ground we never felt the cold, owing to the absence of wind, and the thaw has been imperceptible. Snow is still on the hills. I have several times thrown open my bedroom window about dawn for an hour to familiarise myself with the outside noises. There is nothing human within a quarter of a mile. (N.B.—The others, who are much more likely to be accurate as to distance than I, say the lodges are farther off.) The servants' houses are in a group of buildings on the hill above the house, but are, I believe, all empty. We found, and adopted, a deserted cat, whose condition certainly testified to the nakedness of the land. There are two inhabited lodges far out of hearing. A gardener comes round to the houses about 10 or 10.30 P.M., but we have watched him, and know exactly what sounds he creates.

February 10th, Wednesday.—Mrs. W—— arrived this morning from London; also Miss Langton, who is "sensitive," but wholly inexperienced. In the evening, at 6 P.M., Colonel Taylor arrived. He is in No. 8.

Miss Moore and I moved back into No. 1, and moved Mr. F—— into No. 3, the room reported (by the H——s) as specially haunted, where Colonel A—— and Major B—— had slept, and in our time Mr. L—— F——, who left last night.

The wing is now ready for habitation, except that the pipes are out of order, and the "set-basins" useless, also the bath. (N.B.—The fact that the pipes are all out of working order, and not a drop of hot water is to be had except in the kitchen, does away with a theory, which has been rather emphatically put forward, that "it is all the hot-water pipes.")

We are anxious to test the wing. Only one story, Miss "B——'s," is connected with it, and if there has been any practical joking anywhere, I personally incline to think that was the occasion. The wing is new, built, they say, in 1883, and the "ghost" showed human intelligence in selection of doors and victims. (After my return to London I had a conversation with Mrs. G——, which convinced me that I was mistaken in supposing that tricks had been played upon Miss "B——." See p. 71.)

An old woman in the village asked Miss Moore to-day with interest, "Hoo'll ye be liking B——?" She spoke of the hauntings, and her husband insisted (the Highlander always begins that way) that there were not any, and so on, and the old woman explained that it was just the young gentlemen last year that was having a lark. Later she admitted, "There's nae ghaists at B——, but the old Major" (who died about twenty years ago); "he'd just be saying to Gracie if she didn't do as she was told, that he'd be coming back and belay the decks" (cf. p. 136).

P.S.—Monday 15th.—In the kirkyard to-day at L—— we were shown the Major's grave. It is one of three, inclosed by a rough stone wall. They have no headstones, and seem quite uncared for. One is, we are informed, that of his housekeeper, Sarah N——. The other is said to be that of a black man-servant.

Last night we slept as follows:—

Room 1 and 2. Myself and Miss Moore. " 3. Mr. F——. " 4. Miss Langton. " 5. Mrs. W——. " 6 and 7. Empty. " 8. Colonel Taylor.

Miss Moore lay awake nearly the whole night. She heard, though in less degree, the old noises; and in the early morning (compare our first night) heard the sound of women's voices talking. When I awoke, about 6 A.M., she told me she had been disturbed, and said she feared that the others had also, as she had heard Mrs. W—— talking in Miss Langton's room.

At breakfast Mrs. W—— reported that she had been awakened by knockings, but had never moved. Miss Langton had heard nothing.

The Colonel reported that about, or just before, six he had heard footsteps over his head. There is no room over No. 8, which is mostly a built-out bow, and the servants had not moved before 6.30. (If they moved then, it was contrary to their habits!) We heard later that Hannah had gone, about 6.30, "in her stocking-feet, only without her stockings," to ask the time at the cook's door.

The Colonel (before our inquiries) had imitated the noise by stamping heavily with striding steps across the library.

February 11th, Thursday.—The Colonel moved down into "Miss B——'s room" in the wing, and Mr. F—— into the room next to him.

February 12th, Friday.—No phenomena. The great business to-day, which we had specially reserved for the Colonel's arrival, was the making of sketches and measurements for the plan of the house. We found no mysteries. The walls are immensely thick, but all the space is accounted for.

February 13th, Saturday.—Miss Moore slept very badly again last night. She heard the noises at intervals between three and five; she was awake before and after. They were loudest and most frequent after four. At 5.30 I was awakened by a loud crash as of something falling very heavily on the floor above. The maids sleep there, but can give no account of any fall. Miss Moore, of course, heard it as, and when, I did.

Mrs. W—— reports having heard loud raps. She thinks the noise may have wakened her, but after she was awake enough to get a light and look at her watch (3.40) she heard what she describes as "a double knock."

February 14th, Sunday.—Our first wet day. The weather so far has been perfect. We all got very wet coming from church.

In the evening we did various experiments—thought-transference, crystal gazing, &c.—but nothing came of it in regard to the house.

February 15th, Monday.—Mr. F—— left early.

We all walked to the Parish Church, and had some talk with the sexton, and I had to listen to long yarns about the Major (see under date February 9th). I was tired, and could not go to the copse.

In the evening we played games, and were very lively. Miss Langton came into my room for a few minutes, and was certainly not in any nervous condition, nor did we speak of the hauntings. But this morning (Tuesday) at breakfast she reported having heard a loud crash almost directly after getting to her room. We considered possible causes, but could not discover that any one was moving in the house. The servants had gone to bed some time earlier, and we had put out the lights ourselves in the hall and on the stairs.

February 16th, Tuesday.—I had an experience this morning which may have been purely subjective, but which should be recorded. About 10 A.M. I was writing in the library, face to light, back to fire. Mrs. W—— was in the room, and addressed me once or twice; but I was aware of not being responsive, as I was much occupied. I wrote on, and presently felt a distinct, but gentle, push against my chair. I thought it was the dog and looked down, but he was not there. I went on writing, and in a few minutes felt a push, firm and decided, against myself which moved me on my chair. I thought it was Mrs. W——, who, having spoken and obtained no answer, was reminding me of her presence. I looked backward with an exclamation—the room was empty. She came in directly, and called my attention to the dog, who was gazing intently from the hearthrug at the place where I had expected (before) to see him.

As the day began with the above, and I had had a quiet rest, I went to the copse at dusk. The moon was bright, and the twilight lingered. We waited about in the avenue to let it get darker, but it was still far from dark when we made our way up the glen—Miss Moore, Miss Langton, and myself.

I saw "Ishbel" and "Marget" in the old spot across the burn. "Ishbel" was on her knees in the attitude of weeping, "Marget" apparently reasoning with her in a low voice, to which "Ishbel" replied very occasionally. I could not hear what was said for the noise of the burn. We waited for perhaps ten or fifteen minutes. They had appeared when I had been there perhaps three or four.

When we regained the avenue (in silence) Miss Moore asked Miss Langton, "What did you see?" (She had been told nothing, except that the Colonel, who did not know details then, had said in her presence something about "a couple of nuns".) She said, "I saw nothing, but I heard a low talking." Questioned further, she said it seemed close behind. The glen is so narrow, that this might be quite consistent with what I saw and heard. Miss Moore heard a murmuring voice, and is quite certain it was not the burn. She is less suggestible than almost any one I know.

The dog ran up while we were there, pointed, and ran straight for the two women. He afterwards left us, and we found him barking in the glen. He is a dog who hardly ever barks. We went up among the trees where he was, and could find no cause.

Miss Moore and I moved into No. 8 (dressing-room No. 6). It is a "suspect" room, which I had not tried, and Miss Moore had scarcely slept all the week in No. 1, and was looking so worn out, that I decided to move.

February 17th, Wednesday.—A most glorious day, still, bright, and sunny.

Nothing happened till evening. The Colonel, Mrs. W——, Miss Langton, Miss Moore, and I were in the drawing-room after dinner. Some of us, certainly the last four, heard footsteps overhead in No. 1, which is just now disused. I was lying on the sofa, and could not get up quickly: but Mrs. W—— and Miss Langton ran up at once, and found it empty and dark, and no one about.

Later, about 10.30, we all five heard the clang noise with which some of us are so familiar. The servants had gone to bed—or so we presumed, as all lights were out, except on the upper floor. It occurred four times. It is of course conceivable they may have made it, but we do not hear it when we know them to be about, and we do hear it when we know them not to be about.

The following quotation is from Miss Langton's private diary:—

"On the night of Wednesday, February 17th, I had a curious dream or vision. I seemed to be standing outside the door of No. 4, looking up the corridor to No. 2, when suddenly I saw a figure with his back to the door of No. 2, and quite close to the door which leads to No. 3. His face was quite distinct, and what struck me most was the curious way in which his hair grew on his temples. His eyes were very dark, keen, and deep-set; his face was pale, and with a drawn, haggard expression. He looked about thirty-nine years of age. His hair was dark and thick, and waved back from his forehead, where it was slightly grey. It was a most interesting and clever face, and one that would always, I should think, attract attention. He was dressed in a long black gown like a cassock, only with a short cape, barely reaching to the elbows."

A further reference to this vision, which at the time seemed irrelevant, will be found on page 225.

February 18th, Thursday.—This morning's phenomenon is the most incomprehensible I have yet known. I heard the banging sounds after we were in bed last night. Early this morning, about 5.30, I was awakened by them. They continued for nearly an hour. Then another sound began in the room. It might have been made by a very lively kitten jumping and pouncing, or even by a very large bird; there was a fluttering noise too. It was close, exactly opposite the bed. Miss Moore woke up, and we heard it going on till nearly eight o'clock. I drew up the blinds and opened the window wide. I sought all over the room, looking into cupboards and under furniture. We cannot guess at any possible explanation.

Further experience of these curious hallucinatory sounds, combined with visual hallucination in the same room, taking also into consideration the interest which our own dogs always displayed in these phenomena, led us to the conclusion that our first deductions had been wrong, and that the sounds were those of a dog gambolling.

(The Rev.) Mr. "Q." (an English vicar), arrived. In the evening, at 6.30, Miss Langton and I took him down to the glen. It was a very light evening. I saw the figure of Ishbel, not very distinctly, in conversation with the second figure, which was barely defined. We remained in perfect silence as usual. On regaining the avenue Miss L—— said she had heard voices, and thought she had seen what might be the white parts of the nun's dress. Mr. "Q." said he had seen a light under the big tree. The figures were nearer the tree than usual. Miss Langton went up a second time with the Colonel, and again heard voices.

It is worth remarking that Mr. "Q." has, doubtless from some idiosyncrasy, since developed a faculty of seeing lights where other people see phantasms.

February 19th, Friday.—No phenomena last night. We have spent the day in A——, the neighbouring town, where I had a fall and hurt my foot, so that I was obliged to drive home, and could not go to the glen. Miss Langton and Mr. "Q." went down about seven o'clock. Mr. "Q." saw the outline of a figure of which he has written the description. Miss Langton heard the usual voices on the other side of the burn; they seemed to her to be interrupted by a third voice, in deeper tones; and she also heard the footsteps of a man passing behind her, a heavy tread, "not like a gentleman."

The following, the account referred to, was contained in a private letter from Mr. "Q." to Lord Bute. The description of Ishbel in the Journal of February 26th, was, it will be observed, of later date, although before Miss Freer had seen the following:—

"February 19th and 20th, 1897.—I had heard only that Miss Freer had seen two figures by the burn, one of which was that of a nun, the other a woman, before whom, on one occasion, the nun appeared to be kneeling. I had always pictured the nun as standing or kneeling with her back to the spectator.

"On February 19th, at about 6.45 P.M., I visited the burn with Miss Langton (and not Miss Freer). After looking a little I saw (a); the white was very plain, and the head clearly outlined, but the vision was for the fraction of a second. I was conscious of it indistinctly for a few minutes, and there seemed a good deal of movement. Suddenly I was again conscious of the figure as shown in (b), full-face, as though gazing at me; again the white part was very distinct, but I could distinguish no features."



February 20th, Saturday.—This morning we went down to —— and had a little talk with the old servant who told us stories the other day about the Major, and she repeated the story of his threatened return. The same story was repeated independently this afternoon by [a local tradesman], who opened conversation by inquiring whether we had "seen the Major yet."

Miss Moore and I again this morning heard noises in No. 8, more especially those of the pattering footsteps, just after daylight, and a violent jump and scramble, which we thought was our dog, until we found that he was sleeping peacefully as usual on his rug at our feet.

In a letter to Lord Bute, dated February 21, 1897, Mr "Q." gives the following account:—

"On February 20th, at about 6.45 P.M., I visited the burn with Miss Freer and Miss Langton. I was very briefly conscious of the figure (a) on the bank of the burn, but saw no more till Miss Freer pointed to the hollow of a large tree, when I again saw (b). On each occasion of seeing (b) a curious sensation was noticeable, and I felt I was being looked at. On speaking afterwards to Miss Freer, I found her vision of the nun under the tree to be the same as mine at (b), i.e. full face, as indeed Miss Freer had seen it on previous occasions. This is the second sketch I have drawn of the full face (b). The first I showed to Miss Freer, remarking to her, 'I have made the figure too broad' (being unaccustomed to drawing). 'Yes,' said Miss Freer, 'for the nun is very slight.'"

It was seen at the same moment also by Miss Freer and Miss Langton.

February 21st, Sunday.—Again this morning we heard noises of pattering in No. 8, and Scamp got up and sat apparently watching something invisible to us, turning his head slowly as if following the movements of some person or thing across the room from west to east. During the night Miss Moore had heard footsteps crossing the room, as of an old or invalid man shuffling in slippers. We both heard a bang at the side of the room about 6.20, some time before any sounds of moving were heard from the servants above. The noise was muffled in quality, and had no resonance, and seemed to come from behind a small wardrobe on the east wall. The room (No. 7) on that side was unoccupied. [This bang was heard at other times in the same spot. Experiment showed that no noise made in No. 7 was audible in No. 8, not even hammering with a poker on the wall, which is curved at this point.]

This morning, on coming out of church, I received a letter from Mr. F——, in which was the following passage:—

"... Miss H——, who slept, I believe, in the room occupied by you when I left, heard sounds of footsteps going round her room, footsteps with the most unmistakable limp in them. Shortly after she heard stories connected with the former owner, who used to go by the name of B——, an aged man [the Major]. She asked if he could be described. 'No,' said her informant; 'the only thing he could remember about him was that he had a most peculiar limp,' and he forthwith gave an exhibition, which tallied exactly with the limp around the bed."

In discussing this, Miss Moore and I agreed that, had Miss H—— slept in No. 8 instead of in No. 1, as Mr. F—— supposed, we should have considered these limping sounds as probably identical with those we ourselves had heard. After I had closed my reply to Mr. F——, Miss Moore discovered Miss "B——'s" plan of the house (in the packet of evidence of the H——s' tenancy, see p. 96), which showed that in fact No. 8 was the room referred to. Hence it appears that the room in which Miss H—— heard the footsteps was the same as that in which we heard them. We had been misled by Mr. F—— speaking of "the room you occupied when I left," a mistake on his part, as, though the change had been spoken of, we had not left No. 1.

This afternoon Miss Langton experimented with Ouija at Mr. "Q.'s" request.

Lord Bute had suggested various test-questions in relation to the phantasm of the nun, to be asked the next time the Ouija board was in operation, and answers to these were attempted at various times, with the usual result of showing the influence, conscious or sub-conscious, of the sitters, almost all statements as to matters not actually known to them being worthless. On this occasion, however, in reply to the question, "How old was Ishbel when she died?" answers were spelt out to the effect that she was still living, and that her age was fifty-nine.

This may perhaps be taken as throwing light upon the intended personality of Ishbel, and supplying a possible clue to the identity of the mind of which she seems to be an imaginary creation.

Fifty-nine was the age of the late Rev. Mother Frances Helen in the year 1873, when Sarah N—— died. They are not people who are at all likely to have met each other upon "the other side" any more than upon this.

It is a generally recognised fact that the conditions which we call "time and space" exist on in the world beyond in a form so very different from those in which they are conceived of by us, that from our point of view they can hardly be said to exist at all. It is natural, therefore, to seek the utterer of this remarkable statement in some person connected with B—— who did not know the late Mother Frances Helen (supposing her to be the person for whom Ishbel was intended), but had heard of her.

February 22nd, Monday.—Mr. "Z——" came.

The whole matter of the inquiry had been made known to Mr. "Z——," the proprietor of a prominent Scottish newspaper, of course in the strictest confidence, which was carefully made a condition of the admission of any one to the house, a confidence which he most honourably observed. It was arranged that if anything occurred within the observation of himself or his son, the scientific value of which rendered it, in their judgment, desirable to publish a notice of it in The ——, the notice should be published under avowedly false names and geographical indications. Mr. "Z——" was unable to come himself, but his son arrived this day.

Mr. "Endell" (a Member of the S.P.R.) arrived while we were out, and made a tour of inspection alone of the outside of the house and the ground-floor rooms. He intuitively fixed on the window of No. 3 as that of a "haunted" room, and has since, equally by intuition, diagnosed the drawing-room and library as "creepy," and the dining-room as definitely cheerful. (This coincides with our experience.)

My own experiences to-day were confined to ejection from a high waggonette, while waiting at the station for Mr. "Z——," the horse having bolted at the appearance of the train.

No phenomena. We are putting Mr. "Z——", at his own request, in No. 3, the "ghost-room."

February 23rd, Tuesday.—Pouring wet. No phenomena. Visit to glen impossible.

Mr. and Mrs. R—— (local residents) came to lunch. Though in great pain I was able to see them for a few minutes, and both inquired whether we had had any experience of the reported hauntings, of which, however, they could give us no details.

February 24th, Wednesday.—Mr. "Z——" left early. (N.B.—No phenomena reported by any one during his visit; he himself slept soundly in the "haunted" room, but does it the justice to acknowledge that he "could sleep through an earthquake.")

Miss "N." (the daughter of a landowner of the district) arrived.

Mr. Garford (an old friend and excellent observer) came from London. We sleep to-night as follows:—

In the wing, in the two rooms alleged by guests of the H——s to be haunted, the Colonel and Mr. "Endell."

No. 1. Mr. Garford. " 3. Mr. "Q." ("ghost-room"; he has just asked to be removed from his former room in the wing). " 4. Miss Langton. " 5. Mrs. W——. " 7. Miss "N." " 8. Miss Moore, myself, and dog.

February 25th, Thursday.—Mr. "Endell" reported this morning having heard a sound he could in no way account for, which seems to us to correspond with the "clanging" noise. We asked how he would imitate it as to volume and quality, and he said that a large iron kettle, about the size of the dinner-table (we are dining eight), boiling violently, so that the lid was constantly "wobbling," might produce it.

(N.B.—Mr. "Endell's" opinion later is that a pavior's crowbar heavily dropped, so as to produce a prolonged reverberation, is a better illustration.)

Mr. Garford, who was not told that any sounds might be expected in No. 1, says he was awakened by a violent banging at the door of communication between Nos. 1 and 2 (No. 2 is empty). Mr. "Endell," Mr. "Q.," and Miss Moore went up later in the day to experiment on the door, and found that it would open with the slightest push. Mr. Garford had closed it on going to bed, and found it closed in the morning. He had not been alarmed, and had almost called out to his supposed visitors, before he remembered supernormal possibilities. He described the sound as a muffled bang, and in order to reproduce it to his satisfaction one of the party held a thick rug on the inner side while another hammered on the panels without.

Mr. "Q.'s" experiences in No. 3 will be reported by himself. The groans which he heard coming from No. 2 some of our party suggested might have been made in sleep by the occupant of No. 1, but on trying experiments it was found that no sounds of the kind which he could make in his room were audible in No. 3.

Mr. "Q." left.

Miss Langton went up the glen with Mr. Garford, and was perplexed by seeing the grey figure when looking for the nun; she saw it but dimly, but later in the evening recovered it in the crystal, more clearly and in greater detail.

The following is Mr. "Q.'s" account of his experience, written on February 24th and March 4th, in private letters to Lord Bute, but, in order to avoid the possibility of suggestion to others, not contributed at the time to this journal. The Editors have been permitted also to read another account written by Mr. "Q." of this and of his subsequent experience, written immediately after the occasion, which agrees with his letters to Lord Bute in every particular.

"February 24th, 1897.—I slept in room No. 3. I knew it had a 'bad' reputation, also I had heard through Ouija of probable appearances and noises at 3 A.M. and 4.30 A.M. I noted the time of retiring in passing the clock on the staircase, i.e. 12.10.

"Before going to bed I sat in a chair with my back to a small mahogany cupboard, placed against the wall of the dressing-room, into which my room (No. 3) opens. About 1 A.M. I was much startled at hearing behind me very distinctly a loud groan, coming, apparently, from the dressing-room, in the direction of the mahogany cupboard. The sound was very distinct, and but for the fact of there being no one visible, I should have estimated its origin as in the room, its distinctness being such that, coming from the next room, with the door closed, it would have sounded slightly muffled. So distinct was it that I heard what I can only describe as the throat vibration in the tone.

"I tried to ascribe it to the bubbling of the hot-water pipe of a washing basin fixed in the dressing-room, as I supposed, against the wall of the bedroom, but saw next day that the basin in question was fixed against the opposite wall of the dressing-room.



"The sound was a greatly magnified and humanised edition of what I have several times heard in the drawing-room below the dressing-room, and which has been heard by several of the party together."

And in a letter dated March 4.—"I went upstairs at 12.10. On shutting the door of my room I experienced a curiously cold sensation. I stood by the fire, which was burning brightly, and shivered to an extent that was quite phenomenal; the fire did not in the least remove the cold shudderings which ran from head to feet.

"I threw the feeling off as best I could, but not entirely. I read a little and then prayed. I read the office of compline and my private prayers, and praying according to my custom for all faithful departed, and especially for those who had previously lived in the house or been connected with it. After this I looked at my watch; it was just upon one o'clock, and I sat for a few minutes in the chair by the fire, when I heard the noise described, behind me.

"I changed my position and placed the chair with its back to a table and facing the door, the candle on the table, and took a book and read; my shuddering sensations had been worse than ever. Suddenly I looked up, and above the bed, apparently on the wall, I got just a glimpse (like a flash) of a brown wood crucifix: the wall was quite bare, not a picture, nothing to make it explainable by imperfect light or reflection. From that time the sensation of cold and shuddering went away: I don't say immediately, but I was quite conscious of being reassured.

"About half-an-hour afterwards all feeling of distress of any sort had gone. I went to bed and to sleep. My own idea now is, that the sound I heard was an inarticulate cry for help, probably by means of prayer. The influence I feel was bad, but something overcame it."

It is desirable to add, as a question of evidence, for comparison of the dates of this and Miss Freer's subsequent account of the same phenomenon, that a letter from Mr. "Q." in Lord Bute's possession, dated March 16th, begins, "I have no objection to Miss Freer seeing my letter on the subject of the crucifix...."

Mr. "Q." also states that his delay in writing to Lord Bute about the crucifix was, that he thought it might be a mental reproduction of one which he sometimes sees in his own home, but that he found on examining the latter that it has a white figure, whereas that of the apparition has the figure of the same brown wood as the cross. In the private account above referred to Mr. "Q" writes, "I found that the crucifix at home in no way resembles what I saw at B——". It will be remarked that this peculiar apparition was seen in the same room by the Rev. P. H—— in August 1892 (see p. 17), and it was again seen on March 6th by Miss Freer, who had not heard at all of his experiences, and only a bare mention, without detail or description, of that of Mr. "Q." A fourth vision in this connection—that of Miss Langton, who had heard of none of the other three, is described under date March 19.

February 26th, Friday.—Nothing happened till I was in the drawing-room in the evening, when I was, as usual since my accident, taking my meal alone. A screen stood between my sofa and the door, so that it was impossible to see who entered. I saw the shadow of a woman on the wall, and supposed it to be a maid come to see after the fire. Next, the figure of an old woman emerged from behind the screen; she was of average height, and stout; she wore a woollen cap, and her dress was that of a superior servant indoors. Supposing her to be some servant's visitor come to have a look at the drawing-room while the party were at dinner, I moved to attract her attention, with no result. She walked a few steps towards the middle of the room, then disappeared. Her countenance was not pleasing, but expressed no personal malevolence; her face may have been coarsely handsome. Her dress was dark, and made in the fashion which was worn in my childhood. When the dog came in later he seemed to sight something from behind the screen and followed it across the room, when he lay down under my couch, instead of on the hearth as usual. He had done the same thing yesterday morning, looking much frightened, and had then taken refuge under Miss Langton's chair.

In connection with this it will be seen elsewhere that footsteps were constantly heard in the drawing-room, both at night and in daylight.

Mr. Garford, in No. 1, heard last night what seemed like the detonating noise, which he describes as like a wheelbarrow on a hard road, "a sharp, rapidly repeated knocking," at a distance.

February 27th, Saturday.—Colonel C—— and Mr. MacP—— arrived.

To-night we sleep as follows:—

No. 1. Mr. Garford. No. 2. Miss Langton. No. 3. Colonel C—— (I had planned for him to go in the wing, but the butler, an old soldier with two medals, seemed to think it due to such a distinguished officer to put him in the haunted room). No. 4. Mr. MacP——. Nos. 5, 7, and 8 as before. The Colonel and Mr. "Endell" unchanged.

The glen was visited by Colonel C—— and Mr. MacP——, escorted by Miss Langton.

February 28th, Sunday.—All slept well. I assisted Miss Langton with some Ouija experiments in the presence of, first, Mr. "Endell," then Mr. MacP——, then of Colonel C—— and Miss "N."

March 1st, Monday.—Mr. MacP—— reported at breakfast that he had awakened at 5.45, and almost immediately heard a loud clanging sound in the north-west corner of his room; he was fully awake, struck a light, saw nothing, and looked at his watch. We tried later to reproduce this noise, which he described as resembling a loud blow upon a washhand basin. I shut myself into No. 1, and found this a fair, but too faint, imitation of the sounds Miss Moore and I had heard there.

Colonel C—— and Mr. MacP—— left.

Miss M—— and the Colonel have to-day had some talk with —— [who had an intimate knowledge of the S—— family. See under dates Feb. 9th and 20th]. She repeated her former story of the Major's promised "return," especially a statement made to an old woman who worked in the garden, who had told him that at least "he'd no get in there, she'd keep the gate locked," that he "would come in below the deck" (cf. p. 114). He was described as a short, broad man, with white hair and beard, "a'ful fond o' dogs (of which he had many), and so noisy with them in the morning, that when he and his housekeeper-body let them out, his voice could be heard on the hill." She also said that on Major S——'s return from India to assume the property he found a tenant in possession, and had built himself a small house beyond the grounds, which he afterwards let with the shooting. In the late Mr. S——'s time this house was used as a retreat during the summer for nuns (a statement which interests us greatly, as affording a possible clue to the apparition).

The Major was greatly attached to the place, and had a great dislike to the presence of strangers in it, or to its going out of the old name. The estate, we hear, was much encumbered when he succeeded to it, but he cleared off all debts in a few years, and appears to have lived a somewhat eccentric and recluse life, in the society of his dogs and dependants.

This is the first mention of the fact that nuns had ever lived at B——. Miss Freer had not been aware that the object of the Rev. P. H——'s visit in 1892 had been to give what is called a Spiritual Retreat to those who had been occupying the cottage. It is only fair to suggest that the phantasmal nun, to whom the name Ishbel had been given, may really have been the phantasm of one of these visitors, and that the dress of at least some of them was identical with or closely resembled hers, while it was totally unlike that worn by the community to which the late Mother Frances Helen belonged. At the same time, Ishbel's dress was of a kind so very common among nuns, that it would have been that with which she would, most naturally, have been clothed by the imagination of any one unacquainted with the very rare Order to which Mother Frances Helen belonged. To make further investigation into the history of all the Sisters who ever stayed at B—— through the kindness of the late Mr. S—— would have been a task impossible for its vastness, and almost certainly futile through the natural reticence of their communities with regard to any matters likely to occasion haunting.

March 1st (continued), Monday.—I went up the burn for the first time since my accident on Saturday, February 20th. We had had a promise from Ouija on Sunday that if Mr. "Endell" were to visit the copse with me after 6.30 he would be touched on the left shoulder. He was told to go to the farther side of the burn, and to stand under the sapling, which is at some little distance from the spot where the phantasm usually appears. This we accordingly did. I was barely able in the dusk to distinguish the figure from my post on the west bank, but the phantasm appeared very near him, as I could distinguish the white pocket-handkerchief in his breast pocket. I saw her hand approach this, but could not positively say that it touched him. Mr. "Endell" saw nothing, and could not positively say that he felt a touch, though conscious of a sense of sudden chill, and agreed with me that had he certainly felt one, he would probably have considered it the effect of expectation. We stood there for perhaps ten minutes, and he was for a short time conscious of the subjective sensations which he commonly feels in the presence of phenomena. We returned simultaneously to the avenue, where we discussed the occurrence and the possibilities of making it evidential. The only thing we could think of was to send for Miss Langton, and without telling her anything of what we had seen or expected, ascertain whether she saw the phantasm in its usual position (high up on the bank), or a good deal farther to the left, and nearer the burn, as I had done. By the time she arrived it was much darker, but she saw the figure under the tree by the brook, and described it as "kneeling." She has better sight than I, and believed it to be behind Mr. "Endell." I should have judged her to be crouching or stooping in front of him, but judging from comparison of our normal sight, she is much more likely to be accurate than I.

Mr. "Endell's" separately recorded account, dated March 5, exactly agrees with this, but adds some additional touches to the latter part.

"At Miss Freer's suggestion, I fetched Miss Langton, telling her nothing of what had occurred, but merely that we were trying an experiment, and she was to report what she saw.

"I stood again under the sapling. This time I began to shudder almost immediately. It was so dark they told me that they could only see my collar though I was only ten yards from them.

"Miss Langton said that thirty seconds after I had taken up my position, the figure appeared behind me a little to my left, and seemed to raise its arm. Miss Freer said it was waiting for me, and touched me as before.

"I felt no touch throughout, only shiverings that seemed to coincide with appearances."

To-night Miss "N." wishes to sleep in No. 3, and Miss Langton will remain in No. 2; the door of communication can be opened between them.

March 2nd, Tuesday.—This morning I was reading in bed by candlelight from 5.30 to 6 o'clock, and again heard the pattering sound which has become familiar to us in No. 8. Miss Moore was asleep, but happened to awake while the sound was specially distinct, and without speaking signified that she was giving it her attention. Shortly after six we heard the sound of a violent fall about the middle of the west wall, between the fireplace and window. Our first thought was that one of the maids upstairs must have fallen, till we remembered that there was no room above us. We have since inquired, and find that none of them moved till nearly seven o'clock, nor was anything heard either by them or by Mr. Garford, whose room (No. 1) joins our west wall.[D]

Miss "N." passed a very disturbed night. She went to bed about twelve o'clock; she is habitually an exceptionally good sleeper, and, moreover, has slept in many rooms alleged to be haunted without the slightest inconvenience, and has never had an "experience" of any sort. She lay awake in discomfort till 3 A.M., and then sought refuge with Miss Langton.

Miss "N." left. The following is the record of her impressions:—

"March 4th.—You ask me to write exactly what I felt in No. 3 when I slept there on March 1st. Well, it is rather difficult to describe! I never felt frightened out of my wits at nothing before, if it was nothing. I certainly saw no shadows or figures, and the only noise I heard was the thud twice, which sounded as if it came from the storey below. If I shut my eyes for a minute I felt as if I was struggling with something invisible (not indigestion, as I never have it!). I was so paralysed that I dare not call out to Miss Langton, and lay awake from twelve to three without moving! In the morning, of course, I felt I had been a fool to be so silly, and I would go and sleep there again to-night if I had the chance."

Mrs. B. C—— came. She is an Associate S.P.R., is a Highlander, has been all her life interested in psychical matters, but has had no "experience."

Mr. "Endell," Miss Moore, and I sat up in No. 3 till about 2.30 in the dark, except for the firelight, and in silence, except when any one wished to draw the attention of the rest to sounds or sensations. There were no sounds for which, on reflection, we found it impossible to account. Mr. "Endell" suffered, as on previous occasions, from the sensation known as "cold-air," and very visibly shivered, though clearly not in the least nervous. He is keenly interested in psychical inquiry, but has never had any "experience" other than subjective sympathy with the psychic impressions of others, or a consciousness, such as he described on his arrival here, of an atmosphere other than normal. (This last has been of frequent occurrence, and seems to have been always veridical.)

The sole experience of any kind on this occasion was my own. Mr. "Endell," by way of reproducing the conditions of former occupants of the room, threw himself on the bed about twenty minutes to 2 A.M. Soon after he was seized by audible and visible shivers. We did not speak till he uttered some forcible ejaculation of complaint, when, looking towards him, I saw a hand holding a brown (probably wooden) crucifix, as by a person standing at the foot of the bed. He immediately said, "Now I'm better," or words to that effect.

We persisted in silence till perhaps 2.30, when we agreed to separate, and while we were having some refreshment over the fire, I told Miss Moore and Mr. "Endell" what I had seen. (Cf. under date February 25, p. 132.)

March 3rd, Wednesday.—Mrs. W—— left.

This afternoon we had a call from Mrs. S—— and her daughter. The Colonel, Miss Moore, and I were in the room.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

March 4th, Thursday.—Mr. "Endell" left.

Heavy snowstorm.

March 5th, Friday.—Last night I was in bed and asleep before Miss Moore came in from her dressing-room. She did not light the candle for fear of waking me, but, while sitting by the fire reading, she heard the pattering noise just behind her, in the same place where we have heard it and the fall before, though never till then at night. It only lasted a few minutes, but there was apparently nothing to account for it, though of course she took every possible means to discover its cause.

Mrs. B. C—— left to-day. Miss Moore happened to mention at breakfast that the upper housemaid had told her that the maids had twice again on the last two nights heard the sound of monotonous reading, once as late as 2 A.M.

The theoretical hour for Mattins is midnight, which, however, is only observed in practice in certain very rigid monasteries; in others it begins at two. But it is easily conceivable that a priest, if wakeful at that time, would select it in preference to another.

Mrs. B. C—— at once said that she also had heard precisely that sound each night, and had spoken of it to her maid, and, like the servants, had concluded that Miss Moore was reading to me, although it was as late as twelve o'clock. She had also heard a bang on a door close to her own, but had supposed it was a late comer, possibly one of the gentlemen from the smoking-room, and had not been disturbed. She had been sleeping in No. 1, her maid in No. 2, and none of the gentlemen are on the same floor. Mr. Garford, who is now in the wing, remarked that he too had heard voices as of speaking or reading several times when sleeping in No. 1, but had assumed that they were normal. As a matter of fact, Miss Moore goes straight to her dressing-room on going upstairs, and I am always too tired to read or speak. No two persons sleep in any other room.

We tested this by getting Colonel Taylor to shut himself into No. 1 while I, in No. 8, read aloud at the top of my voice, Miss Langton remaining in the room with me. The Colonel could hear no sound less than direct banging on the wall with a poker.

The cook has been talking to-day of the various noises heard at night; she is not nervous, nor are the maids, but all speak of voices and bangs for which they cannot account; except the butler, who has heard nothing, but is obviously impressed with his wife's experience last night. Her story is that, not feeling well, she went up to bed early, before the servants' supper, the rest of the household being as usual in the drawing-room. While in bed, before ten o'clock, she distinctly heard the sound of voices talking, apparently below, but not far distant (her room is over No. 7, at present empty). She "wondered if it could be the servants in the servants' hall at supper"—an obvious impossibility, as their room is not underneath, is two storeys away, and has no connection with the upper part of the house. She also heard bangs on the wall, behind her bed and to the side; there was no furniture there to crack, and it was mostly on the outside wall, so she finally became uncomfortable, and buried her head in the clothes to deaden the sound. She "doesn't believe in ghosts," but thinks the house "very queer," and says that far and wide in the country round it is spoken of as "haunted," though no one seems to know of any story, as to the cause, except that, very improbable, about the murder of a priest by the wife of a former proprietor. It appears that a maid engaged in the village refused to sleep in the house, because when in service here once before she had been frightened by bangs at the door of her bedroom (in a room over No. 1); she had also heard the sounds of a rustling silk dress on the back-stairs, and had seen the bedroom door pushed open and a lady come in.... A maid, who came after this one had left, told the cook that she believed there was a story of a "priest murdered somewhere at the Reformation"; she had once been told it by Mrs. S—— in explanation of the noises, but had not heard whether the said murder was in the house or the grounds, and thought Mrs. S—— particularly did not wish the spot known. This maid has only been an occasional help in the house, but has lived for years in the district, and knows the place well by reputation.

To-day as we passed through the churchyard, [a resident in the neighbourhood] pointed out the desolate grave of the Major, with the remark that one could hardly be surprised at a man being said to "walk" who was expected to rest in such a place as that. He said that there had been a great deal of talk all over the neighbourhood as to the excitement during the H——s' stay at B——, and seemed to believe that practical joking might account in part for what had occurred. He did not, however, deny that stories had been told long before their coming to the place.

This resident is the one as to whom the Times correspondent dogmatically stated, that having lived in the place for twenty years he asserted that there had never been a whisper of the haunting of B—— until the tenancy of the H——s.

March 6th, Saturday.—Mr. Garford left.

The Colonel is to sleep to-night in No. 3, which has not been occupied since Miss "N." left.

Mr. C—— arrived. He sleeps, by his own choice, in No. 2. He has had a conversation with the butler, whom he had been instrumental in engaging for us, which began by his asking how he liked his situation? He expressed himself satisfied with everything, but added, "But there's something very queer about the house," and then proceeded to tell his wife's experience.

March 7th, Sunday.—Mr. C—— has written an account of his experiences last night.

Robinson has this morning told him of his first experience! He was awakened by the noise of a heavy body falling in the middle of the room; he awoke his wife, struck a match, and looked at his watch—it was 3.30; no one else had been disturbed. Mr. C——'s account follows:—

"March 7th, 1897.—It was arranged that Colonel Taylor should occupy No. 3, and that I should sleep in No. 2. I went to bed about twelve, but did not go to sleep at once.

"I awoke suddenly with the distinct impression that there was some one in the room. I lay still, and tried to realise what was in the room, but could not do so. There was no idea of movement in my mind, but still I felt convinced that some one was there. The impression seemed gradually to fade out of my mind after about seven or ten minutes, and then I got up and looked at my watch—the time was 4.40 A.M.

"I then went back to bed, but did not go to sleep. I heard the clock in the hall strike five.

"Shortly after I thought I heard some one moving about in No. 1, which I knew to be unoccupied. I listened, and it seemed to me that some one was moving round three sides of the room and then coming back. The movement went on for about three or four minutes and then stopped, but after a pause of some minutes it began again. I tried to make out footsteps, but could not do so. The movement was that of a heavy body going round the room, and the floor seemed to shake slightly, after the way of old flooring when a heavy man moves about. After going on for some time the movement stopped, and again, after a pause, began again. The movement, whatever it was, occurred four times, with three pauses in between. The durations of the movement and pauses were irregular. After the noise ceased I got up and lit the candle. The time was 5.25, and I read for twenty-five minutes, when I felt sleepy and blew out the candle. I did not, however, go to sleep, and I heard six strike. The day was dawning. The rooks I first heard about 5.35, when I was reading.

"About ten minutes after the clock struck six I heard a noise like a light-footed person running downstairs, which seemed to adjoin No. 3, where the Colonel was sleeping, and almost immediately after I heard a loud rapping at the door of No. 1. After a short pause this occurred again, and I jumped out of bed. As I opened the door of my room leading into the passage the rapping sounds occurred again, but less loudly. There was no one in the passage, and I went back to bed, not having quite shut my door. No sooner had I done so than there was a knock at my door, which I thought must be the Colonel coming to speak to me about the rapping at No. 1. I called out 'Come in,' but there was no answer, and I accordingly again went to the door, only to find no one.

"I heard the servants begin to move about at 6.30 above me, and as seven struck I heard them going through the house.

"The Colonel did not hear anything.

"There are no stairs coming down to the bedroom storey where I thought I heard footsteps.

"The rapping was not in any way an alarming noise.

"On Saturday night 'Ouija' had said that I was not to be disturbed that night, so I was 'not expecting.' It also stated that Nos. 3 and 8 were the rooms that 'the Major' occupied."

* * * * *

March 8th, Monday.—Mr. C—— left early. He has promised to write of any experience last night, as he was gone before we were up. Colonel Taylor is still in No. 3; he has heard nothing, but this is perhaps the less evidential, that, although a frequent visitor to haunted houses, he has never had any experience.

We are still in No. 8, in which we have had a sufficient number of experiences to make us anxious to distribute responsibility by handing it over to another sensitive at the earliest possibility. Miss Langton has hitherto slept in No. 4, in which she was put on her first arrival, except for the three nights she was in No. 2, with companionship in the adjacent rooms. There seems to be no object in the Colonel remaining in No. 3, as he is unlikely to see or hear anything, and as soon as that side of the house is quite emptied she proposes to go into No. 1, as we are anxious to discover whether her experience will corroborate that of Miss Moore, myself, Mrs. B. C——, Mr. Garford, and the maids, as to the sound of voices.

March 9th, Tuesday.—Mr. C—— writes this morning in regard to Sunday night: "March 8th.—... Last night I was not so much disturbed, but I awoke at 3.10, and did not sleep after that. I had exactly the same sensation as on the previous night, that whenever I was going to sleep something woke me. At 5.20 I heard three noises very close together, but they were very distant, and sounded from the direction of your room" (No. 8).

March 10th, Wednesday.—I awoke about 5.30, and lay awake reading. I had drawn the blinds up, but kept the candle in as long as it was required. At intervals between twenty minutes to six o'clock and ten minutes past I heard the sounds characteristic of No. 8., viz., footsteps of a man, and pattering of a dog. Miss Moore awoke, and heard the later sounds. About 6.10 we both heard the thud, which seems to occur generally beyond the wardrobe nearer the door.

In the afternoon Miss Moore and I called on Mrs. S——.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

March 11th, Thursday.—Very wet day, no phenomena.

March 12th, Friday.—Another wet day. I had had a headache all day, and was unable to join the others in a walk when the rain cleared off, but I went out, alone, about 6.30 to the copse. Standing in my usual place, I saw the nun coming over the hill towards the burn; she stood nearly opposite to me, looking down to the water for a few minutes, and then moved away towards the avenue. I followed as quickly as possible, but when I got to the drive she was still a few yards ahead of me, and I failed to catch her up, though I pursued her down to the lodge, about two hundred yards; she then, passing through the gates, turned to the left, and I lost her in the obscurity of the road, which is there darkened by heavy trees. When I returned to the house I was still in so much pain that I took a sedative draught and went to bed, and to sleep at once.

With regard to the above it may be remarked that the way she came led from B—— Cottage, where by the kindness of Mr. S—— some nuns had formerly spent their annual holiday, and the road on which she disappeared was a way which would have led back to it.

March 13th, Saturday.—At ten o'clock last night Miss Moore woke me to take some food. I was still under the influence of the opiate, and did not really rouse, even when she came to bed half-an-hour later. We did not speak till I was aroused by a loud banging noise, when, in answer to my startled exclamation, Miss Moore suggested that it was probably the servants shutting up downstairs, as we were early, and they had very likely not yet gone to bed. I was much annoyed, as I knew they had been cautioned to keep quiet, and even the maid had not been allowed to enter my room. This morning, when Miss Moore went to see the housekeeper, the butler came in and asked if we had heard any noises last night, about a quarter to eleven o'clock, he thought, after every one had gone up to bed; adding, "It was two bangs like a fist on a door, and I said, 'If that isn't Miss Moore or Miss Langton, I'll believe in the noises they all talk about,'—it's just like what the gentlemen told me."

His wife had also heard the bangs, but had waited for him to speak to her of them, and the maids on the other side of the house had been roused to come to their door and listen.

The footman, who sleeps in the basement, and the Colonel, who was in the smoking-room in the wing till 11.30, heard nothing; but Miss Langton, in No. 4, to whom Miss Moore mentioned the servants' story, had heard noises "between 10.30 and 10.45," but had not been disturbed, thinking, as we had done, that they were probably made by the servants.

On inquiry we found that the cook had gone to bed directly after the servants' supper, the two under maids were up by ten o'clock (Miss Moore heard their voices when she came to my room at ten o'clock), and the upper housemaid had gone up a few minutes after the hall clock struck, following Miss Moore up the stairs. The butler had come up directly after, only waiting to put out the hall lamp, and all were in bed before 10.30. We ourselves noticed the striking of the hall clock after we heard the noise—it had gone wrong, and only struck nine instead of eleven o'clock—so there seems little doubt that we all heard the same sound, and all describe it as coming from below.

In discussing the occurrence with the butler and his wife, Miss Moore learned that they had lately heard a story [from a local resident] which was new to us. A maid of Mrs. S——, who, though married to the butler, still lived in the house, and performed her duties as usual, was one night coming up the back-stairs with a tray for Mrs. S——, when, on reaching the top, by the door of No. 3, she met the figure of a nun, which so frightened her that she dropped the tray and broke all the plates on it. Mrs. S—— explained it away by saying it was "only ——" (they could not remember her name) "come to pray with her." It was Sunday night, but they knew there was no one there who could in the least account for the appearance. The only explanation offered by the narrator of the story was that "there had been a Miss S——, a nun, who had died."

March 14th, Sunday.—I called on Mrs. S——, and had a long talk with her.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

March 15th, Monday.—Miss Moore and I, both awake at the time, heard a loud, vibrating noise about a quarter to six. Miss Langton in No. 4 heard it also. The Colonel, who sleeps downstairs, heard it as from the hall, and said he also felt the vibration. Except for about three nights he has always slept in the wing, where, during our tenancy, there have been no phenomena.

March 16th, Tuesday.—Miss Moore, Miss Langton, the Colonel, and I, left B——. Miss Moore, Miss Langton, and I returning on March 20th.

After leaving B—— Colonel Taylor wrote as follows to Lord Bute:—

March 19th, 1897.—"I arrived in London yesterday, after having spent five weeks at B—— very pleasantly. I feel sure that there is a ghostly influence pervading the house, but I am a little disappointed at the way in which it manifests itself, for, up to the time I left, the nature of the manifestations was such that, though it is satisfactory to me, it would not be so, I think, to those who do not look at such things from so favourable a position as I do.

"I hope a change may yet come, and things take place which one might think would justify people in evacuating and forfeiting their money as the H——s did; certainly nothing of this sort happened while I was there.

"It is very interesting to note Miss Freer's experiences, but in regard to those of others who have something to relate, it is perhaps difficult to determine how much these statements should be discounted for error of observation and self-suggestion. I heard many noises in the night during my stay at B——, but they were of much the same sort I have been accustomed to hear at a similar time in other houses. I think that some of our witnesses may have given them undue prominence, under the influence of their own expectancy. The clairvoyant visions of 'Ishbel' in the grounds are not of great evidential value for the scientific world in general, and I think that any amount of 'voices' could be read into the noises of the running stream, near where she is seen, by those who 'wished to hear.' Still, there are some objective noises which cannot be easily accounted for in an ordinary way, and the three almost independent visions of the brown cross are important.

"I hope things will improve; in any case, you will have added considerably to psychical research when all has been recorded...."

It is difficult perhaps to see why Colonel Taylor should regard the independent visions of the crucifix as of more value than the equally independent and far more numerous hallucinations, audible and visual, of "Ishbel." We have the statements of the failure of several persons who "wished to hear" voices in the sounds of the burn, which was, moreover, frozen and silent when the voices were heard by the first two non-expectant and quite independent witnesses.

March 19th.—A passage in Miss Langton's private journal under this date is as follows:—

"St. Andrews, March 19th.—I looked into a water-bottle to-night to see if I could see anything of what was happening at B——. I distinctly saw room No. 3, and gradually a figure came into view between the two doors (i.e. near the foot of the bed), the figure of a tall woman, dressed in a long clinging robe of grey, and who seemed to be holding something in her hand, against the wall at the foot of the bed. This became more distinct, and I saw that it was a cross of dark brown wood, some 12 inches long (I should say). The figure did not appear to move. I seemed to be standing at the door of No. 3, which opens on to the landing" (cf. pp. 17, 132, 142).

For the information of those not accustomed to the phenomena of crystal-gazing, it may be as well to remark that it is quite possible that the image had been subconsciously seen by Miss Langton when sleeping in No. 3, as deferred impressions are often externalised for the first time in the crystal. She may equally have received the impression by thought-transference from others. Certainly she had not been informed of earlier experiences.

March 20th, Saturday.—Miss Langton, Miss Moore, and I returned to B—— house. Four guests arrived in time for dinner.

Rooms for to-night:—

1. Miss Moore and I. 2. Miss Langton. 3. Miss "Duff," a lady whose name is familiar to readers of recent records of crystal-gazing and other students of the literature of the Psychical Research Society. 4. Mr. MacP——. 5. Mr. W——. 8. Colonel C——.

March 21st, Sunday.—Last night, about 11.15, after Miss Moore and I were in bed in No. 1, we heard a loud sound from the left-hand side of the fireplace (south-west corner). It might be imitated by the "giving" of a large tin box (cf. pp. 173, 179). There was nothing but a footstool and a draped dressing-table there. We called out to Miss Langton, whom we could hear still moving about. She said she had heard the noise, but had made none herself.

Her account is as follows:—

"Last night (Sunday, March 21st) we retired to bed early, as Miss Moore was leaving by an early train next morning, and I was going to get up in order to see her off. It was certainly not later than 10.45, when I went to my room, having gone to No. 1 to say good-night to Miss Freer and Miss Moore, who were sleeping that night in that room. Miss 'Duff' was in No. 3, and I was occupying No. 2. I am not at all nervous, and certainly I was not expecting to see anything, as No. 2 is always supposed to be a 'quiet' room. I was some time getting to bed, but I put out my candle at twelve o'clock, and, after noticing that the moon was shining brightly, I got into bed. Contrary to my usual custom I did not fall asleep for some time, and I felt that the room was, in some inexplicable way, not as usual. At last I fell asleep, but not comfortably. I kept waking, and for some time after each awakening I could not get to sleep again. I put this down, however, to the fact that I wanted to waken early the next morning, and was restless in consequence. At last I really fell asleep, but at 4.30 I suddenly awakened with the feeling that I was not alone in the room. I looked round; the room was quite dark; the moon was not shining, but between the bed and the wardrobe there was a figure standing. At first it was very indistinct and misty, but gradually it formed itself into the figure of a woman—a slight, tall woman, with a pale face. She was dressed in long robes, but the upper part was the only part I could see clearly. Round her face and head was a white band, like that worn by a nun, and over her head was what might have been a black hood or small shawl, but in the darkness it was very difficult to distinguish. I could not see what her features were like, but she looked as if she were in trouble, and entreating some one to help her. She stood for some few moments at the foot of my bed looking towards me, and then she made a movement towards the door, but before she reached it she had vanished. I was not at all frightened, as there was nothing at all alarming in her appearance. I cannot write a better description of her, as the vision was so short. The figure was the same as that I had seen at the burn, only very much clearer."

Miss "Duff" writes under this date March 21st:—"On my arrival yesterday I was shown to my room (No. 3), which I had selected, with Miss Freer's permission, as one said to have an evil reputation. Perhaps it was natural that a feeling 'as if I were not alone' should come over me, and needless to say there was no apparent cause for this!

"As a rule I am a very sound sleeper, nothing ever disturbs me; but last night I was suddenly wide awake, as if roused by something unusual. I sat up quickly in bed, but suddenly remembering where I was, I waited expectantly. Nothing occurred, although I did not get to sleep again for about two hours."

March 22nd, Monday.—Mr. MacP—— was awakened between four and five by heavy footsteps overhead. We made many experiments to account for it, and of course made inquiries among the servants, but could find no cause. We are the more interested that hitherto nothing has been heard by our party in his room, No. 4, though there is a tradition of earlier disturbances there.

Mr. MacP—— has furnished the following account of his experience:—

"As usual I went to bed about 12 P.M. I had no desire to be disturbed, and so my room was still No. 4, which I had originally selected as being reputed innocuous, and which, save in one slight instance, I had hitherto found to deserve its reputation. My repeated visits had eliminated any expectancy which may at first have, perhaps, existed.

"My bed was alongside the south wall of my room, and parallel to the corridor or passage, my head towards No. 5, and my feet towards No. 3.

"As often happened at B——, I awoke from a sound slumber, not by degrees, but in a moment. There was no transition—no half-awakening, but full and complete consciousness all at once. I struck a light, looked at my watch, found it was 4.30, and went to sleep again immediately. I then wakened slowly and gradually, hearing more and more clearly a noise which appeared to me to be the cause of my awakening. The noise was the kind of sound which is produced by a person walking rapidly with one foot longer than the other—i.e., it was a succession of beats in rapid sequence, each alternate beat being louder than the one immediately before it.

"It appeared to me (1) to be produced outside my room; (2) to be on a higher level; and (3) to be moving in the direction of my bed—i.e., going as from No. 5 past No. 4, in which I was, towards No. 3. I at once jumped out of bed, opened my door and looked out. I saw nothing, and the noise stopped. I then struck a light, and found that it was only 4.45. I lay awake till I heard the servants obviously moving about, and then went to sleep again. At breakfast I asked, 'Has anybody ever heard this kind of noise?' reproducing it as well as I could by a series of thumps on the table. 'Oh yes,' was the answer, 'that is what we call the 'limping' or 'scuttering' noise. Of course I had heard the phrases used, but thought they referred to two separate noises. I had also formed quite distinct ideas as to the kind of noises these epithets were intended to describe—both entirely different from the kind of noise I had heard—and I showed what I meant. 'Oh no,' said Miss Freer, 'what you heard is what we have been calling indiscriminately the limping or scuttering noise, and we have not heard the kinds of noise these words suggested to you.' I emphasise this as showing clearly that I cannot have been expecting to hear the particular noise in question.

"The next thing was to account for the noise, if possible, and we spent some time experimenting. First of all the servants were interrogated as to whether any of them had been moving about at 4.45. Answer, 'No.' Next we asked who got up first. This was a maid who slept in X, and went into Y to call the kitchenmaid, who slept there. To do so she had, of course, to go through the narrow room which was over part of my bedroom.

"This, she said, was a good bit later than 4.45. But we thought it well to make her go from X to Y while I lay down on my bed and listened. We made her walk backwards and forwards, both with her slippers on and also in her stocking soles. I and some of the others who came into my room heard her quite distinctly. But (1) the noise of her steps was in a different place—near my window, and exactly in the line of her progress; (2) it was an entirely different kind of noise. She walked now fast, and now slowly, but both footsteps seemed always of the same weight; and (3), and this, to my mind, was most important, we heard her quite distinctly going from X to Y, and back again from Y to X and could tell in which direction she was moving. Now, the noise which I had heard only went in the one direction, i.e., parallel to the maid's outward progress. I did not hear anything going in the other direction. I was entirely wakened by the noise which I had heard, and, as I have said, I continued to listen intently for some considerable time, and yet I heard nothing.

"In short, alike from its apparent locus, from its quality, and from the direction of its movements, I am convinced that the noise which I heard was not caused by any of the servants moving about upstairs.

"Anybody who knows the house will understand that where the noise seemed to me to be was in the neighbourhood of the dome. For all I know, the dome, as somebody suggested, may be a regular sounding-board; but even so, that does not help much towards an explanation. Wherever the noise may have been produced, the question still remains, 'What produced it?' and that we have entirely failed to answer."

* * * * *

The gist of this account was communicated by Mr. MacP—— to the Hon. E—— F——, who replied as follows on April 19, 1897: "Do you appreciate the fact that your ghost, with the footsteps of alternate lowness and softness, is absolutely correct, and corresponds with Miss H——'s ghost, as I heard it from Mrs. G—— lately in town. Miss H—— slept, I think, in No. 4 [this is wrong; cf. p. 124], and was wakened by the sound of walking round her bed with a peculiar limp. Much alarmed, she went and called her brother, who came and slept on the sofa (is there a sofa in No. 4?), and shortly afterwards they both heard the same noise again."

Mr. MacP——, as already mentioned, did not know that this noise had been heard by any one.

Miss "Duff" thus describes her next night: "Having heard nothing unusual all day, I went to bed quite disappointed. However, I was to be again awakened, and this time by a loud crash at my door, which resounded for some time. I lit a candle, but nothing had fallen in my room to account for the sound.

"I began to think I might be mistaken as to the direction of the noise, and that it might have been caused by a large piece of coal falling in the fender. I went to look, but there was no coal at all, only the dying embers in the fire. I soon fell asleep again, only to be again awakened by a similar crash (although not so loud), and this time between the washstand and the window. I kept awake till morning, and heard nothing more." [We had carefully concealed from Miss "Duff" the nature of the usual phenomena of this room.]

March 23rd, Tuesday.—Mr. L—— and his friend Captain B—— arrived.

The proof of this portion of the Journal was submitted to Mr. L——, who returned it with, inter alia, the following note:—

"I do not wish to suppress the fact of my visit to B——, but object to the publication of any details about me or any of my writings." In deference to Mr. L——'s wish, therefore, his contributions to the Journal have been withdrawn, and all further references to him deleted.

Captain B—— had no experiences, and by his desire some interesting suggestions made by him as to possible normal causes have been omitted.

We are now sleeping as follows:—

1. Captain B——. 2. Miss Langton. 3. Miss "Duff." 4. Mr. MacP——. 5. Myself. 6. Mr. L——. 7. Colonel C——.