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+The Project Gutenberg eBook, Ghosts and Family Legends, by Catherine Crowe
+
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+
+
+
+Title: Ghosts and Family Legends
+       A Volume for Christmas
+
+
+Author: Catherine Crowe
+
+
+
+Release Date: April 19, 2012  [eBook #39485]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+
+***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GHOSTS AND FAMILY LEGENDS***
+
+
+E-text prepared by Delphine Lettau, Mary Meehan, and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Canada Team (http://www.pgdpcanada.net)
+
+
+
+GHOSTS AND FAMILY LEGENDS.
+
+A Volume for Christmas.
+
+by
+
+MRS. CROWE,
+
+Authoress of "Night Side of Nature," &c.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+London:
+Thomas Cautley Newby, Publisher,
+Welbeck Street, Cavendish Square.
+1859.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS.
+
+
+                                                           _page_
+
+    FIRST PART.
+
+      PREFACE                                                   v
+
+    ROUND THE FIRE.
+
+      FIRST EVENING                                             1
+        THE LOVER'S FAREWELL.
+        _The Appointment Kept_.
+
+      SECOND EVENING                                           19
+        THE WHITE CAT.
+        PASSING SPIRITS.
+        THE GARDE CHASSE.
+
+      THIRD EVENING                                            43
+        THE CARRIER.
+
+      FOURTH EVENING                                           63
+        REHEARSALS, &C.
+        PROPHETIC DREAMS.
+
+      FIFTH EVENING                                            81
+        THE VIGIL.
+        THE STRANGE DOG.
+        THE SCOTCH MINISTER.
+
+      SIXTH EVENING                                            93
+        THE RADIANT BOY.
+        THE PREDICTION.
+        HAUNTED HOUSES.
+        THE JUSTIFICATION.
+
+      SEVENTH EVENING                                         111
+        THE GERMAN INN.
+        THE BENIGHTED TRAVELLER.
+
+      EIGHTH EVENING                                          135
+        MY OWN VISIT TO A HAUNTED HOUSE.
+        MR. G.'S ADVENTURE.
+        CONCLUSION TO FIRST PART.
+
+    APPENDIX                                                  149
+
+        AUTOGRAPH LETTERS COMMUNICATING
+        PERSONAL EXPERIENCES ADDRESSED TO THE AUTHOR.
+
+
+    SECOND PART.
+
+      LEGENDS OF THE EARTHBOUND.
+
+        THE ITALIAN'S STORY                                   173
+
+        THE DUTCH OFFICER'S STORY                             209
+
+        THE OLD FRENCHMAN'S STORY                             229
+
+        THE SWISS LADY'S STORY                                259
+
+        THE SHEEP FARMER'S STORY                              297
+
+        MY FRIEND'S STORY                                     327
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE.
+
+
+It happened that I spent the last winter in a large country mansion, in
+the north of England, where we had a succession of visitors, and all
+manner of amusements--dancing, music, cards, billiards, and other games.
+
+Towards the end of December, 1857, however, the gaiety of the house was
+temporarily interrupted by a serious misfortune that occurred to one of
+the party, which, in the evening, occasioned us to assemble with grave
+faces round the drawing-room fire, where we fell to discussing the
+slight tenure by which we hold whatever blessings we enjoy, and the sad
+uncertainty of human life, as it affects us in its most mournful
+aspect--the lives of those we love.
+
+From this theme, the conversation branched out into various speculations
+regarding the great mysteries of the here and hereafter; the reunion of
+friends, and the possible interests of them that have past away in the
+well-being of those they have left behind; till it fell, naturally, into
+the relation of certain experiences which almost everybody has had, more
+or less; and which were adduced to fortify the arguments of those who
+regard the future as less disjoined from the present than it is
+considered to be by Theologians generally.
+
+In short, we began to tell ghost stories; and although some of the party
+professed an utter disbelief in apparitions, they proved to be as
+fertile as the believers in their contributions--relating something that
+had happened to themselves or their friends, as having undoubtedly
+occurred, or to all appearance, occurred--only, with the reservation,
+that it must certainly have been a dream.
+
+The substance of these conversations fills the following pages, and I
+have told the stories as nearly as possible in the words of the original
+narrators. Of course, I am not permitted to give their names; nobody
+chooses to confess, in print, that he or anybody belonging to him, has
+seen a ghost, or believes that he has seen one. There is a sort of
+odium attached to the imputation, that scarcely anyone seems equal to
+encounter; and no wonder, when _wise_ people listen to the avowal with
+such strange incredulity, and pronounce you at the best a superstitious
+fool, or a patient afflicted with spectral illusions.
+
+Under these circumstances, whether I have ever seen a ghost, myself, I
+must decline confiding to the public; but I take almost as courageous a
+step in avowing my entire and continued belief in the fact that others
+do occasionally see these things; and I assert, that most of those who
+related the events contained in the ensuing pages of this work,
+confessed to me their absolute conviction that they or their friends had
+actually seen and heard what they said they did.
+
+Some of the company related curious traditions and legends connected
+with their family annals; and these form the second part of this little
+book, which I hope may prove a not uninteresting companion for a
+Christmas fireside.
+
+CATHERINE CROWE.
+
+15th _October_, 1858.
+
+
+
+
+GHOST STORIES
+
+AND
+
+FAMILY LEGENDS.
+
+
+
+
+ROUND THE FIRE.
+
+FIRST EVENING.
+
+
+"But there are no ghosts now," objected Mr. R.
+
+"Quite the contrary," said I; "I have no doubt there is nobody in this
+circle who has not either had some experience of the sort in his own
+person, or been made a confidant of such experiences by friends whose
+word on any other subject he would feel it impossible to doubt."
+
+After some discussion on the existence of ghosts and cognate subjects,
+it was agreed that each should relate a story, restricting himself to
+circumstances that had either happened to himself or had been told him
+by somebody fully entitled to confidence, who had undergone the
+experience.
+
+We followed the order in which we were sitting, and Miss P. began as
+follows:--
+
+"I was some years ago engaged to be married to an officer in the ----
+regiment. Circumstances connected with our families prevented the union
+taking place as early as we had expected; and in the mean while Captain
+S., whose regiment was in the West Indies, was ordered to join. I need
+not say that this separation distressed us a good deal, but we consoled
+each other as well as we could by maintaining a constant correspondence;
+though there were no steam packets in those days, and letters were much
+longer on their way and less certain in their arrival than they are now.
+Still I heard pretty regularly, and had no reason for the least
+uneasiness.
+
+"One day that I had been out shopping, and had returned rather tired, I
+told my mother that I should go and lie down for an hour, for we were
+going out in the evening, and I was afraid I might have a head-ache, to
+which I am rather subject; so I went up to my room, took down a book and
+threw myself on the bed to read or sleep as it might happen. I had read
+a page or two, and feeling drowsy had laid down the volume in order to
+compose myself to sleep, when I was aroused by a knock at my chamber
+door.
+
+"'Come in,' I said, without turning my head, for I thought it was the
+maid come to fetch the dress I was going to wear in the evening.
+
+"I heard the door open and a person enter, but the foot was not her's;
+and then I looked round and saw that it was Captain S. What came over me
+then I can't tell you. I knew little of mesmerism at that period, but I
+have since thought that when a spirit appears, it must have some power
+of mesmerising the spectator; for I have heard other people who had been
+in similar situations describe very much what I experienced myself. I
+was perfectly calm, not in the least frightened or surprised, but
+transfixed. Of course, had I remained in my normal state, I should
+either have been amazed at seeing Captain S. so unexpectedly, especially
+in my chamber; or if I believed it an apparition, I should have been
+dreadfully distressed and alarmed; but I was neither; and I can't say
+whether I thought it himself or his ghost. I was passive, and my mind
+accepted the phenomenon without question of how such at thing could be.
+
+"Captain S. approached the bedside, and spoke to me exactly as he was
+in the habit of doing, and I answered him in the same manner. After the
+first greeting, he crossed the room to fetch a chair that stood by the
+dressing table. He wore his uniform, and when his back was turned, I
+remember distinctly seeing the seams of his coat behind. He brought the
+chair, and having seated himself by the bed side, he conversed with me
+for about half-an-hour; he then rose and looking at his watch, said his
+time had expired and he must go; he bade me good bye and went out by the
+same door he had entered at.
+
+"The moment it closed on him, I knew what had happened; if my hypothesis
+be correct, his power over me ceased when he disappeared and I returned
+to my normal state. I screamed, and seized the bell rope which I rang
+with such violence that I broke it. My mother, who was in the room
+underneath, rushed up stairs, followed by the servants. They found me on
+the floor in a fainting state, and for some time I was unable to
+communicate the cause of my agitation. At length, being somewhat calmed,
+I desired the servants might leave the room, and then I told my mother
+what had happened. Of course, she thought it was a dream; in vain I
+assured her it was not, and pointed to the chair which, wonderful to
+say, had been actually brought to the bedside by the spirit--there it
+stood exactly as it had been placed by him; luckily nobody had moved it.
+I said, you know where that chair usually stands; when you were up here
+a little while ago it was in its usual place--so it was when I lay
+down--I never moved it; it was placed there by Captain S.
+
+"My mother was greatly perplexed; she found me so confident and clear;
+yet, the thing appeared to her impossible.
+
+"From that time, I only thought of Captain S. as one departed from this
+life; suspense and its agonies were spared me. I was certain.
+Accordingly, about a month afterwards, when one morning Major B. of the
+---- regiment sent in his card, I said to my mother, 'Now you'll see; he
+comes to tell me of Henry's death.'
+
+"It was so. Captain S. had died of fever on the day he paid me that
+mysterious visit."
+
+We asked Miss P. if any similar circumstance had ever occurred to her
+before or since.
+
+"Never," she answered; "I never saw anything of the sort but on that
+occasion."
+
+"I have no experience of my own to relate," said Dr. W., "but in the
+course of my late tour in Scotland, I went amongst other places to Skye,
+and I found the whole island talking of an event that had just happened
+there, which may perhaps interest you. There was a tradesman in Portree
+of the name of Robertson; I believe he was a sort of general dealer, as
+shopkeepers frequently are in those remote localities. Whatever his
+business was, however, it frequently took him to the other islands or
+the mainland to make purchases. He had arranged to go on one of these
+expeditious, I think to Raasa, when a friend called to inform him that a
+meeting of the inhabitants was to be held on some public question in
+which he, Robertson, was much interested."
+
+"'You had better defer going till after Friday,' said Mr. Brown; 'we
+can't do without you, and its very possible you may not get back in
+time.'
+
+"'Oh, yes, I can do all my business, and be back very well on Thursday,'
+said Mr. Robertson; objecting that if he waited over Friday it would be
+no use going till Monday. Brown tried to persuade him to alter his
+plans, but in vain; 'however,' said he, 'you may rely on seeing me on
+Thursday, if you'll look in, in the evening; as I would not miss the
+meeting on any account.'
+
+"This conversation took place at an early hour on Tuesday morning.
+Immediately afterwards Mr. Robertson bade his wife and children
+good-bye, and proceeded to the boat which left at eleven o'clock, having
+on board, besides himself, two other passengers, and two boatmen.
+
+"On Thursday evening, Mr. Brown, who had been busying himself in
+fortifying and encouraging their adherents against the next day, and had
+taken upon himself to answer for his friend Robertson's presence, as
+soon as he had finished business, set off to keep his appointment with
+the latter, anxious to ascertain that he was arrived.
+
+"His anxiety was soon relieved, for on his way he met him.
+
+"'Well, here you are,' said he, holding out his hand.
+
+"'Yes,' answered Robertson, not appearing to notice the hand, 'I have
+kept my promise.'
+
+"Upon that Mr. Brown introduced the subject of the meeting, and
+mentioned the hopes he had of carrying the question, with which
+Robertson seemed satisfied; but as soon as possible turning the
+conversation into another direction, he began talking to his friend
+about his wife and children, and certain arrangements he had wished to
+be made respecting his property.
+
+"His mind seemed so much more engrossed with these matters than the
+meeting, that little was said upon the latter subject, and Mr. Brown,
+having parted with him in the street, rather wondered why he chose such
+a moment to discuss his private affairs.
+
+"The next morning, at the appointed hour, the principal inhabitants of
+the place assembled in a public room at the Tun. Brown, who wanted to
+say a word to Robertson, lingered at the door; but as he did not come,
+he thought he must have arrived before himself, and went up stairs.
+
+"'Is Robertson here?' said he, on entering the room.
+
+"'No,' said one, 'I'm afraid he's not come back from Raasa.'
+
+"'Oh, yes,' said Brown, 'he'll be here; I saw him yesterday evening.'
+
+"They then discoursed about the matter in hand for some time, till
+finding the chairman was about to proceed to business, Robertson's
+absence was again reverted to.
+
+"'I know he's come back,' said one, 'for I saw him standing at his own
+door as I passed last night.'
+
+"'He can't have forgotten it,' said another.
+
+"'Certainly not, for we spoke of it last night,' said Brown.
+
+"'Perhaps he's ill,' suggested somebody.
+
+"'Just send your man to Mr. Robertson's, and say we are waiting for
+him,' said Brown to the landlord.
+
+"The landlord left the room to do so; and, in the meantime, they
+proceeded to business.
+
+"Presently, the landlord re-entered the room, saying, that Mrs.
+Robertson answered that her husband had not returned from Raasa, and
+that she did not much expect he would be back till night.
+
+"'Nonsense,' cried Brown, 'Why, I saw the man yesterday according to
+appointment, and had a long conversation with him.'
+
+"'I am sure he's come back,' said one who had spoke before. 'I was
+coming down the street on the other side of the way, and I saw him
+standing at the door with his apron on. I should have crossed over to
+speak to him, but I was in a hurry.'
+
+"'It's extraordinary,' said the landlord: 'Mrs. Robertson declares he's
+not come.'
+
+"Some jokes were then passed about the apparent defection of Robertson
+from his spouse, and the meeting concluded their business without him,
+his party being exceedingly annoyed at his absence, which they thought
+not fair to the cause.
+
+"'He should have given us his support.'
+
+"'I suppose he has altered his opinions.'
+
+"'Then he had better have said so.'
+
+"'It struck me, certainly, that he was rather lukewarm on the subject
+when I talked to him last night; but on Tuesday I saw him just before he
+started, and he said he would not miss the meeting on any account. I'll
+go and look after him and know what he means.'
+
+"Accordingly, Brown proceeded to his friend's house, and found Mrs.
+Robertson and her children at dinner.
+
+"'Weel," Mr. Brown,' she said, 'so your meeting's over.'
+
+"'Aye,' said he, 'but where's Robertson? Why didn't he keep his word
+with us?'
+
+"'Why, you see, I dare say he meant to be back--indeed, I know he did:
+but business won't be neglected, and I suppose he could not manage it.'
+
+"'Do you mean to say he's not come back!' said Brown.
+
+"'Sure, I do,' answered Mrs. R. 'Of course, he'd have been at the
+meeting if he had.'
+
+"'But people saw him last night, standing at his own door,' answered the
+cautious Brown.
+
+"'Na, na, Mr. Brown, don't you believe that,' said Mrs. R., laughing;
+they that say that had too much whiskey in their een.'
+
+"The children laughed at the idea of anybody seeing their father when he
+was at Raasa, and on the whole it was evident, that if John Robertson
+had returned, it was unknown to his family. But what could be his reason
+for so strange a proceeding, and why, if he wanted to evade the meeting,
+had he needlessly shown himself at all? Why not really stay away from
+Portree?
+
+"However, Robertson did not appear; and later in the day the landlord of
+the Tun said to Brown, as he was passing the door, 'You must have been
+mistaken about seeing Mr. Robertson; the boat from Raasa is not come
+in.'
+
+"'Then he must have come over by some other, for I not only saw him but
+walked and talked with him. I can't think what he can mean by playing
+at Hide and Seek in this way?'
+
+"'It's very extraordinary,' said the landlord, 'for I am expecting a
+hamper from Raasa; and so, hearing from you that Mr. Robertson was come,
+I went down to inquire about it; but they declare no boat of any sort
+has come in these two days; the wind's right against them.'
+
+"'I know the boat from Raasa is not come back,' said the porter; 'for I
+saw Jenny McGill just now, and she says her husband is not returned.'
+
+"'Really you'll persuade me that I'm not in my right senses,' said the
+perplexed Brown. 'If ever I saw Robertson in my life I saw him last
+night; I was going to call upon him, as he had asked me to do so before
+he went away; but I met him, not far from my own house; and what is
+more, he told me of a thing I did not know before, regarding a purchase
+he had made, and spoke of what he intended to do with it.'
+
+"'It's most extraordinary,' said the landlord.
+
+"'Eh, sirs,' said an old fishwife, who was standing by, 'I wish it may
+not be John Robertson's ghaist that ye saw, for the wind's sair agin
+them, and I'd a bad dream about Jamie McGill last night.'
+
+"They all laughed; but this was the first suggestion of the sort that
+had been made; and though he would not confess it, Brown began to feel
+rather uncomfortable; the more so as several things were recalled to his
+memory that had not struck him at the time. He remembered that Robertson
+had avoided shaking hands with him, either on meeting or parting, as was
+his wont; he had even then been struck with the grave tone of his
+conversation, and with his choosing that particular moment for pressing
+on his friend's attention what did not appear to have any urgent
+interest at present. Then it occurred to him that he looked ill and
+sad--he had attributed this to fatigue; but now, putting everything
+together, he could not help feeling a considerable degree of uneasiness.
+He kept hovering about Robertson's house, and from that to the shore all
+day; went to bed at night quite nervous; and by the next afternoon the
+alarm had spread and become universal. It was not without cause.
+
+"John Robertson never came back; the boat had been lost--how, was not
+known, as all on board had perished. However, Mr. Brown took upon
+himself to be the friend and guardian of the bereaved family; and the
+information he received in that melancholy interview he was enabled to
+turn much to the advantage of their circumstances."
+
+"A very remarkable story," said I.
+
+"Yes," answered Dr. W. "very remarkable indeed, if true."
+
+"And is it not true," I said, "remember, we are upon honour; I should
+think it a very ill compliment if any one attempted to mystify us with
+an invented story."
+
+"I did not invent it, I assure you," replied Dr. W.; "I give it you as
+it was given to me on the spot. If you ask me if I believe it, I can't
+say I do."
+
+"Do you think the people who told you believed it?"
+
+"They certainly appeared to do so."
+
+"And did it seem generally believed?"
+
+"I can't say but it did; but of course, one must have wonderfully strong
+evidence before one could believe such a thing as that."
+
+"Granted; but unless you had seen the thing yourself, you cannot have
+stronger evidence of a phenomenon of that description, than that it was
+believed by those who had good reason to know the grounds of their
+belief. They were able to judge how far Mr. Brown was worthy of credit;
+and they had the advantage of having witnessed his demeanour at the
+public meeting, when he asserted that he had walked and talked with
+Robertson, at a time he could not possibly know if he was telling a lie,
+that the man would not sooner or later return to confute him. Besides,
+as far as we see, it would have been a useless and wicked lie, inasmuch
+as it was calculated to make the man's family very uneasy. His
+subsequent conduct does not at all countenance the persuasion that he
+was capable of such a proceeding.'
+
+"Certainly not; but you know the Scotch are very superstitious."
+
+"I can't agree with you; the higher and lower classes of the towns are
+exactly similar in that respect to the same classes of England. In all
+countries the lower classes are more disposed to put faith in these
+things, because they believe in their traditions and adhere to the axiom
+that seeing is believing. The higher classes, on the other hand, are
+carefully educated not to believe in such traditions and to reject the
+axiom that seeing is believing, if the thing seen is a ghost. Now I
+freely admit, that our senses often deceive us, and that we think we see
+what we do not; every body with the slightest intelligence has, I
+suppose, learnt to distrust his own senses to a certain extent; but why
+on one particular point we should reject their evidence altogether, I
+never could understand."
+
+"You have heard, I suppose of spectral illusions?" said the Doctor.
+
+"Of course I have, and admit their existence; but we have so many cases
+on our side, that doctrine will not cover, and it is so impossible for
+you to prove that any particular case of ghost seeing falls under that
+head, that it is no use discussing the subject. It complicates the
+difficulty I confess, but can never decide the question. I was going to
+say, however, that the shopkeepers and middle classes of Scotland are
+anything but what you mean by superstitious--the class to whom Brown and
+Robertson belong, is the most hardheaded, argumentative, and matter of
+fact in the kingdom; and their religion, which is eminently
+unimaginative, so far from inducing a belief in ghosts, would have a
+precisely opposite tendency, because ghosts do not form an article of
+belief in either the longer or shorter catechism. In the remoter
+districts of the Highlands, the people are said to have more of what you
+would call superstition; but the same peculiarity is remarked in all
+mountainous regions; and as it has never been satisfactorily accounted
+for, we will not enter into the discussion now."
+
+
+
+
+ROUND THE FIRE.
+
+SECOND EVENING.
+
+
+"After the doctor's story, I fear mine will appear too trifling," said
+Mrs. M., "but as it is the only circumstance of the kind that ever
+happened to myself, I prefer giving it you to any of the many stories I
+have heard.
+
+"About fifteen years ago, I was staying with some friends at a
+magnificent old seat in Yorkshire, and our host being very much crippled
+with the gout, was in the habit of driving about the park and
+neighbourhood in a low pony phaeton, on which occasions, I often
+accompanied him. One of our favourite excursions was to the ruins of an
+old abbey just beyond the park, and we generally returned by a
+remarkably pretty rural lane leading to the village, or rather, small
+town of C.
+
+"One fine summer's evening we had just entered this lane, when seeing
+the hedges full of wild flowers, I asked my friend to let me alight and
+gather some; I walked on before the carriage picking honeysuckles and
+roses as I went along, till I came to a gate that led into a field. It
+was a common country gate, with a post on each side, and on one of these
+posts sat a large white cat, the finest animal of the kind I had ever
+seen; and as I have a weakness for cats, I stopt to admire this sleek,
+fat puss, looking so wonderfully comfortable in a very uncomfortable
+position; the top of the post on which it was sitting, with its feet
+doubled up under it, being out of all proportion to its body, for no
+Angola ever rivalled it in size.
+
+"'Come on, gently,' I called to my friend, 'here's such a magnificent
+cat!' for I feared the approach of the phaeton would startle it away
+before he had seen it.
+
+"'Where?' said he, pulling up his horse opposite the gate.
+
+"'There,' said I, pointing to the post, 'Isn't it a beauty; I wonder if
+it would let me stroke it!'
+
+"'I see no cat,' said he.
+
+"'There on the post,' said I, but he declared he saw nothing, though
+puss sat there in perfect composure during this colloquy.
+
+"'Don't you see the cat, James,' said I, in great perplexity to the
+groom.
+
+"'Yes, ma'am; a large white cat on that post.'
+
+"I thought my friend must be joking, or else losing his eye-sight, and I
+approached the cat, intending to take it in my arms, and carry it to the
+carriage; but as I drew near, she jumped off the post, which was natural
+enough--but to my surprise she jumped into nothing--as she jumped she
+disappeared! no cat in the field--none in the lane--none in the ditch!
+
+"'Where did she go, James?'
+
+"'I don't know, ma'am, I can't see her,' said the groom, standing up in
+his seat, and looking all round.
+
+"I was quite bewildered; but still I had no glimmering of the truth; and
+when I got into the carriage again, my friend said he thought I and
+James were dreaming, and I retorted that I thought he must be going
+blind.
+
+"I had a commission to execute as we passed through the town, and I
+alighted for that purpose at the little haberdasher's; and while they
+were serving me, I mentioned that I had seen a remarkably beautiful cat
+sitting on a gate in the lane; and asked if they could tell me who it
+belonged to, adding, it was the largest cat I ever saw.
+
+"The owners of the shop, and two women who were making purchases,
+suspended their proceedings, looked at each other, and then looked at
+me, evidently very much surprised.
+
+"'Was it a white cat, ma'am?' said the mistress.
+
+"'Yes, a white cat; a beautiful creature and--'
+
+"'Bless me!' cried two or three, 'the lady's seen the _White Cat of C._
+It hasn't been seen these twenty years.'
+
+"'Master wishes to know if you'll soon be done, ma'am? The pony is
+getting restless,' said James.
+
+"Of course, I hurried out, and got into the carriage, telling my friend
+that the cat was well known to the people at C., and that it was twenty
+years old.
+
+"In those days, I believe, I never thought of ghosts, and least of all
+should I have thought of the ghost of a cat; but two evenings
+afterwards, as we were driving down the lane, I again saw the cat in the
+same position, and again my companion could not see it, though the groom
+did. I alighted immediately, and went up to it. As I approached, it
+turned its head, and looked full towards me with its soft, mild eyes,
+and a kindly expression, like that of a loving dog; and then, without
+moving from the post, it began to fade gradually away, as if it were a
+vapour, till it had quite disappeared. All this the groom saw as well as
+myself; and now there could be no mistake as to what it was. A third
+time, I saw it in broad daylight, and my curiosity greatly awakened, I
+resolved to make further inquiries amongst the inhabitants of C., but
+before I had an opportunity of doing so, I was summoned away by the
+death of my eldest child, and I have never been in that part of the
+world since. However, I once mentioned the circumstance to a lady who
+was acquainted with that neighbourhood, and she said she had heard of
+the White Cat of C., but had never seen it.
+
+"But as you may not think this story very interesting since it only
+relates to a cat, I will, if you please, tell you another, in which I
+was concerned, although I saw nothing myself."
+
+"We shall be very happy," I said, "but I am far from thinking your story
+wanting in interest, in fact, to me it has a very peculiar interest.
+There are few friends so sincere as the animals who have loved us, and
+none that I, for my part, more earnestly desire to see again. I have had
+two dogs, in my life, who contributed much to my happiness while they
+lived, and never caused me a sorrow till they died. Besides, there is a
+deep mystery in the being of these creatures, which proud man never
+seeks to unravel, or condescends to speculate on. What is their relation
+to the human race? Why are these spiritual germs embodied in those forms
+and made subject to man, that hard and cruel master! who assumes to be
+their superior, because he is endowed with some higher faculties, the
+most of which he grossly misuses. How beautiful are their characters
+when studied? how wonderful their intelligence when cultivated? how
+willing they are to serve us when kindly treated? But man, by his
+cruelty, ignorance, laziness, and want of judgment, spoils their temper,
+blunts their intelligence, deteriorates their nature, and then punishes
+them for being what he himself has made them. Well might Chalmers
+exclaim, 'All nature groans beneath the cruelty of man.' Why are these
+creatures, sinless, as far as we see, placed here as the subjects of
+this barbarous, unthinking tyrant? That has always appeared to me a
+solemn question."
+
+After this little digression, Mrs. M. continued as follows:--
+
+"I had been travelling on the continent, and was staying at Brussels on
+my way home. The bedroom I occupied was within another, in which slept
+my faithful maid, Rachel, and one of my children. I had been in bed
+sometime, and had not been to sleep, when I heard Rachel's voice, saying
+something which I did not distinctly hear, and before I could ask what
+it was, she uttered a cry that immediately brought me to her bedside. I
+found her in a state of violent agitation, and as soon as she was
+composed enough to speak, she told me that she had not been long in bed
+when she heard a voice call her, which she supposed to be mine, and
+immediately afterwards, in the glass which was opposite the foot of the
+bed, she saw a figure in white, enter and proceed to the other end of
+the room. She concluded it was me in my night dress, and that I had only
+mentioned her name to ascertain if she was awake, fearing to disturb the
+child, who was restless, she lay still, and did not answer. The figure
+went back through the door, but presently returned again, and seemed to
+be looking about for something, whereupon she half sat up in bed; when
+it approached, and laid its hand heavily on her knee, there was
+something painful in the pressure, and she exclaimed, 'Oh, don't do that
+ma'am!' but she had scarcely uttered the words when she discerned the
+features, and saw it was her sister. The phantom looked sadly at her,
+and then retreating to the opposite corner, disappeared. This
+circumstance, in spite of my arguments and suggestions that it was a
+dream, made a very painful impression on her; she felt sure some
+misfortune had happened, and so it proved; her sister had died on that
+night, leaving a family of young children, about whom, in her last
+moments, she was very anxious."
+
+"Cases of that sort are very numerous," said Lady A., "I know of two
+which I can give upon perfectly good authority. A friend of mine was
+sitting a few years since in the drawing room at her country seat; there
+was a door at each end, leading to other rooms, both of which were open.
+A slight rustle caused her to raise her eyes from her work, when she saw
+her nephew enter at one door, walk straight through, and out at the
+other. The young man was at college, and she had no reason to expect
+him then, but concluding some unforeseen business had brought him, and
+that he was in search of her, she called--'Arthur, here I am,' and
+pursued him into the adjoining room, and then into the hall. Receiving
+no answer, and not being able to find him in any direction, she rang for
+the servants, and inquired where he was; but they did not know; they had
+seen nothing of him. She insisted he had arrived, and he was sought for
+all over the house and grounds in vain. The thing remained perfectly
+incomprehensible, till the post brought a letter, announcing that the
+young man had been drowned on that day.
+
+"Another instance, equally well established, is that of Dr. C., of
+Dublin. He resided with his family some few miles from the city, I
+believe, at or near Howth, and when he returned in the evening after
+visiting his patients, he frequently, to save time, took a short cut
+across some sands, which in certain states of the tide were not always
+safe. Mrs. C. had often entreated him to relinquish this practice, and
+take the more circuitous way; but he thought he was too well acquainted
+with the place to run any danger. One evening that they were expecting
+him, as usual, to dinner, his brother, who was standing at the window,
+saw him arrive; he rode a white horse, and was therefore a conspicuous
+object. When the dinner hour came, as he had not appeared in the drawing
+room, his brother and Mrs. C., to whom the latter had mentioned having
+seen him, desired the servants to seek him in his dressing room, and ask
+if he was ready. He was not in his room, nor was he any where to be
+found; neither had any of the servants seen him, nor was his horse in
+the stable. Mr. C., however, confident of his arrival, suggested that he
+might be gone to visit some sick person in the neighbourhood; so they
+waited. But in vain; news presently arrived that horse and man had been
+drowned that evening in crossing the sands."
+
+There was scarcely any one present unacquainted with examples of this
+kind of appearance amongst their family or friends, but Captain L.
+related to us a case still more curious and unaccountable that had
+happened to himself in India when he was in the Himalaya.
+
+"I was just finishing my breakfast one morning," said he, "when my
+servant entered and announced a visitor. It was Captain P. B. of ours,
+who came to invite me to a game of billiards. Our billiard-room was
+situated about a mile beyond my quarter, and Captain B., who lived at
+the other extremity, had to pass my residence to go to it.
+
+"'Are you going up there now?' I said.
+
+"'Yes,' said he; 'will you come?'
+
+"'Why, I can't come directly,' I answered; 'for I have a letter to write
+first; but if you'll go on, I'll join you presently.'
+
+"He left me, and as soon as I had written my letter, I started for the
+billiard-room. When I entered it, Captain P. B. was not there, nor,
+indeed, anybody but the marker--which was not surprising, as it was
+earlier than we usually went there.
+
+"'Where's Captain B?' I said.
+
+"'Don't know, sir; he has not been here yet.'
+
+"'Not been here?'
+
+"'No, sir, not to-day.'
+
+"Thinking, that as I was not ready, he had filled up the interval by
+going somewhere else, I began knocking about the balls; every now and
+then looking out of the window, expecting to see him approach; but when
+this had lasted upwards of two hours, I began to be rather impatient,
+and was just thinking of going away, when I saw him approaching with his
+wife in an open carriage from an opposite direction.
+
+"'A pretty fellow you are, to keep me kicking my heels here waiting for
+you,' said I, as he entered the room.
+
+"'Keep you waiting!' he said; 'I have not kept you waiting.'
+
+"'Why, I've been here these two hours and more.'
+
+"'How was I to know that; I did not know you were coming up here.'
+
+"'Why, I told you I'd come as soon as I had finished my letter.'
+
+"'My dear fellow, what are you talking about?' exclaimed my friend, in
+evident surprise; 'when did you tell me so? I don't recollect making any
+appointment to meet you to-day.'
+
+"'What! not this morning, as you were passing my quarter?' said I,
+amazed in my turn. 'Didn't you ask me to come and play a game at
+billiards; and didn't I tell you I'd come as soon as I had finished my
+letter? and I did.'
+
+"P. B. looked at me as if he thought I'd suddenly become insane; but as
+I suppose my countenance did not confirm that impression, he said,
+'Here's some mistake; when do you suppose I made this appointment with
+you?'
+
+"'Suppose!' I answered, rather indignant; 'what do you mean by
+_suppose_? Didn't you come into my quarter about three hours ago, just
+as I was finishing breakfast, and ask me to come up here and play a game
+at billiards with you?'
+
+"'No; it must have been somebody else. Who gave you the message?'
+
+"'Message! there was no message,' I answered, quite bewildered. 'You
+came in yourself--you know you did. What's the use of trying to hoax
+one?'
+
+"'I don't know whether you are trying to hoax _me_,' replied P. B.; 'but
+upon my soul I have not been in your quarter to-day; nor have I seen you
+at all, till I entered this room. Moreover, I went with my wife at an
+early hour to breakfast with Captain D., and we are now returning
+thence; and I told the coachman to set me down here as he passed.'
+
+"This was most confounding; and as we were both equally positive in what
+we asserted, we left the billiard-room together, and proceeded to take
+the testimony of my servant. On being asked who he had introduced when I
+was finishing breakfast, he unhesitatingly answered, Captain B. His
+account, in short, coincided entirely with mine.
+
+"'Now then,' said Captain B., 'as you have your witness, you must hear
+mine,' and we went on to his quarter, where I received the most
+satisfactory and unimpeachable evidence, that what he said was correct.
+He had left home with Mrs. B. at six o'clock, and gone by appointment to
+breakfast with Captain D., who lived quite in a different direction to
+my quarter; and Captain D. afterwards testified to his never having left
+his house till he stept into the carriage with his wife.
+
+"This event created a great sensation at the time; and people
+endeavoured by every means to explain it away, but nobody ever could.
+Captain B. did not like it at all; and his wife and family were very
+much alarmed, but nothing ensued, and I believe he is alive and well at
+this moment."
+
+We next turned to Madame Von B., who said she knew so many cases of
+spiritual appearances, and occurrences of that nature, that she was
+rather perplexed by the abundance of her recollections. Amongst these
+she selected the following on account of its singularity:--
+
+"We resided a great deal on the continent before I was married, and my
+mother had a favourite maid, called Françoise, who lived with her many
+years--a most trustworthy, excellent creature, in whom she had the
+greatest confidence; insomuch, that when I married, being very young and
+very inexperienced, as she was obliged to separate from me herself, she
+transferred Françoise to my service, considering her better able to take
+care of me than anybody else.
+
+"I was living in Paris then, where Françoise, who was a native of Metz,
+had some relations settled in business, whom she often used to visit.
+She was generally very chatty when she returned from these people; for I
+knew all her affairs, and through her, all their affairs; and I took an
+interest in whatever concerned her or hers.
+
+"One Sunday evening, after she had been spending the afternoon with this
+family, observing that she was unusually silent, I said to her, while
+she was undressing me, 'Well, Françoise, haven't you anything to tell
+me? How are your friends? Has Madame Pelletier got rid of her
+_grippe_?'
+
+"Françoise started as if I had awakened her out of a reverie, and said,
+'Oh! oui, Madame; oui, mercé; elle se porte bien aujourd'hui.'
+
+"'And Monsieur Pelletier and the children, are they well?'
+
+"'Oui, Madame, merci; ils se portent bien.'
+
+"These curt answers were so unlike those she generally gave me, that I
+was sure her mind was pre-occupied, and that something had happened
+since we parted in the morning; so I turned round to look her in the
+face, saying '_Mais, qu'avez vous donc, Françoise? Qu'est ce qu'il y
+a?_'
+
+"Then I saw what I had not observed before, that she was very pale, and
+that her cheeks had a glazed look, which showed that she had been
+crying.
+
+"'Mais, ma bonne Françoise,' I said; 'vous avez quelque chose--est il
+arrivé quelque malheur à Metz?'
+
+"'C'est cela, Madame,' answered Françoise, who had a brother there whom
+she had not seen for several years, but to whom she still continued
+affectionately attached. His name was Benoît, and he was in a good
+service as garde forestier to a nobleman who possessed very extensive
+estates, _près de chez nous_, as Françoise said. He had a wife and
+children; and some time before the period I am referring to, Françoise
+had told me, with great satisfaction, that in order to make him more
+comfortable, the Prince de M---- had given Benoît the privilege of
+gathering up all the dead wood in the forest to sell for firewood,
+which, as the estate was very large, rendered his situation extremely
+profitable. When she said 'c'est cela, Madame,' Françoise, who had just
+encased me in my dressing gown, sunk into a chair, and having declared
+that she was _bête, très bête_, she gave way to a hearty good cry, after
+which, being somewhat relieved, she told me the following strange
+story:--
+
+"'You remember,' she said, 'that the prince was so good as to give
+Benoît all the dead wood of the forest--and a great thing it was for him
+and his family, as you will think, when I tell you it was worth upwards
+of two thousand francs a-year to him. In short, he was growing rich, and
+perhaps he was getting to think too much of his money and too little of
+the _bon Dieu_--at all events, this privilege which the prince gave him
+to make him comfortable, and which made him a great man amongst the
+foresters, has been the cause of a dreadful calamity.'
+
+"'How?' said I.
+
+"'We never heard anything of what had happened,' said she, till
+yesterday, when Mons. Pelletier received a letter from Benoît's wife,
+and another from a cousin of ours, relating what I am going to tell you,
+and saying that both he and his family had wished to keep it secret; but
+that was no longer possible.'
+
+"'Well, and what has happened?'
+
+"'La chose la plus incroyable! Eh bien, Madame; it appears that one day
+last autumn, Benoît went out in the forest to gather the dead-wood. He
+had his cart with him, and as he gathered it he bound it into faggots
+and threw it in the cart. He had extended his search this day to a
+remote part of the forest, and found himself in a spot he did not
+remember to have visited before; indeed, it was evident to him that he
+had not, or he could not have escaped seeing an old wooden cross which
+was lying on the ground, and had apparently fallen into that recumbent
+position from old age. It was such a cross as is usually set up where a
+life has been lost, whether by murder or suicide; or sometimes when
+poor wanderers are frozen to death or lost in the deep winter snows. He
+looked about for the grave, but saw no indication of one; and he tried
+to remember if any catastrophe had happened there in his time, but could
+recall none. He took up the cross and examined it. He saw that the wood
+was decayed, and it bore such marks of antiquity, that he had no doubt
+the person whose grave it had marked had died before he was born--it
+looked as if it might be a hundred years old.
+
+"'Eh bien,' said Françoise, wiping her eyes, into which the tears kept
+starting, 'of course you will think that Benoît, or anybody in the world
+who had the fear of God before his eyes, as he could not find the grave
+to replace it as it should be, would have laid it reverently down where
+he had found it, saying a prayer for the soul of the deceased; but,
+alas! the demon of avarice tempted him, and he had not the heart to
+forego that poor cross, but bound it up into a faggot with the rest of
+the dead wood he found there, and threw it into his cart!'
+
+"'Well, Françoise,' said I, 'you know I am not a Catholic, but I respect
+the custom of erecting these crosses, and I do think your brother was
+very wrong; I suppose he has lost the prince's favour by such impious
+greediness.'
+
+"'Pire que ça! worse than that,' she replied. 'It appears that while he
+was committing this wicked action, he felt an extraordinary chill come
+over him, which made him think that, though it had been a mild day, the
+evening must have suddenly turned very cold, and hastily throwing the
+faggot into his cart, he directed his steps homeward. But walk as he
+would, he still felt this chill down his back, so that he turned his
+head to look where the wind blew from, when he saw, with some dismay, a
+mysterious-looking figure following close upon his footsteps. It moved
+noiselessly on, and was covered with a sort of black mantle that
+prevented his discerning the features. Not liking its appearance, he
+jumped into the cart and drove home as fast as he could, without looking
+behind him; and when he got into his own farmyard he felt quite
+relieved, particularly, as when he alighted he saw no more of this
+unpleasant-looking stranger. So he began unloading his cart, taking out
+the faggots, one by one, and throwing them upon the ground; but when he
+threw down the one that contained the cross, he received a blow upon
+his face, so sharp that made him stagger and involuntarily shout aloud.
+His wife and children were close by, but there was no one else to be
+seen; and they would have disbelieved him and fancied he had
+accidentally hit himself with the faggot, but that they saw the distinct
+mark on his cheek of a blow given with an open hand. However, he went
+into supper perplexed and uncomfortable; but when he went to bed this
+fearful phantom stood by his side, silent and terrible, visible to him,
+but invisible to others. In short, madame, this awful figure haunted him
+till, in spite of his shame, he resolved to consult our cousin Jerome
+about it.'
+
+"But Jerome laughed, and said it was all fancy and superstition. 'You
+got frightened at having brought away this poor devil's cross, and then
+you fancy he's haunting you,' said he.
+
+"But Benoît declared that he had thought nothing about the cross, except
+that it would make fire wood, and that he had no more believed in ghosts
+than Jerome; 'but now,' said he, 'something must be done. I can get no
+sleep and am losing my health; if you can't help me, I must go to the
+priest and consult him.'
+
+"'Why don't you take back the cross and put it where you found it,' said
+Jerome.
+
+"'Because I am afraid to touch it and dare not go to that part of the
+forest.'
+
+"'So Jerome who did not believe a word about the ghost, offered to go
+with him and replace the cross. Benoît gladly accepted, more especially,
+as he said he saw the apparition standing even then beside him,
+apparently, listening to the conversation. Jerome laughed at the idea;
+however, Benoît lifted the cross reverently into the cart and away they
+went into the forest. When they reached the spot, Benoît pointed out the
+tree under which he had found it; and as he was shaking and trembling,
+Jerome took up the cross and laid it on the ground, but as he did so he
+received a violent blow from an invisible hand, and at the same moment
+saw Benoît fall to the ground. He thought he had been struck too, but it
+afterwards appeared that he had fainted from having seen the phantom
+with its upraised hand striking his cousin. However, they left the cross
+and came away; but there was an end to Jerome's laughter, and he was
+afraid the apparition would now haunt him. Nothing of the sort happened;
+but poor Benoît's health has been so shaken by this frightful
+occurrence that he cannot get the better of it; his friends have advised
+change of scene, and he is coming to Paris next week.'
+
+"This was the story Françoise told me, and in a few days I heard he had
+arrived and was staying with Mons. Pelletier; but the shock had been too
+great for his nerves, and he died shortly after. They assured me that
+previous to that fatal expedition into the forest, he had been a hale,
+hearty man, totally exempt from superstitious fancies of any sort; and
+in short, wholly devoted to advancing his worldly prosperity and getting
+money."
+
+
+
+
+ROUND THE FIRE.
+
+THIRD EVENING.
+
+
+"I don't know that I could tell you anything interesting in the way of
+Ghost Stories; I have never attended to them, though I have heard a
+great many," said Colonel C.; "but I can tell you an extraordinary
+circumstance which may, perhaps, be considered of a spiritual nature,
+and which I can myself vouch for the truth of.
+
+"My father, when I was young, resided in the South of England--I shall
+not give the name of the place, nor of the people immediately concerned,
+if these stories are to be published; because, for anything I know, some
+persons may survive to whom the publication might give pain; I lived
+there with him and my mother and sisters. Our house was on the road
+between two large towns, situated about eight miles distant from each
+other; and though we had a little ground and a short avenue in front, we
+were not more than half a quarter of a mile from the highway. When all
+was still, we could distinctly hear the carts and carriages as they
+passed, and even distinguish by the sound of the wheels what kind of
+vehicle it was. There was a carrier that plied between these two towns,
+whom I will call Healy, and as everything we used we had from B., he was
+generally at our house three or four times a week; in short, he did our
+marketings, in a great degree; my mother giving him an order, as he
+passed, for what he was to bring back; and many a time Healy has
+smuggled a novel from the circulating library for my sisters, or done
+little commissions for me that I could not so well manage for myself.
+All this made him a popular character with us, for he was very obliging;
+but for all that, he did not bear the best of characters. It was his
+interest to be well with us, and the gentry in general, who were his
+customers; and he understood that too well to incur our ill-will; but by
+his equals and inferiors he was looked upon with a less favourable eye.
+They had nothing very positive to allege against him; but they thought
+him a hard, griping, greedy man, who was honest in his dealings with us
+because the slightest suspicion would have ruined his trade, but who
+would take an advantage when he thought no possible damage to himself
+could accrue from it. He was about forty years of age; tall, with a long
+face, prominent nose, and dark complexion; his shoulders were round, but
+his frame was wiry, and he was reputed very strong.
+
+"One evening, between thirty and forty years ago, towards the beginning
+of winter, we were expecting Healy--my mother was solicitous about some
+provisions she had ordered for an approaching dinner-party; and I was
+very anxious for the arrival of a cricket-bat that I wanted for use the
+day after the next. Of course, long before the time he usually arrived,
+I was looking out for him, and fancying him late; I said, 'I wondered
+Healy was not come!' Upon which my father looked at his watch, and found
+that it wanted full half-an-hour of his time, which was nine o'clock;
+sometimes, indeed, later, but never earlier. It was then exactly
+half-past eight; and before my father had returned his watch into his
+pocket, one of my sisters exclaimed, 'Here he is!' and we heard the
+wheels coming up the avenue--we should have heard him before, but two
+of my sisters were practising a duet, which was to be produced at the
+approaching festivity, and drowned the sound.
+
+"Thereupon, I and my mother left the room, and went towards the back
+door, where Healy had just alighted, and was bringing sundry packages
+into the kitchen.
+
+"'Have you got my bat, Healy?' said I.
+
+"'No, sir,' he replied; 'there wasn't one in the whole town the size you
+wanted; but I'll bring you one from S. as I pass to-morrow. I know
+they've got 'em there. I believe that's all, Ma'am?' he added,
+addressing my mother.
+
+"She said she believed it was, and was going to pay him his week's
+account, which she had asked for, but he hurried out, saying, 'Another
+time, if you please, Ma'am; I'm rather late to-night;' and he was in his
+cart and away before I had time to give him some directions in regard to
+the bat.
+
+"'What a hurry he's in!' I said; 'and it wants almost twenty minutes to
+nine now.'
+
+"'I suppose he has a great many places to stop at,' said my mother; 'if
+he don't get all his parcels delivered before people are gone to bed, he
+gets into trouble sometimes. He's a very punctual fellow certainly.'
+
+"We returned to the drawing-room, and resumed our occupations; and about
+half-an-hour afterwards--happening to be all silent at the moment, we
+heard a pair of light wheels and a brisk trotting horse passing in the
+road.
+
+"'That's farmer Gould's mare, I'm sure,' said I. 'What a famous trotter
+she is!'
+
+"'Yes,' said my father; 'I wish he'd part with her. I made him an offer
+the other day. I should like her for my buggy.'
+
+"'And what did he say? Won't he sell her?'
+
+"'He said nothing--he only laughed, and shook his fat sides.'
+
+"'Money is no object to him,' said my mother, 'he won't part with her
+unless he gets another he likes better.'
+
+"We breakfasted at nine o'clock, and I was getting up, and about half
+dressed, when one of my sisters burst into my room, crying, 'La! Fred.,
+such a shocking thing has happened! poor Farmer Gould was found dead in
+the road this morning; they think his horse ran away, for it's not to
+be found; and the chaise was upset and lying on its side. How lucky,
+papa did not get the mare!'
+
+"'Who says so?' said I.
+
+"'The postman;' she answered, 'he saw some labourers standing round
+something in the road; and when he came up to them, he found it was the
+chaise, and poor farmer Gould quite dead beside it!'
+
+"When I got down stairs I found the whole house occupied with the
+subject of this sad accident, all lamenting the good man, who was a
+general favourite, and agreeing that, for so heavy a person, a
+two-wheeled carriage was very dangerous, as a fall was almost sure to be
+fatal.
+
+"My father said when he had finished his letters and papers he would
+walk up to the farm, and see if he could be of any use to poor Mrs.
+Gould; I, with the curiosity of fifteen, begged to go with him; and my
+mother improved the occasion by giving the governor a serious lecture
+about his love for high-trotting horses and buggies.
+
+"I expected Healy with my bat about eleven o'clock, as he had nothing
+else to bring, I knew he wouldn't come up the avenue, but leave it at a
+cottage near our gate; and wishing to learn if he'd heard any
+particulars about the accident, I walked down to meet him when the hour
+approached. Presently, I saw him coming, sitting in front of his cart.
+
+"'Well, Healy,' I said, 'isn't this a shocking thing about poor Farmer
+Gould? You've heard he was found dead in the road this morning?'
+
+"'Yes, Sir, the mare ran away, and pitched him out upon his head; I
+can't say as ever I liked her myself; but I've got your bat, Master
+Frederick; a nice un too; I wouldn't come away this morning till I'd got
+it.'
+
+"I thanked him, and he drove on, as if he had no time to lose in gossip,
+while I was untying the string of my parcel.
+
+"By the time my father and I reached Gould's farm, the doctor had
+arrived from B., and we heard he was examining the body in the parlour,
+where it had been laid by the labourers who found it. The chaise, too,
+was standing near the door, just as it had been wheeled up, and the
+mare, they told us, had been found in a neighbouring field, with the
+harness hanging about her, and unhurt, except on the forehead, where
+she appeared to have had a violent blow. The farm men, standing about,
+said, that she had no doubt taken her head, and ran foul of something,
+and so pitched out Mr. Gould, and overturned the chaise; which seemed
+likely enough.
+
+"My father said, he should like to see Mr. Wills, the surgeon; so we
+stood about outside till he came. When he did, he looked very grave, as,
+indeed, befitted the occasion; but in answer to my father's inquiries,
+he said, that he could give no decided opinion of the cause of death
+till he had investigated the case further; and then he proceeded to
+examine the chaise, and next the horse. He then walked with us down to
+the spot where the thing had happened, and narrowly surveyed the ground;
+but he was very uncommunicative, which, as we knew him well, rather
+surprised us. He hurried away, saying, that he must prepare for the
+inquest on the following day.
+
+"My father went to the inquest; and I should have liked to go, too, but
+I was engaged to play a match at cricket with a few of my young
+neighbours. However, I was home first, for the inquest lasted a long
+time, and took a very unexpected turn.
+
+"It appeared that Mr. Wills, who was by marriage a connexion of Gould's
+wife, had suspected on the first examination of the body that the farmer
+had not come fairly by his end. It so happened that Gould had dined with
+him the last day he was at B., and had mentioned to him that he had 'at
+last got that seventy pounds that he was afraid he should never see;'
+alluding to some money that had been long owing to him; and as he spoke,
+he drew from his pocket a bundle of notes, some of which appeared to be
+of the Bank of England, and some of country banks. As soon, therefore,
+as Wills had arrived at certain conclusions, he inquired of Mrs. Gould
+if she had found his money safe.
+
+"In her grief and surprise it had not occurred to her to search--and
+indeed she was not aware of his having any sum of importance about him.
+They proceeded immediately to examine his pockets, but no notes were
+there; a few shillings, a silver watch, and some unconsidered trifles,
+were all that was found about him. Mr. Wills made inquiries at the
+banker's and others, at B., and by the time the inquest sat he was
+prepared to say, that there was every reason to think that Mr. Gould had
+had this money in his waistcoat pocket, where he had seen him deposit
+it, at the time he left to return home.
+
+"This presented quite a new view of the case to the coroner, who had
+come there without the slightest suspicion of anything beyond an
+accident. The labourers were examined as to the attitude in which they
+had discovered the body, which, they all agreed, was lying on its face;
+and indeed there were some stains from the dirt of the road, which
+testified to this being the case; yet, according to Mr. Wills, death had
+been occasioned by a terrible blow on the back of the head which had
+fractured the skull; and which, in his opinion, was inflicted by a heavy
+bludgeon. The man's hair was very thick behind; but on dividing it a
+wound was visible, from which a small quantity of blood had oozed and
+dried up.
+
+"After a long investigation, the inquest was adjourned for a few days in
+order that further evidence might be collected. We were all much excited
+about this affair; it formed the staple of conversation at our dinner
+party, and various were the conjectures formed as to who was the
+criminal, if criminal there were; for some thought it possible that
+Gould had fallen on his back in the first instance, and then got upon
+his legs, and fallen a second time on his face; but Mr. Wills was
+confident the death wound was not the result of a fall; and besides,
+where was the money? Then all agreed, that if he had been robbed, it was
+by no ordinary thief; it must have been by some one who knew the sum he
+had in his pocket, and who did not care for the loose silver and the
+watch.
+
+"'No doubt,' said my father, 'they will find out if anybody was present
+when the money was paid to him, or he may have told somebody of it, as
+he told Wills.'
+
+"We had so many things provided for the party, that for two or three
+days we wanted nothing of Healy and did not see him; but the servants
+having mentioned that they wanted soap for the next week's washing, my
+mother sent a note to the cottage, where he always stopt to enquire for
+orders, desiring him to bring some on his return, and also a barrel of
+beer for the use of the kitchen.
+
+"When I heard the cart coming up the avenue, I went to the back door, to
+have a little gossip.
+
+"'Well Healy,' said I, as he rolled in the barrel of beer; have you
+heard any news?'
+
+"'No sir,' said he.
+
+"'Nothing about farmer Gould?' I asked.
+
+"'No sir, nothing. Shall I put the beer in the cellar?' he enquired.
+
+"This question being answered, I said, 'Did you meet anybody on the road
+that night?'
+
+"'Lord, sir, I meet loads of people as I never take any notice of. I've
+enough to do to mind my own business.'
+
+"'You couldn't have been far off when he was attacked--for you know Mr.
+Wills says he's been killed by a blow on the back of the head, don't
+you?'
+
+"'Well, sir, I've heard so; but how should he know? He wasn't there, I
+suppose. Anything else wanted, sir?'
+
+"'I believe not, Healy,' I said; and he got into his cart and drove away
+while I went back to the drawing-room.
+
+"'What does Healy say?' asked my father. 'Has he heard anything new
+about this affair?'
+
+"'No, he says he hasn't, but he said very little and seemed rather
+sulky, I thought.'
+
+"'By the bye, he couldn't have been far off when the thing happened; for
+he had only been gone half-an-hour when we recognized the step of poor
+Gould's mare I recollect, and she'd soon overtake him.'
+
+"'So I told him; and I asked him if he had met anybody on the road that
+night, but he said he'd plenty to do to mind his own business.'
+
+"My father who was reading the paper at the time, looked up at me over
+his spectacles; and then fell into a reverie that lasted some minutes,
+but he said nothing; my mother observed that she thought Healy ought to
+be summoned as a witness; and my father rejoined, that no doubt he'd be
+examined.
+
+"On the following day the inquest was resumed; my father went early and
+had some private conversation with Mr. Wills and I waited outside
+amongst the assembled crowd, listening to their speculations and
+conjectures. Presently, the coroner arrived, and I went in with him and
+heard the whole of the evidence. That of Mr. Wills, and the labourers
+who found the body was the same as before. Then, as my father had
+conjectured, Healy was called; his face was familiar to everybody in the
+room, and there was not one I should think who was not struck with the
+singularly sulky, dogged expression his features had assumed. There was
+no manifest reason for it, for he was only summoned like other
+witnesses, and no breath of suspicion had been cast upon him; at least,
+as far as we had heard. But he evidently came in a spirit of resistance
+and wound up for self-defence. He declared that he had not overtaken Mr.
+Gould on the night in question, and did not know he was on the road; nor
+did he hear anything of what had happened till the next morning. He
+believed he had met some tramps on the road that night--two men and a
+woman--but he had not particularly noticed them, and he did not
+recollect meeting anybody else. He had first heard of the accident at a
+shop where he had gone to buy a bat for Master C. When he said this, he
+looked up at me and our eyes met. I have often thought of that look
+since.
+
+"The next witness was Mr. F., who had paid Gould the seventy pounds in
+notes; and then a Mr. H. B., a solicitor, came forward and volunteered
+the following evidence, which, he said, he should have given before, but
+that he had left home on the afternoon preceding this unfortunate
+business, and had only returned yesterday. He was acquainted with Gould;
+and had met him at the door of the bank at B----, as he himself was on
+his way to the coach that was starting for E. Gould spoke to him, and
+said he had just got that seventy pounds; and when he said so, he clapt
+his hand on his pocket, implying it was there. He said, 'I came to pay
+it in here, but I see they're shut, and it does not signify; I shall
+have to pay away a good deal of it next week;' this was all that passed,
+as I told him I must be off for I should lose the coach. Upon this, he
+was asked if anybody else had been present when Gould made this
+communication. He answered, that people had been passing to and fro, but
+he could not say whether they heard it. There was one person who he
+thought might, though he could not affirm that he did; and that was
+Healy, the carrier, who was standing at the door of the tanner's shop,
+which is next to the bank, and examining some cricket bats that he had
+in his hand. Gould had spoken loud, as was his wont.
+
+"I saw Mr. Wills and my father exchange looks when this evidence was
+given, and then for the first time the question occurred to me, could
+Healy be the murderer? I could hardly entertain the suspicion--it is so
+difficult to believe such a thing of a person one is having constant
+intercourse with. Healy was recalled and asked if he remembered seeing
+Mr. Gould and the lawyer together on that day. He declared he did not.
+
+"The harness was afterwards produced; and it appeared that the traces
+had been cut, which was a strong confirmation of the worst suspicions.
+
+"The inquest was once more adjourned; and Healy plied his trade as usual
+for the next two days, though everybody had a strange feeling towards
+him; and he retained his dogged, sulky look; on the third night we
+missed him. We had expected a parcel from B----, but he did not come;
+and the next day we heard he had been arrested on suspicion of being the
+murderer of Mr. Gould. A gentleman's servant, who had been out without
+leave to some festivity at B----, and had come home and got in at the
+pantry window without being discovered, at last came forward, and said,
+that as he was going to the rendezvous, he had seen a cart, which he
+believed to be Healy's, though it was very dark, drawn right across the
+road; the horse was out of the shafts and tied to a gate, for he nearly
+ran against him; he did not see any person with the cart, but the driver
+might be behind it. It was just where there are some large trees
+over-hanging the road, which made it darker than in other parts; and a
+person driving would not see the obstruction till he was on it. He
+himself, thinking it was Healy, slipt quietly by, for he did not want to
+be recognised, as the carrier often came to his master's, and might have
+betrayed him. He met a one-horse carriage about a couple of miles
+further on; the horse was trotting pretty fast. He thought it was Mr.
+Gould, but he could not positively say, as the night was so dark.
+
+"The spot described was precisely where Mr. Gould's body was found; and
+the man added, that it struck him when he met the gig, that if the cart
+had not moved out of the way, there would be an accident, and he should
+have warned the driver to look out, if he had not been upon a lark
+himself.
+
+"You may imagine the sensation created by this allegation in the
+neighbourhood, where the carrier was so well known. Till the spring
+assizes at E----, where he was to be tried, it furnished the staple of
+conversation, and every fresh bit of evidence, for or against him, was
+eagerly repeated and canvassed. My father was summoned as a witness to
+the hour at which Healy had been at our house that night, and also to
+the recognising the foot of Mr. Gould's mare. The evidence was entirely
+circumstantial, as nobody had witnessed the murder, though murder there
+certainly had been; nor was there anybody else to whom suspicion could
+attach. As for the tramps Healy said he had met, no trace of them could
+be found, nor did anyone appear to have seen such a party.
+
+"When all the evidence had been heard, my father said he felt
+considerable doubt what the verdict would be, and he really believed the
+jury were greatly perplexed; but when Healy stood up, and in the most
+solemn manner said, 'I am innocent, my Lord! I call God to witness, I am
+innocent! May this right arm wither if I murdered the man!' So great an
+impression was made on the court, that, added to the prisoner's previous
+good character, every body saw he would be acquitted.
+
+"He was; Healy went forth a free man, and we were all too glad to
+believe in his innocence, to dispute the justice of the verdict; but lo!
+the hand of the Lord was on him. He had called upon God to bear witness
+to his words; and he did. In three days from that time, Richard Healy's
+stalwart right arm was withered! The muscles shrunk; the skin dried up;
+and it looked like the limb of a mummy!
+
+"Though a voice from Heaven testified against him, he could not be
+arraigned again for the same crime, and he remained at liberty. He
+attempted for a short time to carry on his business, but people ceased
+to employ him; and his feeble arm could no longer lift the boxes and
+hampers with which his cart was wont to be loaded. He went about,
+avoided by every one but his own immediate connexions. I often met him,
+but he never looked me in the face; indeed, he rarely, if ever, raised
+his eyes; his round shoulders grew rounder, till he came to stoop like
+an old man. He seemed to move under a heavy burthen that weighed him to
+the earth.
+
+"After an interval, however, he bought some property; and in his old
+age--for he survived his trial several years--he was in prosperous
+circumstances. But everybody said, 'Where did he get the money?'
+
+"We were all deeply interested in this singular story; and in reference
+to the withered arm, Colonel C. said, that he should certainly not have
+believed it had he not seen it himself.
+
+"I think, said I, that it was not so difficult to account for the
+phenomenon as at first appears. Had he been innocent, the solemn
+adjuration he uttered in court would have been justifiable in the eyes
+of God and man, and would have occasioned him no concern afterwards; but
+he was guilty; he had called upon God to bear witness to a lie, and,
+doubtless, the consciousness of this sacrilegious appeal filled him with
+horror and alarm. He would tremble lest his prayer should be heard and
+the curse fall upon him. These terrors would direct all his thoughts to
+his arm, and produce the very thing he feared; for Sir Henry Holland
+asserts that the mind is capable of acting upon the body to such a
+degree, as sometimes to create disease in a particular part on which the
+attention is too intently fixed."
+
+
+
+
+ROUND THE FIRE.
+
+FOURTH EVENING.
+
+
+"The circumstance I am going to mention," said Sir Charles L., "will
+appear very insignificant after these interesting narratives, but as it
+happened very lately, you'll perhaps think it worth hearing.
+
+"I was living a few months ago in an hotel, the owner of which died
+while I was there. He had an apoplectic seizure, and expired shortly
+afterwards. A week before this happened, at a time he was supposed to be
+in perfect health, an acquaintance of the family called, and without
+giving any reason, requested his daughter not to attend a ball she was
+engaged to go to. The young lady did not take her advice; but the
+visitor confided to another person that she had a particular reason for
+her request, which reason was as follows:--
+
+"The night before she called, she and her husband had retired to bed in
+a somewhat anxious state of mind respecting a near relative of theirs,
+who was very ill, and whom they had been visiting. The husband, however,
+soon fell asleep, but the wife lay thinking of the sick person, and the
+consequences that would ensue if she died, when her reflections were
+interrupted by seeing a bright spot of light suddenly appear upon the
+wall--that is, upon the wainscoat of her room. She looked about to see
+whence it proceeded; there was no light burning, nor could any be
+reflected from the window; as she looked it increased in size, till, at
+last, it was as large as the frame of a picture; then there began to
+appear in the frame a form, gradually developed, till there was a
+perfect head and face, hair and all, distinctly visible.
+
+"Whilst this development was proceeding, she lay, as it were,
+transfixed; she wanted to wake her husband, but she could neither speak
+nor move; at length she seemed to burst the bonds, and cried to him to
+look, but as she spoke, the vision faded, and by the time he was
+sufficiently aroused there was nothing to be seen.
+
+"Both he and she interpreted this occurrence into a bad omen for their
+sick relative, and augured very ill of her case; but the next morning,
+as she was standing in her shop, she saw the hotel keeper pass to
+market, and he nodded to her, whereupon she turned to her husband, and
+exclaimed--'That's the face I saw last night! Sure nothing can be going
+to happen to him!'
+
+"I heard these circumstances from my servant; and the unexpected seizure
+and death occurred within a few days."
+
+"When I was at Weimar, about two years ago," said Mademoiselle G., "an
+accident occurred that occupied the attention of the whole place, and
+which seems to belong to the same class of phenomena as the story just
+related. The palace, called the Château, in Weimar, is at one end of the
+park, and at the other end is another château, called the Belvedere;
+both are ducal residences, and an avenue runs from the one palace to the
+other. Opposite this avenue is the Russian chapel or Greek church--the
+present Dowager Duchess being a sister of the Emperor Nicholas--and in
+front of this chapel a sentinel is always posted.
+
+"The Grand Duke, Charles Frederick, father of the present sovereign,
+was, at the period I allude to, residing at the Belvedere not well in
+health, but by no means alarmingly ill, for had that been the case he
+would have been brought into Weimar, where etiquette requires that the
+sovereign should make his first and last appearance in this world--there
+he must be born, and there die, if possible.
+
+"One night the sentinel, who was standing at the entrance of the Russian
+chapel, was surprised to see, in the far distance, a long procession
+winding its way down the avenue from the Belvedere. As there was no stir
+in the town, for the night was far advanced, and as he had not heard of
+any solemnity in preparation, the man stared at it in mute wonder, but
+his amazement was redoubled when it approached near enough for him to
+distinguish the individual objects to perceive that it was a State
+funeral, accompanied by the royal mourners, and all the pomp usual at
+these ceremonies; the velvet pall bore the initials and arms of the
+duke, and following the bier was his favourite and well known horse, led
+by one of his attendants. Slowly and mournfully the procession moved on
+till it reached the chapel; the doors opened to admit the cortege; it
+passed in; and as the doors closed on this mysterious vision the soldier
+fell to the ground, where he was found in a state of insensibility when
+the guard was relieved.
+
+"Of course, nobody believed his story; he was placed under arrest,
+severely punished, and had a nervous fever that brought him to the brink
+of the grave.
+
+"I was there when this happened, said Mademoiselle G., and it was the
+talk of the town; almost everybody laughed at him; but five days
+afterwards the Duke fell suddenly ill, and was found to be in so
+dangerous a state, that the physicians forbade his being removed into
+the town. He finally died at the Belvedere, and was buried in the
+Russian chapel, exactly in the manner pourtrayed by the shadowy forms
+seen by the sentinel, and there buried."
+
+We all agreed that these rehearsals, if we may so call them, are amongst
+the most perplexing of these very perplexing phenomena; a very curious
+case of this description will be found in one of the letters inserted in
+the Appendix.
+
+"My sister-in-law, Lady S.," said Lady R., "Told me, the other day,
+that during her late residence in St. Petersburg, she was intimately
+acquainted with a Prussian lady of high rank, to whom the following
+strange events occurred, an account of which she herself gave to my
+sister. This Prussian lady was sitting one morning in her boudoir, when
+she heard a rustling sound in the ante-room, which was divided by a
+_portière_ from the boudoir. The sound continuing, she rose and drew
+aside the curtain to ascertain the cause, when, to her surprise, she saw
+a very pale man, in a Chasseur's uniform, standing in the middle of the
+room. She was about to speak to him, and inquire what he was doing
+there, when he retreated towards the window and vanished. Greatly
+alarmed, she sought her husband, and related what had occurred; but he
+laughed at her, and desired her not to expose herself to ridicule by
+talking of it. Some days afterwards, whilst in the boudoir, she heard
+the same rustling noise near her, and on looking up, she saw the figure
+of the Chasseur suspended in the air between the ceiling and the floor,
+with his legs dangling in the air. A scream brought her husband, who was
+in the adjoining room, and he saw the figure as well as herself.
+Nevertheless, the fear of ridicule kept them silent; but some time
+afterwards, when they had a party, one of the company exclaimed, 'Good
+Heavens! This, I remember, is the very room that unfortunate Chasseurs
+hung himself in!' And then they learned that the house had been
+previously occupied by the Danish minister, and that a Chasseur in his
+service had, from some cause or other, committed suicide."
+
+"I don't know whether dreams are admissible," said Miss M.; "but the
+sort of occurrences just related appear to me to be little removed from
+waking dreams. I know two cases of extraordinary dreaming, the
+authenticity of which I can answer for, if you would like to hear them."
+We accepted gladly, and the lady began as follows:--
+
+"My father was intimate with Mr. S.--whose name, perhaps, is known to
+you as the particular friend of Mr. Spencer Percival. This gentleman,
+Mr. S., when he was a young man, had one night a remarkable dream, that
+he could not in any way account for--the circumstances having no
+relation to any previous event, train of thought, or conversation
+whatever.
+
+"He found himself, in his dream, on horseback, in a very extensive
+forest; he was alone, evening was drawing on, and he sought some place
+where he could pass the night. After riding a little farther, he espied
+an inn; he rode up to it and alighted, asking if they could give him
+lodging for the night, and stabling for his horse. They said 'yes,' and
+conducted him to an upper chamber. He ordered some refreshments, when it
+occurred to him that he should like to see how his horse was faring; and
+he descended, in order to find his way to the stables; in doing so, he
+got a glimpse of some very ill-looking men in a side chamber, who seemed
+in close conference; moreover, he thought he saw weapons lying on the
+table, and there were other circumstances which I do not precisely
+remember, the effect of which was to create alarm, and lead him to
+suspect he had fallen into a _repaire de voleurs_.
+
+"He saw his horse rubbed down and fed, and then re-ascended to take his
+refreshment; betraying no suspicion of evil, but secretly resolved on
+flight. After his supper, he went down again, stood at the door, and
+pretended to stroll about. When he saw an opportunity, he went round to
+the stable, saddled his horse, and cautiously rode away. But he had not
+gone far, when he heard the tramp of horses' feet behind him, and from
+the pace they came, he felt sure he was pursued. He urged his horse
+forward, but the animal was not fresh--he had done his day's work
+already, and the pursuers were gaining on him, when he saw he was
+approaching a spot where two roads met. Which of the two should he
+follow? He had nothing to guide him in his choice, and his life probably
+depended on his decision! Suddenly, a voice whispered in his ear, 'Take
+the right!' He did so, and shortly reached a house where he obtained
+shelter and protection.
+
+"When he awoke, the circumstances of his dream were so vividly impressed
+on his mind, that he could hardly believe the thing had not actually
+happened. He related it to his friends; and, for some days, thought a
+good deal of it; but he was just entering into active life, and the
+impression soon faded before the varied interests that absorbed him; and
+the strange dream was entirely forgotten.
+
+"Many years afterwards, when he had reached middle age, he was
+travelling in Germany, and in the course of an excursion he was making
+to see the country, he had occasion to cross a part of the
+Schwarzwald--the Black Forest. He was on horseback and alone; he reached
+an inn, the aspect of which he fancied was familiar to him. Here he
+thought he might conveniently pass the night; so he alighted, ordered
+his supper, and then went to see his horse fed. On further acquaintance
+with the place, he did not like the look of it, and he saw
+suspicious-looking men hanging about. He resolved to seek another
+resting-place; and leaving some money on the table to pay for what he
+had had, he went down stairs, and after lounging about a little,
+strolled to the stable, saddled his horse, and rode off as quietly as he
+could. But he was missed and pursued, he heard the tramp of the horses
+as they gained upon him. At this critical moment, he saw he was
+approaching a place where the roads divided; his life depended on which
+of the two he should take; suddenly, and strange to say, though he had
+misty recollections of the scene, now for the first time, the dream of
+his youth clearly and vividly recurred to him. He remembered the voice
+that whispered, 'Take the right!' He obeyed the hint, and his pursuers
+soon gave up the chase. He found a château about half-a-mile from the
+turning; the owner of which hospitably received him. His host said there
+had been for some time unpleasant suspicions with regard to the inn in
+question; and that, if he had taken the left hand road, he would have
+been quite at their mercy."
+
+This very curious dream reminded us of that of Dr. W., which I have
+related in the "Night Side of Nature;" who in the same manner was saved
+from the attack of an infuriated bull, in his dream, having been shown
+where to fly for safety; but the case is less remarkable than that of
+Mr. S., as the dream occurred only the night before the danger presented
+itself.
+
+"The other dream I alluded to," said Miss M., "is less curious on that
+account. Some friends of mine, who reside in the country, had an old
+nurse who had lived in the family many years, and for whom they had a
+great regard. When her services ceased to be required, she was settled
+in a cottage on the estate, where she lived very comfortably with her
+only daughter. The daughter, however, married a man who kept a turnpike
+some miles distant; and one morning, just as the family were leaving
+home on some expedition, the old woman arrived in considerable
+agitation, saying that she had had a frightful dream about her daughter,
+and that she was going off immediately to the place where she lived. The
+ladies endeavoured to dissuade her from walking all that way, merely on
+account of a dream. But she said she could not rest, and must go. They
+even promised that if she would wait till the following day they would
+drive her there in the carriage, in which there was now no room; if
+there had been they would have taken her, as their road lay not far from
+the spot.
+
+"With this offer they left her and went their way; but her anxiety would
+not permit her to wait; and shortly afterwards she set off and walked
+all the distance to the turnpike. The moment she arrived she saw reason
+to rejoice in her determination; she found her daughter alone, her
+husband having been called away on business; and, said the young woman,
+I am dreadfully alarmed, for there is a quantity of money in the house.
+The farmers are accustomed to bring the money for their rent here twice
+a year, as it save them several miles, and the agent always comes to
+fetch it on the same day. But a letter to my husband has just arrived
+from the agent to say, he can't come till to-morrow. Knowing his hand, I
+opened it; and I am terrified, for the custom of leaving the money here
+is no secret; and if it should get wind that it has not been fetched
+away, heaven knows what may happen.
+
+"The old woman then told her daughter that she had dreamed on the
+preceding night that some thieves had broken into the turnpike house,
+and robbed and murdered the inhabitants.
+
+"But what were these two helpless women to do, mutually confirmed in
+their apprehensions as they naturally were? It was already late in the
+day; there was no help near at hand, and besides they did not dare to
+separate in search of any. They watched anxiously for a traveller,
+resolved to confide in the first respectable one that passed, and beg
+him to send assistance. But none came that they thought it safe to
+trust. Night approached; and it being a little frequented road, except
+on market days, every moment their hope of help declined. So they did
+the best they could in this extremity; they shut and barricaded the
+lower part of the house, stopping up the door and windows with every
+piece of furniture they had, and locked themselves up, with the money,
+in an upper chamber, put out the light, and with a chink of the window
+open, they set themselves down to listen for the marauders whom they
+confidently expected to arrive.
+
+"Nor were they disappointed; about eleven o'clock their anxious ears
+distinguished the sound of approaching footsteps. Presently, they heard
+voices and the door was attempted; the men said they had lost their way,
+and on receiving no answer they attempted to force an entrance. Then,
+the poor women knowing their poor defences would soon yield to violence,
+began to scream lustily from the window above; and luckily not in vain.
+
+"It happened, that the family, who had gone on some expedition of
+pleasure in the morning, was just then returning; their road lay within
+a quarter of a mile of the turnpike; and in the silence of the night,
+the women's shrill voice reached their ears. They immediately desired
+the coachman to turn his horses heads in the direction the cries came
+from, and before the thieves had effected an entrance into the little
+fortification, they were scared by the sound of approaching wheels and
+took to flight."
+
+"A dream of a very singular nature occurred to a young friend of mine,"
+said Mr. S. "She was about fifteen at the time, and a schoolfellow who
+was going to be married had promised her that she should be one of the
+bridesmaids. The intended wedding was near at hand; insomuch that the
+dresses and everything was prepared--in short, the fixing of the day was
+only delayed by some small matter of business that was not completed. My
+young friend, to whom the whole thing was an exciting novelty, while
+impatiently waiting for the affair to come off, dreamt, one night, that
+a person in a very unusual costume, presented himself at her bedside and
+informed her that he was Brutus; and that he would reveal to her
+anything that she particularly desired to know; whereupon she begged him
+to tell when Miss L. would be married. Brutus answered 'Paulo post
+Græcas Kalendas.' When she awoke in the morning, she perfectly
+remembered the words; but not having the most distant idea of their
+meaning she ran to her brother to enquire if he could explain them. He
+told her that they were equivalent to _never_. The prophecy was
+fulfilled; obstacles entirely unforseen arose, and the couple were never
+united."
+
+"Some years ago," said Dr. Forster, "two young friends of mine were
+staying at Naples, when one of them told the other that he had on the
+preceding night, seen in his sleep, the face of a beautiful woman; but
+the features were disfigured by a horrible expression--and that it was,
+somehow, impressed on his mind that he was in danger, and that he must
+be on his guard against her. The conviction was so strong as to create
+considerable uneasiness, and he never went out without scrutinizing
+every female face he saw; but some weeks past without any fulfilment of
+his dream or vision, and gradually the impression faded. However, he was
+one day on the Chiaja, surrounded by several people, who like himself,
+were observing a gang of convicts going to the Castle of St. Elmo; when
+something occasioned him suddenly to turn his head, and there, close
+behind him, he recognized the beautiful face of his dream. By an
+instinctive impulse, he sprang aside, and at the same moment felt
+himself wounded in the back. The woman was seized and did not attempt to
+deny the act, but alleged that she had mistaken the young Englishman for
+another person who had done her an irreparable injury, expressing great
+regret at having wounded an unoffending stranger, and also at having
+failed in the revenge she sought. He told me that the dream saved his
+life; for that, had he not sprung aside, the wound would in all
+probability have been mortal."
+
+
+
+
+ROUND THE FIRE.
+
+FIFTH EVENING.
+
+
+"I have but one experience to relate," said Miss D., the next speaker.
+"When I was a child, I and my elder sister slept in two beds, placed
+close beside each other. We were in the country, and one night my
+father, going to the door, perceived an unusual light in the sky, and
+learnt on inquiry that there was a great fire a mile or two off. He said
+he'd go to see it, and the night being fine, my mother accompanied him,
+having first seen us safe in bed. She locked the chamber door, and took
+the key, thinking that every body would be out looking at the fire, and
+we might take the opportunity of playing tricks, for we were quite young
+at the time--not more than six or seven years old.
+
+"After they were gone, we lay chattering, as children do, about our own
+little concerns, when our voices were suddenly arrested by terror. At
+the foot of my bed I perceived a figure, apparently kneeling, for I saw
+only the head--but that I saw distinctly--it looked dark and sad, and
+the eyes were intently fixed on me. I crept into my sister's bed, and
+neither of us dared to look up again till my mother returned, and came
+to see if we were asleep. We had not closed our eyes, and we told her
+what we had seen, agreeing perfectly in our account of it. The room was
+searched, but nothing unusual found. The incident made a lasting
+impression on my sister and myself, and we both remember the face as if
+we had seen it but yesterday."
+
+One of the ladies present mentioned a very similar circumstance
+occurring to herself, but as she was alone at the time, she had always
+endeavoured to believe it an illusion.
+
+"The first part of the story I am going to relate to you," said Dr. S.,
+"was told me by an eminent man in my own profession, who had every
+opportunity of testing the truth of it; the latter part I give you on my
+own word.
+
+"Some years ago there was a house in the suburbs of Dublin that had
+remained a long time unoccupied, in consequence, it was said, of its
+evil reputation--the report was, that it was haunted. People who had
+taken it got rid of it as soon as they could, and those who lived in the
+neighbourhood affirmed that they saw lights moving about the interior,
+and, sometimes, a lady in white standing at the window with a child in
+her arms, when they knew there was no living creature, except rats and
+mice, within the walls. The wise and learned laughed at these rumours;
+but still the house remained empty, and was getting into a very
+dilapidated state.
+
+"The former owner of the house was dead. He was a miser or a
+misanthrope, or both; at all events, for several years he had lived in
+it utterly alone, and scarcely ever seen by any body. It was rumoured
+that for a short time a young female had been occasionally observed by
+the neighbours, but she disappeared as suddenly as she had appeared, and
+nobody knew whence she came, nor whither she was gone. His life was a
+mystery, and whether merely on this account, or whether there were
+better grounds for it, there had certainly existed a prejudice against
+him. However, as I said, he had been dead some years, and the relative
+to whom the property had fallen on his decease was naturally very
+anxious to let the house, and offered it to any occupant at an extremely
+low rent.
+
+"At length, a gentleman who wanted to establish a manufactory, seeing
+that it would answer his purpose--for the premises were extensive, and
+there was some garden ground behind--took it, and erected buildings on
+this waste ground for his workmen to inhabit. Between the new part and
+the old there was a long vestibule, or covered passage, by which they
+might pass from one to the other without exposing themselves to the
+weather. A large door, which was open by day and closed at night,
+divided this passage in two, and on one side there was a small room or
+office, where a clerk sat and kept the books and memoranda, of various
+sorts, incident to a considerable business.
+
+"However, the thing was scarcely set going and established before it
+reached the ears of the master that the workmen objected to pass the
+night on the premises; the reason alleged being that they were disturbed
+and alarmed by various sounds, especially footsteps, and the banging of
+the heavy door in the vestibule which divided the sleeping places from
+the workrooms. At first, the objection being thought absurd, was not
+attended to; next, it was supposed to be a trick of some of the workmen
+to frighten the others; but when it became serious, and they began to
+act upon it, and steady, respectable men declared they heard these
+things, the master, still persuaded it was some practical jokers amongst
+them mystifying the more simple, took measures, first, to ascertain if
+such sounds as they described were audible; and next, to discover who
+made them. For this purpose he sat up himself, and his clerks sat up,
+and exactly as had been described, at one o'clock this clatter and
+banging of doors commenced--that is, there was the sound; for the doors
+remained immovable, and though they heard footsteps they could see
+nobody.
+
+"'Still,' said the manufacturer, who was not willing to be made the
+victim of this mischievous conspiracy, 'we must discover who it is; and
+we shall, when they are more off their guard,' and for this purpose it
+was arranged that a relation of his own, a young man in whose discretion
+and courage he had great confidence should sleep in the office.
+
+"Accordingly, a bed was prepared there; and he arranged himself for that
+night or as many future nights as it might be necessary; determined not
+to relinquish the investigation till he had unravelled the mystery.
+
+"At dawn of day, the next morning, there was a violent knocking at the
+outer door; an early passenger had found this young man in the street,
+with nothing on but his night dress, and in a state of delirium. He was
+taken home and Dr. W. was sent for. The result was a brain fever; but
+when he recovered, he said that he had gone to bed and to sleep, that he
+was wakened by a loud noise, and that just as he was about to rise to
+ascertain the cause, his door opened, and the apparition of a female
+dressed in white entered, and approached his bed side. He remembered no
+more, but being seized with horror, supposed he had got out of the
+window into the street, where he was found.
+
+"This was, certainly, very extraordinary and very serious; still the
+persuasion that it was some mystification prevailed; and Dr. W.'s offer
+to pass a night in the office himself, was gladly accepted. He had
+informed me of the young man's illness and the cause of it; and when I
+heard of his intention, I requested leave to bear him company.
+
+"The noise had not been interrupted by the catastrophe that had
+occurred, and nobody had slept in the office during the young man's
+confinement. The bed had been removed, but we declined having it
+re-placed, for we wished our intention to remain a secret; besides, we
+preferred watching through the night. It was not till the workmen had
+all retired that we took up our position, accompanied by a sharp little
+terrier of mine, and each armed with a pistol. We took care to go over
+the house, to make sure that nobody was concealed in it; and we examined
+every door and window to ascertain that it was secure. We had provided
+ourselves with refreshments also, to sustain our courage; and we entered
+upon our vigil with great hopes of detecting the imposition.
+
+"Dr. W. is a most enlightened and agreeable companion, and we soon fell
+into a lively discussion that carried us away so entirely, that, I
+believe, we had both ceased to think of the object of our watch, when we
+were recalled to it by the clock in the vestibule striking one; and the
+loud bang that immediately followed, accompanied by the barking of our
+little dog, who had been aroused from a tranquil sleep by the uproar. W.
+and I seized our pistols, and rushed into the passage, followed by the
+terrier. We saw nothing to account for the noise; but we distinctly
+heard receding footsteps, which we hastened to pursue, at the same time
+urging on the dog; but instead of running forward, he slunk behind, with
+his tail between his legs, and kept at our heels the whole way. On we
+went, distinctly hearing the footsteps preceding us along the vestibule,
+down some steps, and, finally, down some stairs that led to an unused
+cellar--in one corner of which lay a heap of rubbish. Here the sound
+ceased. We removed the rubbish, and under it lay some bones, which we
+recognised at once as parts of a human skeleton. On further examination,
+we ascertained that they were the remains of a female and a new-born
+infant.
+
+"They were buried, and the men were no more disturbed with these
+mysterious noises. Who the woman was, was never ascertained; nor was any
+further light thrown upon these strange circumstances."
+
+Some remarks on the terror displayed by animals, on these occasions,
+elicited a curious story from Mrs. L. "They not only seem to see
+sometimes," she said, "what we do not; but occasionally to be gifted
+with a singular foreknowledge.
+
+"Many years ago," she continued, "I and my husband went to pay a visit
+in the north. I am very fond of animals, and my attention was soon
+attracted by a dog that was not particularly handsome, but seemed gifted
+with extraordinary intelligence.
+
+"'I see,' said my hostess, 'you are struck with that dog. Well, he is
+the most mysterious creature; he not only opens and shuts the door, and
+rings the bell, and does all sorts of wonderful things, but I am sure he
+understands every word we say, and that he knows as well what I am
+saying now as you do. Moreover, we got him in a very unaccountable
+manner.
+
+"'One night, not long ago, we had been out to dinner; and on returning
+at a pretty late hour, we found the gentleman stretched out comfortably
+on the dining-room rug. Where in the world did this dog come from? I
+said to the servants. They couldn't tell; they declared the doors had
+been long shut, and that they had never set eyes on him till that
+minute.'
+
+"'Well,' I said, 'don't turn him out; he'll no doubt be claimed by some
+one in the neighbourhood--for he had quite the manners and air of a dog
+accustomed to good society; and I liked his large, expressive eyes. He
+made himself quite at home; and now we have discovered what a strangely
+intelligent creature he is, I hope no one will claim him, for I should
+be very sorry to part with him. But,' added she, 'poor Mrs. X. can't
+endure him.' Mrs. X., I must mention, was a widow lady, also on a visit
+there, with an only son.
+
+"'Why?' said I.
+
+"'It is rather singular, certainly,' said she; but whenever young X. is
+in the room, the dog never takes his eyes off his face--you see he has
+peculiar eyes--they're full of meaning; and out of doors he does the
+same.'
+
+"'Perhaps the dog has taken a fancy to him?' I suggested.
+
+"'It does not seem to be that; no, I think he likes me and Mrs. C. and
+my children a great deal better. I can't tell what it is; but if you
+watch, you'll see it.'
+
+"I did, and it was really remarkable, and evidently annoyed Mrs. X. very
+much. The young man affected to laugh at it, but I don't think he liked
+it altogether.
+
+"Suddenly, one evening, Mrs. X.--whose visit was to have extended to
+some weeks longer, announced that she should take her departure in a few
+days. I suspected this move was occasioned by her desire to get away
+from the dog, and so did my hostess--and we both thought it absurd.
+
+"Mr. L. being obliged to return to London, we took our leave the morning
+after this announcement was made; but we had scarcely arrived there,
+when a letter from my friend followed, informing me that young Mr. X.
+had been unfortunately drowned in the fish-pond, and that the dog had
+never been seen since the accident, though they had made inquiries and
+sought for him in every direction. Whence he came, or whither he went,
+they were never able to discover.
+
+"But," said Mrs. L., "as this is not a ghost story, I will tell you
+another anecdote that belongs more legitimately to the subjects you are
+treating of. Once, when we were travelling in the North, Mr. L. fell ill
+of a fever at Paisley. This detained us there, and the minister called
+on us. When Mr. L. recovered, we returned his visit; and, in the course
+of conversation, some of the old customs of the Scotch fell under
+discussion; amongst others the _cutty stool_, which we had heard still
+subsisted.
+
+"'Why don't you abolish it?' said Mr. L. 'It would be much better to
+amend people by other influences than exposure.'
+
+"'Well, sir,' said the good man, 'that was my opinion also; and I had
+determined to do it. Before taking the step, however, I thought it
+advisable to publish my reasons; and I was one day sitting at the table
+writing on the subject, when I looked up, and beheld my father, who was
+minister here before me, and died in this manse, sitting on the opposite
+side of the table.'
+
+"'Don't do any such thing, David,' said he; 'morality is loose enough;
+don't make it looser.'"
+
+
+
+
+ROUND THE FIRE.
+
+SIXTH EVENING.
+
+
+"The most interesting circumstance of the ghostly kind that I know, as
+really authentic," said Madame S., "is what happened to the late Lord
+C., when he was a young man--it is an old story, and you must have heard
+of the _Radiant Boy_; but as I had it from a member of the family,
+perhaps you will accept it as my contribution.
+
+"Captain S., who was afterwards Lord C., when he was a young man,
+happened to be quartered in Ireland. He was fond of sport; and one day
+the pursuit of game carried him so far that he lost his way. The
+weather, too, had become very rough, and in this strait he presented
+himself at the door of a gentleman's house, and sending in his card,
+requested shelter for the night. The hospitality of the Irish country
+gentry is proverbial; the master of the house received him warmly, said
+he feared he could not make him so comfortable as he could have wished,
+his house being full of visitors already--added to which, some
+strangers, driven by the inclemency of the night, had sought shelter
+before him, but that such accommodation as he could give he was heartily
+welcome to; whereupon he called his butler, and committing his guest to
+his good offices, told him he must put him up somewhere, and do the best
+he could for him. There was no lady, the gentleman being a widower.
+
+"Captain S. found the house crammed, and a very jolly party it was. His
+host invited him to stay, and promised him good shooting if he would
+prolong his visit a few days; and, in fine, he thought himself extremely
+fortunate to have fallen into such pleasant quarters.
+
+"At length, after an agreeable evening, they all retired to bed, and the
+butler conducted him to a large room, almost divested of furniture, but
+with a blazing peat fire in the grate, and a shake down on the floor,
+composed of cloaks and other heterogeneous materials.
+
+"Nevertheless, to the tired limbs of Captain S., who had had a hard
+day's shooting, it looked very inviting; but before he lay down, he
+thought it advisable to take off some of the fire, which was blazing up
+the chimney, in what he thought, an alarming manner. Having done this,
+he stretched himself upon the couch, and soon fell asleep.
+
+"He believed he had slept about a couple of hours when he awoke
+suddenly, and was startled by such a vivid light in the room, that he
+thought it was on fire, but on turning to look at the grate he saw the
+fire was out, though it was from the chimney the light proceeded. He sat
+up in bed, trying to discover what it was, when he perceived, gradually
+disclosing itself, the form of a beautiful naked boy, surrounded by a
+dazzling radiance. The boy looked at him earnestly, and then the vision
+faded, and all was dark. Captain S., so far from supposing what he had
+seen to be of a spiritual nature, had no doubt that the host, or the
+visitors, had been amusing themselves at his expense, and trying to
+frighten him. Accordingly he felt indignant at the liberty; and on the
+following morning, when he appeared at breakfast, he took care to evince
+his displeasure by the reserve of his demeanour, and by announcing his
+intention to depart immediately. The host expostulated, reminding him
+of his promise to stay and shoot. Captain S. coldly excused himself and,
+at length, the gentleman seeing something was wrong, took him aside, and
+pressed for an explanation; whereupon Captain S., without entering into
+particulars, said that he had been made the victim of a sort of
+practical joking that he thought quite unwarrantable with a stranger.
+
+"The gentleman considered this not impossible amongst a parcel of
+thoughtless young men, and appealed to them to make an apology; but one
+and all, on honour, denied the impeachment. Suddenly, a thought seemed
+to strike him; he clapt his hand to his forehead, uttered an
+exclamation, and rang the bell.
+
+"'Hamilton,' said he to the butler, 'where did Captain S. sleep last
+night?'
+
+"'Well, Sir,' replied the man, in an apologetic tone,' 'you know every
+place was full--the gentlemen were lying on the floor, three or four in
+a room--so I gave him the _Boy's Room_; but I lit a blazing fire to keep
+him from coming out.'
+
+"'You were very wrong,' said the host, 'you know I have positively
+forbidden you to put any one there, and have taken the furniture out of
+the room to ensure its not being occupied.' Then retiring with Captain
+S., he informed him very gravely of the nature of the phenomenon he had
+seen; and, at length, being pressed for further information, he
+confessed that there existed a tradition in his family, that whoever the
+_Radiant Boy_ appeared to will rise to the summit of power; and when he
+had reached the climax, will die a violent death, and I must say, he
+added, that the records that have been kept of his appearance go to
+confirm this persuasion.
+
+"I need not remind you," said Madam S., "what a remarkable confirmation
+was afforded by the life and death of Lord C."
+
+"I had never heard these particulars before; but I had heard the story
+of Lord C.'s _Radiant Boy_ alluded to, ápropos of the case of the Rev.
+Mr. A., who saw a very similar apparition some years ago at C. Castle. I
+have related this case in the 'Night Side of Nature.' I received the
+particulars from a relation of Mr. A.'s, who was himself surviving at
+the time I published it."
+
+"It is curious," observed Mrs. E., "how many houses in the north of
+England where I have been lately residing have something of this sort
+attached to them. Some friends of mine not long ago heard of a very
+pretty place to let, and finding the rent unusually moderate they took
+it. They were delighted with their new residence; and often wondered
+that the proprietor, with whom they were slightly acquainted, did not
+either live there himself, or insist on more money for it.
+
+"After they had been there some time, his brother, that is, the brother
+of the proprietor, who did not live very far off, called one morning to
+see them; and asked them how they liked the place. They expressed their
+extreme satisfaction; adding, 'We wonder your brother does not live here
+himself.'
+
+"'There are reasons why it does not suit our family,' he answered.
+
+"When he was going away, my friends proposed to walk through the grounds
+with him; they had to cross a little brook not far from the house; and
+as they did so, a hare sprang past them and they all stopt and turned
+round to look at her, by which means they had a full view of the house.
+
+"'Good Heavens!' exclaimed the visitor, 'there she is!'
+
+"'Where?' enquired my friend, thinking he alluded to the hare.
+
+"'Is any of your family ill?' asked the stranger.
+
+"'No they answered;' and following the direction of his eyes, they
+observed at one of the upper windows of the house, a female figure in
+white, and enveloped in what looked like grave clothes.
+
+"The visitor appearing much agitated, my friend rushed back and ran up
+to the floor where the female had appeared; and not only was there no
+one there, but he found that the window was that of a vestibule and much
+too high from the ground for any one to reach.
+
+"On returning to their visitor, he said 'one of us will die before this
+year has expired; it is an unfailing omen in our family, and caused us
+so much distress, that that is the real reason why we do not live here.
+But it concerns nobody but ourselves; you will never be troubled by her
+visitations.' The destiny fell on the seer himself this time; he was
+dead before the year had expired.
+
+"There is another house in the same part of the county, where sometime
+ago a young friend of mine, one of three sisters, went on a visit for a
+short time. The first night, after she got into bed, she was startled by
+the most terrific screams she ever heard, which appeared close to her
+door. She jumped up and opened it, but there was nobody there. The next
+day she mentioned the circumstance, but the old lady she was visiting,
+said her ears must have deceived her, and turned the conversation; but
+she heard it again several times, and was quite sure there was no
+mistake. When she went home she told her sisters, who laughed at her;
+but each of them went to visit subsequently at the same house and heard
+precisely the same thing; but as it was evidently an unpleasant subject
+to their hostess, they could get no information on the subject."
+
+"A near relation of mine," said Lord N., "is living in a place at
+present, where there is very much the same annoyance, and three families
+successively, had left the house in consequence of it. The building is
+large, part of it very old, and it is surrounded by a fine park;
+nevertheless, it has been found difficult to get a tenant--or, at least,
+to keep one. My relation was warned of the inconvenience before he took
+it. It is said that a lady was murdered there by her husband; at all
+events, there is one room--one of the best in the house, shut up, and
+never allowed to be opened. Whoever sleeps in the room under this, is
+liable to be disturbed by extraordinary noises--footsteps and moving of
+furniture, &c.; but the most strange thing is, that every now and then a
+dreadful piercing scream is heard through the house, that brings any
+strangers who happen to be there, out of their rooms, in terror, to
+enquire what has occurred. The family who resided there before, met the
+apparition of a lady occasionally, and left the place in consequence. My
+relations have never seen anything; but everybody who stays there any
+time hears the screams.
+
+"Another relation of mine, a very religious person, and as she belongs
+to the free church of Scotland, most opposed to the belief in ghosts,
+went some time since to pay a visit at an old place belonging to our
+family. On the morning after her arrival, she announced at breakfast
+that she was going away. She gave no reason, but went, to the
+consternation of her host. With much difficulty, he has since extracted
+from her, that in the night an apparition appeared at the foot of her
+bed--a man dressed in an old-fashioned brown suit. He spoke to her, and
+some conversation passed--the subject of which she declares she will
+never disclose; she says it was not a good spirit, and nothing would
+induce her to visit the place again. This house has always been said to
+be haunted, but this is the only instance I know of the family
+themselves seeing anything of the sort; but no better evidence could be
+adduced of such a phenomenon than that of the lady in question. Nobody
+ever doubted her word, and a more confirmed disbeliever in ghosts never
+existed.
+
+"A rather curious thing happened to myself lately," continued Lord N. "I
+went to visit some friends at the Lakes. As they had no vacant rooms, I
+engaged apartments near them for myself and servant. The house was
+small, quite modern, and as un-ghostly as possible. I always dined with
+my friends, and went to my lodgings about twelve o'clock, and I had been
+there five or six nights without anything unusual occurring. On the
+fourth or fifth evening, I had returned home rather earlier than usual,
+and instead of going to bed, I sat down to write a letter. While so
+engaged, I heard what I thought was a boy cracking a whip close to the
+drawing-room door. I paid no attention to it at first, though rather
+wondering at the hour chosen for the amusement. However, as it continued
+unintermittingly, and grew louder, I got up and opened the door, with
+the intention of desiring the child to go away. There was no one there.
+It then occurred to me that my ears must have deceived me, and that the
+sound might have proceeded from some explosive substance in my bedroom
+fire. The room was on the same floor, and the door shut; but when I
+opened it, I found the fire almost out--certainly not in a state to
+produce the noises I had heard. I went forward to stir it, and while
+doing so, the whip was cracked over my shoulder. I turned round quickly,
+but could see nothing, and I returned to the drawing-room, and had just
+seated myself again, when I was amazed to see the table rise about a
+foot perpendicularly into the air, and at the same moment, both the
+candles that were on it went out, without being upset or even moved.
+There was a fire, so that I was not quite in the dark, and I re-lighted
+them; after which the whip began cracking again vigorously, and cracked
+on till I went to bed and afterwards. I stayed in these apartments a
+fortnight or three weeks longer; and once, again, I heard the whip, but
+much fainter and for a shorter time; and one night there were distinct
+rappings on the mantel-piece, and afterwards on the dressing-table.
+
+"I could make no discovery in regard to these phenomena; and I leave it
+to the company to decide whether they were of a spiritual nature or not.
+The only other thing of the sort that ever happened to me was this:--I
+was travelling on the Continent, and not being very well, was lying in
+bed, when I suddenly saw the door open, and two of my brothers walk
+through the room, dressed in deep mourning. I rang the bell furiously,
+and the people came, but could in no way explain what had happened. I
+shortly received letters, announcing that another brother had died at
+that time.
+
+"I will mention another instance that occurred in our family a few years
+since. During my grandfather's last illness, all the family were
+assembled at K. Castle, except my brother John, with whom he was not on
+good terms. While we were living there, waiting to see what turn the
+illness would take, John died very unexpectedly, but we resolved not to
+mention the circumstance to Lord A., as it might affect him injuriously;
+it was therefore kept a profound secret.
+
+"One day, some little time afterwards, Lord A. had been asleep in his
+arm-chair, and on waking, he suddenly exclaimed, 'I shall see John on
+Thursday!' This was on a Monday, and he died on the Thursday following."
+
+"A relation of mine," said Mrs. L., "had a friend with whom a great
+intimacy had subsisted for many years, but a subject of difference arose
+that embittered her feelings towards this lady to such a degree, that
+she felt reconciliation impossible. They continued to live in the same
+town, but all intercourse was at an end.
+
+"One morning, lately, she was lying awake in her bed, when the door
+opened, and this lady came in; approaching the bed side, she spoke in a
+friendly manner, and entered into explanations with regard to the
+misunderstanding. My relation was not frightened during this interview;
+but when it was over, and she was gone, she suspected the nature of the
+visit. When her maid came to her room, she enquired if there had been
+any news of Miss ----. The servant answered, none; but presently
+afterwards, a person called to mention the lady's death, which had taken
+place that morning."
+
+"For my part," said Sir A. C., "I am acquainted with a circumstance that
+has settled entirely any doubts I might have entertained on the subject
+of ghosts. Not many miles from my place in S--shire, there is a seat
+belonging to some connexions of my own. At the time I am about to refer
+to, an old lady was in possession, and it so happened, that a matter of
+business arose regarding the heirs of the property, which made it
+necessary to refer to the title deeds. To the surprise and dismay of the
+family they could not be found. A vigorous search was instituted, in
+vain; and the circumstance so preyed on my old relation's mind that she
+at length committed suicide, under the impression that some one else
+would lay claim to the estate.
+
+"After her death people complained that they could not live there--the
+place they said was haunted by this old lady, who, with her grey hair
+dishevelled, and dressed exactly as she used to be in her life time,
+they described as walking about the house, looking into drawers and
+cupboards, and incessantly searching for her deeds. We, of course, did
+not believe in the story, and were not even altogether convinced when
+the house, after being let to several strangers in succession, who all
+gave it up on the same plea, seemed destined to remain without an
+inhabitant.
+
+"It had stood empty two or three years, though offered at a very low
+rent, when a lady and gentleman from the West Indies came into the
+neighbourhood to visit some acquaintance, and being in want of a
+residence, and hearing this was to be had on very reasonable terms, they
+proposed to take it. Their friends told them of the objection made by
+preceding tenants, but they laughed with scorn at the idea of losing so
+good a house on account of a ghost; so they closed the bargain, took
+possession of the place, and sent for their family to join them.
+
+"The children, the youngest of whom was between three and four, and the
+eldest about ten, were, as a temporary arrangement, placed on the first
+night of their arrival to sleep in one room; but the next morning, when
+their mother went at a very early hour to see how they were, to her
+surprise, she found them all wide awake. They were looking pale and
+weary, and began with one voice to complain that they had been kept
+awake all night by such a disagreeable old lady, who would keep coming
+into the room, and looking for something in the drawers. 'I told her I
+wished she'd go away,' said the eldest, 'and then she did go; but she
+came back; and we don't like her. Who is she, mamma? Is she to live with
+us?'
+
+"They then, on being questioned, described her appearance, which exactly
+coincided with the account given by the former tenants. I can vouch for
+the truth of these circumstances; and since these children had,
+certainly, never heard a word on the subject of the apparition, and had,
+indeed, no idea that it was one, 'I think the evidence,' said Sir A. C.,
+'is quite unexceptionable.'
+
+"I should say so, too, if it referred to any other question," said Mr.
+E., a barrister, who happened to be present when the story was related;
+"but on the subject of ghosts I cannot think any evidence sufficient."
+
+"A state of mind by no means uncommon," I said, "and which it is, of
+course, in vain to contend with. I can only wonder and admire the
+confidence that can venture to prejudge so interesting and important a
+subject of inquiry."
+
+
+
+
+ROUND THE FIRE.
+
+SEVENTH EVENING.
+
+
+"My story will be a very short one," said Mrs. M.; "for I must tell you
+that though, like every body else, I have heard a great many ghost
+stories, and have met people who assured me they had seen such things, I
+cannot, for my own part, bring myself to believe in them; but a
+circumstance occurred when I was abroad, that you may perhaps consider
+of a ghostly nature, though I cannot.
+
+"I was travelling through Germany, with no one but my maid--it was
+before the time of railways, and on my road from Leipsic to Dresden, I
+stopt at an inn that appeared to have been long ago part of an
+aristocratic residence--a castle in short; for there was a stone wall
+and battlements, and a tower at one side; while the other was a
+prosaic-looking, square building that had evidently been added in
+modern times. The inn stood at one end of a small village, in which some
+of the houses looked so antique that they might, I thought, be coeval
+with the castle itself. There were a good many travellers, but the host
+said he could accommodate me; and when I asked to see my room, he led me
+up to the towers, and showed me a tolerably comfortable one. There were
+only two apartments on each floor; so I asked him if I could have the
+other for my maid, and he said yes, if no other traveller arrived. None
+came, and she slept there.
+
+"I supped at the table d'hôte, and retired to bed early, as I had an
+excursion to make on the following day; and I was sufficiently tired
+with my journey to fall asleep directly.
+
+"I don't know how long I had slept--but I think some hours, when I awoke
+quite suddenly, almost with a start, and beheld near the foot of the
+bed, the most hideous, dreadful-looking old woman, in an antique dress,
+that imagination can conceive. She seemed to be approaching me--not as
+if walking, but gliding, with her left arm and hand extended towards me.
+
+"'Merciful God deliver me!' I exclaimed under my first impulse of
+amazement; and as I said the words she disappeared."
+
+"Then, though you don't believe in ghosts, you thought it was one when
+you saw it," said I.
+
+"I don't know what I thought--I admit I was a good deal frightened, and
+it was a long time before I fell asleep again.
+
+"In the morning," continued Mrs. M., "my maid knocked, and I told her to
+come in; but the door was locked, and I had to get out of bed to admit
+her--I thought I might have forgotten to fasten it. As soon as I was up,
+I examined every part of the room, but I could find nothing to account
+for this intrusion. There was neither trap or moving panell, or door
+that I could see, except the one I had locked. However, I made up my
+mind not to speak of the circumstance, for I fancied I must have been
+deceived in supposing myself awake, and that it was only a dream; more
+particularly as there was no light in my room, and I could not
+comprehend how I could have seen this woman.
+
+"I went out early, and was away the greater part of the day. When I
+returned I found more travellers had arrived, and that they had given
+the room next mine to a German lady and her daughter, who were at the
+table d'hôte. I therefore had a bed made up in my room for my maid; and
+before I lay down, I searched thoroughly, that I might be sure nobody
+was concealed there.
+
+"In the middle of the night--I suppose about the same time I had been
+disturbed on the preceding one--I and my maid were awakened by a
+piercing scream; and I heard the voice of the German girl in the
+adjoining room, exclaiming, 'Ach! meine mutter! meine mutter!'
+
+"For some time afterwards I heard them talking, and then I fell
+asleep--wondering, I confess, whether they had had a visit from the
+frightful old woman. They left me in no doubt the next morning. They
+came down to breakfast greatly excited--told everybody the
+cause--described the old woman exactly as I had seen her, and departed
+from the house incontinently, declaring they would not stay there
+another hour."
+
+"What did the host say to it?" we asked.
+
+"Nothing; he said we must have dreamed it--and I suppose we did."
+
+"Your story," said I, "reminds me of a very interesting letter which I
+received soon after the publication of 'The Night side of Nature.' It
+was from a clergyman who gave his name, and said he was chaplain to a
+nobleman. He related that in a house he inhabited, or had inhabited, a
+lady had one evening gone up stairs, and seen, to her amazement, in a
+room, the door of which was open, a lady in an antique dress, standing
+before a chest of drawers, and apparently examining their contents. She
+stood still, wondering who this stranger could be, when the figure
+turned her face towards her, and, to her horror, she saw there were no
+eyes. Other members of the family saw the same apparition also. I
+believe there were further particulars; but I unfortunately lost this
+letter, with some others, in the confusion of changing my residence.
+
+"The absence of eyes I take to be emblematical of moral blindness; for
+in the world of spirits there is no deceiving each other by false
+seemings; as we are, so we appear."
+
+"Then," said Mrs. W. C., "the apparition--if it was an apparition--that
+two of my servants saw lately, must be in a very degraded state.
+
+"There is a road, and on one side of it a path, just beyond my garden
+wall. Not long ago two of my servants were in the dusk of the evening
+walking up this path, when they saw a large, dark object coming towards
+them. At first, they thought it was an animal; and when it got close,
+one of them stretched out her hand to touch it; but she could feel
+nothing, and it passed on between her and the garden wall, although
+there was _no space_, the path being only wide enough for two; and on
+looking back, they saw it walking down the hill behind them. Three men
+were coming up on the path; and as the thing approached, they jumped off
+into the road.
+
+"'Good heavens, what is that!' cried the women.
+
+"'I don't know,' replied the men; 'I never saw such a thing as that
+before.'
+
+"The women came home greatly agitated; and we have since heard there is
+a tradition that the spot is haunted by the ghost of a man who was
+killed in a quarry close by."
+
+"I have travelled a great deal," said our next speaker, the Chevalier de
+La C. G.; and, certainly, I have never been in any country where
+instances of these spiritual appearances were not adduced on apparently
+credible authority. I have heard numerous stories of the sort, but the
+one that most readily occurs to me at present, was told to me not long
+ago, in Paris, by Count P.--the nephew of the celebrated Count P. whose
+name occurs in the history of the remarkable incidents connected with
+the death of the Emperor Paul.
+
+"Count P., my authority for the following story, was attached to the
+Russian embassy; and he told me, one evening, when the conversation
+turned on the inconveniences of travelling in the East of Europe, that,
+on one occasion, when in Poland, he found himself about seven o'clock in
+an autumn evening on a forest road, where there was no possibility of
+finding a house of public entertainment within many miles. There was a
+frightful storm; the road, not good at the best, was almost
+impracticable from the weather, and his horses were completely knocked
+up. On consulting his people what was best to be done, they said, that
+to go back was as impossible as to go forward; but that by turning a
+little out of the main road, they should soon reach a castle where
+possibly shelter might be procured for the night. The count gladly
+consented, and it was not long before they found themselves at the gate
+of what appeared a building on a very splendid scale. The courier
+quickly alighted and rang at the bell, and while waiting for admission,
+he enquired who the castle belonged to, and was told that it was Count
+X's.
+
+"It was some time before the bell was answered, but at length an elderly
+man appeared at a wicket, with a lantern, and peeped out. On perceiving
+the equipage, he came forward and stept up to the carriage, holding the
+light aloft to discover who was inside. Count P. handed him his card,
+and explained his distress.
+
+"'There is no one here, my lord,' replied the man, 'but myself and my
+family; the castle is not inhabited.'
+
+"'That's bad news,' said the count; 'but nevertheless, you can give me
+what I am most in need of, and that is--shelter for the night.'
+
+"'Willingly,' said the man, 'if your lordship will put up with such
+accommodation as we can hastily prepare.'
+
+"'So,' said the count, 'I alighted and walked in; and the old man
+unbarred the great gates to admit my carriages and people. We found
+ourselves in an immense _couer_, with the castle _en face_, and stables
+and offices on each side. As we had a _fourgon_ with us, with provender
+for the cattle and provisions for ourselves, we wanted nothing but beds
+and a good fire; and as the only one lighted was in the old man's
+apartments, he first took us there. They consisted of a _suite_ of small
+rooms in the left wing, that had probably been formerly occupied by the
+upper servants. They were comfortably furnished, and he and his large
+family appeared to be very well lodged. Besides the wife, there were
+three sons, with their wives and children, and two nieces; and in a part
+of the offices, where I saw a light, I was told there were labourers and
+women servants, for it was a valuable estate, with a fine forest, and
+the sons acted as _gardes chasse_.
+
+"'Is there much game in the forest?' I asked.
+
+"'A great deal of all sorts,' they answered.
+
+"'Then I suppose during the season the family live here?'
+
+"'Never,' they replied. 'None of the family ever reside here.'
+
+"'Indeed!' I said; how is that? It seems a very fine place.'
+
+"'Superb,' answered the wife of the custodian; 'but the castle is
+haunted.'
+
+"She said this with a simple gravity that made me laugh; upon which they
+all stared at me with the most edifying amazement.
+
+"'I beg your pardon,' I said; 'but you know, perhaps, in great cities,
+such as I usually inhabit, there are no ghosts.'
+
+"'Indeed!' said they. 'No ghosts!'
+
+"'At least,' I said, 'I never heard of any; and we don't believe in such
+things.'
+
+"They looked at each other with surprise, but said nothing; not
+appearing to have any desire to convince me. 'But do you mean to say,'
+said I, 'that that is the reason the family don't live here, and that
+the castle is abandoned on that account?'
+
+"'Yes,' they replied, 'that is the reason nobody has resided here for
+many years.'
+
+"'But how can you live here then?'
+
+"'We are never troubled in this part of the building,' said she. 'We
+hear noises, but we are used to that.'
+
+"'Well, if there is a ghost, I hope I shall see it,' said I.
+
+"'God forbid!' said the woman, crossing herself. 'But we shall guard
+against that; your seigneurie will sleep not far from this, where you
+will be quite safe.'
+
+"'Oh! but,' said I, 'I am quite serious, if there is a ghost, I should
+particularly like to see him, and I should be much obliged to you to put
+me in the apartments he most frequents.'
+
+"They opposed this proposition earnestly, and begged me not to think of
+if; besides, they said if any thing was to happen to my lord, how should
+they answer for it; but as I insisted, the women went to call the
+members of the family who were lighting fires and preparing beds in some
+rooms on the same floor as they occupied themselves. When they came they
+were as earnest against the indulgence of my wishes as the women had
+been. Still I insisted.
+
+"'Are you afraid,' I said, 'to go yourselves in the haunted chambers?'
+
+"'No,' they answered. 'We are the custodians of the castle and have to
+keep the rooms clean and well aired lest the furniture be spoiled--my
+lord talks always of removing it, but it has never been removed
+yet--but we would not sleep up there for all the world.'
+
+"'Then it is the upper floors that are haunted?'
+
+"'Yes, especially the long room, no one could pass a night there; the
+last that did is in a lunatic asylum now at Warsaw,' said the custodian.
+
+"'What happened to him?'
+
+"'I don't know,' said the man; 'he was never able to tell.'
+
+"'Who was he?' I asked.
+
+"'He was a lawyer. My lord did business with him; and one day he was
+speaking of this place, and saying that it was a pity he was not at
+liberty to pull it down and sell the materials; but he cannot, because
+it is family property and goes with the title; and the lawyer said he
+wished it was his, and that no ghost should keep him out of it. My lord
+said that it was easy for any one to say that who knew nothing about it,
+and that he must suppose the family had not abandoned such a fine place
+without good reasons. But the lawyer said it was some trick, and that it
+was coiners, or robbers, who had got a footing in the castle, and
+contrived to frighten people away that they might keep it to themselves;
+so my lord said if he could prove that he should be very much obliged to
+him, and more than that, he would give him a great sum--I don't know how
+much. So the lawyer said, he would; and my lord wrote to me that he was
+coming to inspect the property, and I was to let him do any thing he
+liked.
+
+"'Well, he came, and with him his son, a fine young man and a soldier.
+They asked me all sorts of questions, and went over the castle and
+examined every part of it. From what they said, I could see that they
+thought the ghost was all nonsense, and that I and my family were in
+collusion with the robbers or coiners. However, I did not care for that,
+my lord knew that the castle had been haunted before I was born.
+
+"'I had prepared rooms on this floor for them--the same I am preparing
+for your lordship, and they slept there, keeping the keys of the upper
+rooms to themselves, so I did not interfere with them. But one morning,
+very early, we were awakened by some one knocking at our bedroom door,
+and when we opened it, we saw Mr. Thaddeus--that was the lawyer's
+son--standing there half-drest and as pale as a ghost; and he said his
+father was very ill and he begged us to go to him; to our surprise he
+led us up stairs to the haunted chamber, and there we found the poor
+gentleman speechless, and we thought they had gone up there early and
+that he had had a stroke. But it was not so; Mr. Thaddeus said, that
+after we were all in bed, they had gone up there to pass the night. I
+know they thought that there was no ghost but us, and that's why they
+would not let us know their intention. They laid down upon some sofas,
+wrapt up in their fur cloaks, and resolved to keep awake, and they did
+so for some time, but at last the young man was overcome by drowsiness,
+he struggled against it, but could not conquer it, and the last thing he
+recollects was his father shaking him and saying 'Thaddeus, Thaddeus,
+for God's sake keep awake!' But he could not, and he knew no more till
+he woke and saw that day was breaking, and found his father sitting in a
+corner of the room speechless, and looking like a corpse; and there he
+was when we went up. The young man thought he'd been taken ill or had a
+stroke, as we supposed at first; but when we found they had passed the
+night in the haunted chambers, we had no doubt what had happened--he had
+seen some terrible sight and so lost his senses.'
+
+"'He lost his senses, I should say, from terror when his son fell
+asleep,' said I, 'and he felt himself alone. He could have been a man of
+no nerve. At all events, what you tell me raises my curiosity. Will you
+take me up stairs and shew me those rooms?'
+
+"'Willingly,' said the man, and fetching a bunch of keys and a light,
+and calling one of his sons to follow him with another, he led the way
+up the great staircase to a suite of apartments on the first floor. The
+rooms were lofty and large, and the man said the furniture was very
+handsome, but old. Being all covered with canvas cases, I could not
+judge of it. 'Which is the long room?' I said.
+
+"Upon which he led me into a long narrow room that might rather have
+been called a gallery. There were sofas along each side, something like
+a dais at the upper end; and several large pictures hanging on the
+walls.
+
+"I had with me a bull dog, of a very fine breed, that had been given me
+in England by Lord F. She had followed me up stairs--indeed, she
+followed me every where--and I watched her narrowly as she went smelling
+about, but there were no indications of her perceiving any thing
+extraordinary. Beyond this gallery there was only a small octagon room,
+with a door that led out upon another staircase. When I had examined it
+all thoroughly, I returned to the long room and told the man, as that
+was the place especially frequented by the ghost, I should feel much
+obliged if he would allow me to pass the night there. I could take upon
+myself to say that Count X., would have no objection.
+
+"'It is not that,' replied the man; 'but the danger to your lordship,'
+and he conjured me not to insist on such a perilous experiment.
+
+"When he found I was resolved, he gave way, but on condition that I
+signed a paper, stating that in spite of his representations I had
+determined to sleep in the long room.
+
+"I confess, the more anxious these people seemed to prevent my sleeping
+there, the more curious I was; not that I believed in the ghost the
+least in the world. I thought that the lawyer had been right in his
+conjecture, but that he hadn't nerve enough to investigate whatever he
+saw or heard; and that they had succeeded in frightening him out of his
+senses. I saw what an excellent place these people had got, and how much
+it was their interest to maintain the idea that the castle was
+uninhabitable. Now, I have pretty good nerves--I have been in situations
+that have tried them severely--and I did not believe that any ghost, if
+there was such a thing, or any jugglery by which a semblance of one
+might be contrived, would shake them. As for any real danger, I did not
+apprehend it; the people knew who I was, and any mischief happening to
+me would have led to consequences they well understood. So they lighted
+fires in both the grates of the gallery, and as they had abundance of
+dry wood, they soon blazed up. I was determined not to leave the room
+after I was once in it, lest, if my suspicions were correct, they might
+have time to make their arrangements; so I desired my people to bring up
+my supper, and I ate it there.
+
+"My courier said he had always heard the castle was haunted, but he
+dare say there was no ghost but the people below, who had a very
+comfortable berth of it; and he offered to pass the night with me, but I
+declined any companion and preferred trusting to myself and my dog. My
+valet, on the contrary, strongly advised me against the enterprize,
+assuring me that he had lived with a family in France whose château was
+haunted, and had left his place in consequence.
+
+"By the time I had finished my supper it was ten o'clock, and every
+thing was prepared for the night. My bed, though an impromptu, was very
+comfortable, made of amply stuffed cushions and thick coverlets, placed
+in front of the fire. I was provided with light and plenty of wood; and
+I had my regimental cutlass, and a case of excellent pistols, which I
+carefully primed and loaded in presence of the custodian, saying, you
+see I am determined to fire at the ghost, so if he cannot stand a
+bullet, he had better not pay me a visit.
+
+"The old man shook his head calmly, but made no answer. Having desired
+the courier, who said he should not go to bed, to come up stairs
+immediately if he heard the report of fire-arms, I dismissed my people
+and locked the doors, barricading each with a heavy ottoman besides.
+There was no arras or hangings of any sort behind which a door could be
+concealed; and I went round the room, the walls of which were pannelled
+with white and gold, knocking every part, but neither the sound, nor
+Dido, the dog, gave any indications of there being anything unusual.
+Then I undressed and lay down with my sword and my pistols beside me;
+and Dido at the foot of my bed, where she always slept.
+
+"I confess I was in a state of pleasing excitement; my curiosity and my
+love of adventure were roused; and whether it was ghost, or robber, or
+coiner, I was to have a visit from, the interview was likely to be
+equally interesting. It was half-past ten when I lay down; my
+expectations were too vivid to admit of sleep; and after an attempt at a
+French novel, I was obliged to give it up; I could not fix my attention
+to it. Besides, my chief care was not to be surprised. I could not help
+thinking the custodian and his family had some secret way of getting
+into the room, and I hoped to detect them in the fact; so I lay with my
+eyes and ears open in a position that gave me a view of every part of
+it, till my travelling clock struck twelve, which being pre-eminently
+the ghostly hour, I thought the critical moment was arrived. But no, no
+sound, no interruption of any sort to the silence and solitude of the
+night occurred. When half-past twelve, and one struck, I pretty well
+made up my mind that I should be disappointed in my expectations, and
+that the ghost, whoever he was, knew better than to encounter Dido and a
+brace of well charged pistols; but just as I arrived at this conclusion,
+an unaccountable _frisson_ came over me, and I saw Dido, who tired with
+her day's journey, had lain till now quietly curled up asleep, begin to
+move, and slowly get upon her feet. I thought she was only going to
+turn, but, instead of lying down, she stood still with her ears erect
+and her head towards the dais, uttering a low growl.
+
+"The dais, I should mention, was but the skeleton of a dais, for the
+draperies were taken off. There was only remaining a canopy covered with
+crimson velvet, and an arm chair covered with velvet too, but cased in
+canvas like the rest of the furniture. I had examined this part of the
+room thoroughly, and had moved the chair aside to ascertain that there
+was nothing under it.
+
+"Well, I sat up in bed and looked steadily in the same direction as the
+dog, but I could see nothing at first, though it appeared that she did;
+but as I looked, I began to perceive something like a cloud in the
+chair, while at the same time a chill which seemed to pervade the very
+marrow in my bones crept through me, yet the fire was good; and it was
+not the chill of fear, for I cocked my pistols with perfect self
+possession and abstained from giving Dido the signal to advance, because
+I wished eagerly to see the denouement of the adventure.
+
+"Gradually, this cloud took a form, and assumed the shape of a tall
+white figure that reached from the ceiling to the floor of the dais,
+which was raised by two steps. At him, Dido! At him! I said, and away
+she dashed to the steps, but instantly turned and crept back completely
+cowed. As her courage was undoubted, I own this astonished me, and I
+should have fired, but that I was perfectly satisfied that what I saw
+was not a substantial human form, for I had seen it grow into its
+present shape and height from the undefined cloud that first appeared
+in the chair. I laid my hand on the dog who had crept up to my side, and
+I felt her shaking in her skin. I was about to rise myself and approach
+the figure, though I confess I was a good deal awe struck, when it
+stepped majestically from the dais, and seemed to be advancing. 'At
+him!' I said, 'At him, Dido!' and I gave the dog every encouragement to
+go forward; she made a sorry attempt, but returned when she had got half
+way and crouched beside me whining with terror. The figure advanced upon
+me; the cold became icy; the dog crouched and trembled; and I, as it
+approached, honestly confess, said Count P., that I hid my head under
+the bed clothes and did not venture to look up till morning. I know not
+what it was--as it passed over me I felt a sensation of undefinable
+horror, that no words can describe--and I can only say that nothing on
+earth would tempt me to pass another night in that room, and I am sure
+if Dido could speak, you'd find her of the same opinion.
+
+"I had desired to be called at seven o'clock, and when the custodian,
+who accompanied my valet, found me safe and in my perfect senses, I
+must say the poor man appeared greatly relieved; and when I descended
+the whole family seemed to look upon me as a hero. I thought it only
+just to them to admit that something had happened in the night that I
+felt impossible to account for, and that I should not recommend any body
+who was not very sure of their nerves to repeat the experiment."
+
+When the Chevalier had concluded this extraordinary story, I suggested
+that the apparition of the castle very much resembled that mentioned by
+the late professor Gregory, in his letters on mesmerism, as having
+appeared in the Tower of London some years ago, and from the alarm it
+created, having occasioned the death of a lady, the wife of an officer
+quartered there, and one of the sentries. Every one who had read that
+very interesting publication was struck by the resemblance.
+
+
+
+
+ROUND THE FIRE.
+
+EIGHTH EVENING.
+
+
+"As this was our last evening, I was called upon for a story; but I
+pleaded that I had told all mine in the 'Night Side of Nature,' and of
+personal experience I had very little to tell; but I said I will give
+you the history of a visit I made several years ago to a haunted house
+although it resulted in almost nothing.
+
+"After the publication of the 'Night Side,' I received many valuable
+communications--I wish I had kept a note of them all, but I never
+expected to publish again on the same subject. Amongst others, I
+received a letter from a gentleman called Mc. N., and as it contained
+several interesting particulars, I requested him to call on me. I
+remember, in the letter, he told me that a few years previously, he had
+been on an excursion from home, and that while stopping at an inn, one
+morning, about five o'clock, the door opened and his father entered; he
+came to the bedside, looked at him, and then went out again. The young
+man sprang from his bed, and followed him down stairs, where he lost
+sight of him. He returned home, and found his father had died on that
+morning.
+
+"He was in a lawyer's office, and, amongst other things, he mentioned to
+me that there was not very far off a house said to be haunted, of which
+they had the charge, but that it was impossible to do anything with it.
+'We offer it at a mere nominal rent, but no one will stay there.'
+
+"I was often absent from home at this time, but for the next two or
+three years I sometimes met him and inquired about the house. The report
+was always the same; till, at length, no one would go into it; it was
+shut up--the shutters were closed, and the boys of the neighbourhood
+threw stones at the windows and broke the glass. Yet it was situated in
+a street where every other house was inhabited, and which had not been
+built many years.
+
+"It was as much as six or seven years after I had first heard of this
+house, that I happened to mention the circumstance to some gentlemen of
+my acquaintance--very eminent men, with honest, inquiring minds; truth
+seekers, who, if she were in the bottom of a well, would have thought it
+right to go after her. As they had humility enough to feel that they
+could not pronounce upon a question that they had never studied or
+investigated, they expressed a wish to visit the house. Accordingly, I
+applied to Mr. Mc. N., who had the keys in his office, and he obligingly
+consented to accompany us. Our expedition was to be kept a profound
+secret; and it was so, till some time afterwards, when, like most other
+secrets, it got wind and it spread abroad.
+
+"We started in a carriage, between eleven and twelve o'clock at night,
+taking with us a young girl who was easily mesmerised, and when in that
+state a good clairvoyante. She was not told the object of our journey,
+and had no means whatever of learning it. We said we were going to look
+at a house, and that that was the most convenient time for the gentleman
+to show it us. We did not drive to the door, but Mr. Mc. N. met us in
+the next street, where we alighted, lest we should attract observation.
+We walked to our destination, and Mr. Mc. N. explained to the policeman
+on duty who he was and where we were going, lest he should suspect
+mischief, and interrupt us. He then unlocked the door with the aid of
+the policeman's lantern, for it was a dark winter's night; and on
+entering, we found ourselves in a narrow passage.
+
+"It was a small house, in no respect different from the others in the
+street. They seemed all of the same description. A narrow frontage, with
+one window and the door, on the ground floor; two windows above; two
+rooms on a floor, three stories in height, and a kitchen, scullery, and
+cellars underground.
+
+"As soon as the door closed on us, we were in utter darkness, but we had
+provided ourselves with candles and matches, and when we had lighted
+them, we entered the back parlour, which Mr. Mc. N. had heard from the
+different inhabitants was the room in which they had met with most
+annoyance.
+
+"The clairvoyante was then put to sleep, and asked if she liked the
+house, and would recommend us to take it. She shuddered and said 'No;
+that two people had been murdered there, and we should be _troubled_.'
+We asked in which room; she answered, 'it was before this house was
+built--that another house stood there then--a very old house.' This was
+not exactly on the same ground, but the room we were in was on part of
+it. She said that it was these murdered people who would trouble us. We
+asked if she could see them, and she answered 'no.'
+
+"We then waited in silence to see if anything occurred; but nothing did,
+except a metallic sound at the door, which was ajar, like the striking
+of two pieces of iron. We all heard it, but could not say what
+occasioned it.
+
+"After a little time, some one suggested that we should extinguish the
+lights. We did so, and were then in absolute darkness. There was but one
+window in the room, and that was coated with dust, and the shutter was
+shut; besides, as I have said, it was a very dark night, and this room,
+being at the back, looked into a yard, I believe; at all events, not
+into a street.
+
+"Presently, the clairvoyante started, and exclaimed, 'Look there!' We
+saw nothing, and asked what it was.
+
+"'There!' she said. 'There again! don't you see it?'
+
+"'What?' we asked. 'The lights!' she said. 'There! Now!' These
+exclamations were made at intervals of two or three seconds.
+
+"We all said we saw nothing whatever.
+
+"'If Mrs. Crowe would take hold of my hand, I think she would see them,'
+she suggested.
+
+"I did so; and then at intervals of a few seconds, I saw thrown up,
+apparently from the floor, waves of white light, faint, but perfectly
+distinct and visible. In order that I might know whether our perceptions
+of this phenomenon were simultaneous, I desired her, without speaking,
+to press my hand each time she saw it, which she did; and each time I
+distinctly saw the wave of white light. I saw it, at these intervals, as
+long as I held her hand and we were in the dark. Nobody saw it but she
+and myself; and we did not follow up the experiment by the others taking
+her hand, which we should have done.
+
+"During this interval, another light suddenly appeared in the middle of
+the room, away from where we were standing, I saw a bright diamond of
+light, like an extremely vivid spark--only not the colour of fire; it
+was white, brilliant, and quiescent, but shed no rays. I did not mention
+this, because I wished to learn if it was visible to any body else--but
+nobody spoke of it; not even the clairvoyante. Whether she saw it or
+not, I cannot say. When the candles were re-lighted these lights were no
+longer visible. I and one of the gentlemen went over the house above and
+below, but saw nothing but the dust and desolation of a long uninhabited
+dwelling.
+
+"When we came away, and Mr. Mc. N. had locked the door, we walked to the
+carriage. I said, 'then you none of you saw the waves of light.'
+
+"'No,' said they.
+
+"'Well,' said I, 'I certainly did, and I never saw anything like it
+before. Moreover, I saw another sort of light.'
+
+"'Did you,' said Mr. Mc. N., interrupting me; 'was it a bright spark of
+light like the oxy-hydrogen light.'
+
+"'Exactly,' said I. 'I could not think what to compare it to; but that
+was it.'
+
+"I thus was certain that he had seen the same thing as myself; he had
+not spoken of it from a similar motive; he waited to have his impression
+confirmed by further testimony.
+
+"You see our results were not great, but the visit was not wholly barren
+to me. Of course, many wise people will say, I did not see the lights,
+but that they were the offspring of my excited imagination. But I beg to
+say that my imagination was by no means excited. If I had been there
+_alone_, it would have been a different affair; for though I never saw a
+ghost nor ever fancied I did, I am afraid I should have been very
+nervous. But I was in exceedingly good company, with two very clever
+men, besides the lawyer, a lady, and the clairvoyante; so that my nerves
+were perfectly composed, as I should not object to seeing any ghost in
+such agreeable society. Moreover, I did not _expect_ any result;
+because, there is very seldom any on these occasions, as ghosts appear
+we know not why; but certainly not because people wish to see them. They
+generally come when least expected and least thought of.
+
+"Mr. Mc. N., on inquiry, learnt that unaccountable lights were amongst
+the things complained of. What occasioned them and the other phenomena,
+it had certainly been the proprietor's interest for many years to
+discover; it had also been the interest of numerous tenants, who having
+taken the house for a term, found themselves obliged to leave it at a
+sacrifice. Yet, for all those years, no explanation could be found for
+the annonyances but that the house was haunted. No tradition seems
+extant to account for its evil reputation. If what the clairvoyante said
+was true, the murders must have occurred long ago.
+
+"A gentleman, an inhabitant of the same city, once mentioned to me that
+a friend of his, many years previously, when quite a young man, had one
+Sunday evening been walking alone in the fields outside this town; and
+that he met a young woman, a perfect stranger, who, on some pretence
+asked him to see her safe home. He did so; she led him to a lone farm
+house, and then inviting him to walk in, shewed him into a room and left
+him. Whilst waiting for her return, idly looking about, he found hidden
+under the table, which was covered with a cloth, a dead body. On this
+discovery, he rushed to the door; it was locked; but the window was not
+very high from the ground, and by it he escaped; terrified to such a
+degree, that he not only left the city that very evening, but hastened
+out of the country, apprehensive that he had been enticed to the house
+and shut up with the murdered man, for the purpose of throwing the guilt
+on him; and as justice was not so clear sighted, and much more
+inexorable than in these days, he feared the circumstantial evidence
+might go against him. He settled in a foreign country and finally died
+there.
+
+"Where this locality was, I don't know, except that it was in the
+environs of the city--environs which have since been covered with
+buildings; what if the house that we visited should have been erected on
+the site of that lone farm!
+
+"It may be so; at all events, this story shews how possible it is that
+some similar event might have occurred on the spot where the haunted
+house stands."
+
+In conclusion, let me once more recall to my readers that one, whose
+insight none will dispute, reminds us, in relation to this very subject,
+that "our philosophy," does not comprehend all wisdom and all truth.
+Philosophy is a good guide when she opens her eyes, but where she
+obstinately shuts them to one class of facts because she has previously
+made up her mind they cannot be genuine, she is a bad one.
+
+Professor A. told me that when he was at Göttingen, as a great favour,
+and through the interest of an influential professor there, he was
+allowed to see a book that had belonged to Faust, or Faustus, as we call
+him. It was a large volume, and the leaves were stiff and hard like
+wood. They contained his magic rites and formulas, but on the last page
+was inscribed a solemn injunction to all men, as they loved their own
+souls, not to follow in his path or practice the teaching that volume
+contained.
+
+There appears to be a mystery out of the domain--I mean the present
+domain of science; within the region of the hyper-psychical, regarding
+our relations, while in this world, with those who have past the gates,
+a belief in which is, I think, innate in human nature. This belief, in
+certain periods and places, grows rank and mischievous; at others, it is
+almost extinguished by reaction and education; but it never wholly dies;
+because, every where and in all times, circumstances have occurred to
+keep it alive, amongst individuals, which never reach the public ear.
+Now, the truth is always worth ascertaining on any subject; even this
+despised subject of ghosts, and those who have an inherent conviction
+that they themselves are spirits, temporarily clothed in flesh, feel
+that they have an especial interest in the question. We are fully aware
+that the investigation presents all sorts of difficulties, and that the
+belief is opposed to all sorts of accepted opinions; but we desire to
+ascertain the grounds of a persuasion, so nearly concerning ourselves
+which in all ages and all countries has prevailed in a greater or less
+degree, and which appears to be sustained by a vast amount of facts,
+which, however, we admit are not in a condition to be received as any
+thing beyond presumptive evidence. These facts are chiefly valuable, as
+furnishing cumulative testimony of the frequent recurrence of phenomena
+explicable by no known theory, and therefore as open to the spiritual
+hypothesis as any other. When a better is offered, supported by
+something more convincing than pointless ridicule and dogmatic
+assertion, I for one, shall be ready to entertain it. In the meanwhile,
+hoping that time may, at length, in some degree, rend the veil that
+encompasses this department of psychology, we record such experiences as
+come under our observation and are content to await their
+interpretation.
+
+
+
+
+APPENDIX.
+
+
+I have referred in the preceding pages to the loss of several letters,
+which I should have been glad to insert here.
+
+The following very interesting ones I have fortunately retained. I give
+them verbatim, only suppressing the names of the writers, as requested.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+LETTER I.
+
+
+_Aug. 18, 1854._
+
+MADAM,
+
+I have received your kind favor of the 15th, and I really feel that I
+must now apologize to you, for venturing so quickly to call in question
+the accuracy of your details. Being unaware, however, of the marvellous
+coincidence of the _two dreams_, I feel assured you at once appreciated
+the motives which alone impelled me to write.
+
+Allow me, then, to attempt a narration of the particulars referred to in
+my last, as having come under my own observation.
+
+Two intimate friends of mine (clergymen of the Church of England) and
+one of whom is unmarried, have for the last three years occupied a large
+old-fashioned house in the country. It is a very pretty place--stands
+within its own grounds--and is quite aloof from any other dwellings. It
+has long had the reputation in the neighbourhood of being haunted, in
+consequence, it is said, of a former proprietor having committed suicide
+there. The story goes thus, he was _laid out_ in a chamber which is now
+called the spare room, and is the scene of what I am about to relate. I
+may as well tell you that it was only on my last visit, some six weeks
+since, that I became at all aware of the _character_ of the mansion, for
+my friends felt so annoyed at what has taken place, that they purposely
+avoided communicating to their visitors what they thought might make
+them anything but comfortable.
+
+On that occasion there happened to be on a visit to my friend's wife, a
+lady very nearly related to him. She had the spare room assigned to her
+as a chamber, and on the very first night of her arrival was so
+terrified by what took place that she would not again sleep there
+without company.
+
+She stated that in the middle of the night she was alarmed by the most
+unearthly groanings and lamentations--the voice seemed close to her
+bedside. It was afterwards attended by a rustling noise, and she
+distinctly felt the curtains at the foot of the bed removed. Now, as my
+knowledge of what was going on could not be disputed, my friends
+admitted that it was not the _first_ time these noises had been heard,
+nay, that in two instances the apparition of a form in grave-clothes had
+been seen; the one occurring to a young gentleman of about twenty years
+of age, who happened to be visiting them, and the other to one of their
+own servants. In the former case, it appears that the young man was
+sitting rather late at night in the study reading--all the family being
+in bed--when the form emerged, apparently, from the wall dividing the
+study from the haunted chamber. It remained a short time only and then
+melted away. So great was the young man's terror that he has never been
+near the place since. The servant also described a similar appearance,
+and no one in the house who saw her terror could believe it acted.
+Independently of all this, no less than four gentlemen, two of them from
+the University, have experienced all the unearthly groanings and
+be-wailings before mentioned, and in nearly every instance the parties
+were, like myself, ignorant of the character attributed to the house.
+But I now come to my own experience.
+
+I was on a visit to my friends about twelve months since, when I met a
+gentleman who had just left the army for the church. He appeared about
+21 years of age, and there was that indescribable _something_ in his
+manner which charmed me immediately. Without any pretence to being set
+up--so to speak--in piety, there was yet _that_ in his sunny countenance
+and air of cheerfulness, which made you feel that he had been called to
+a brighter path of usefulness. I certainly very much admired him, and I
+have since learnt that he is a general favourite. On retiring to rest I
+found that he was to occupy the next room--not the study side.
+
+From a variety of causes I could not sleep--but the imaginative powers
+were not particularly aroused--my thoughts were of very prosy and
+worldly things. As near as I could recollect, about an hour after I had
+been in bed, I heard the most dreadful groans followed by exclamations
+of the most horrible kind. The voice certainly _seemed_ in the room, and
+was continued for at _least two hours_, at intervals of about ten
+minutes. It was that of a man who had committed a deadly sin which could
+never be pardoned! The agony seemed to me to be intense.
+
+Will you believe it, Madam, in spite of what I thought of my
+acquaintance of the next chamber, I ascribed it to him. I believed
+little in the supernatural, and concluded it to be some dreadful dream.
+It is astonishing the thought never struck me that a _continuous_ dream
+of such a character was scarcely possible. It did not, however, and
+despite of its unearthly character, and the apparent woe of the
+unfortunate one--the despair, as I said before, of a lost soul--I
+continued to associate it all with my neighbour next door, until the
+events which occurred at my last visit entirely upset my conviction, and
+I became at once assured I had been doing him a great injustice.
+
+Like some of the cases in the "Night Side of Nature," you will perceive
+here a great difference in the manifestations--to some it was given to
+_hear_, to others to _see_. Are you still of opinion that this results
+from what you term comparative freedom of _rapport_! Do you not think
+there _are_ times when the material may give place to the supernatural?
+I admit freely the truth of spectral illusions--I have myself
+experienced one--but knew it to be nothing more. Still, notwithstanding
+this, and my further belief in a _certain_ connection of mind and
+matter, I cannot altogether cast from me the persuasion that the
+Almighty One may _at times_ think fit to exercise a power independent of
+all rule, for the attainment of certain ends to us, perhaps, unknown.
+
+I cannot conclude without telling you that with regard to what I have
+mentioned above, nothing in the shape of _trick_ could possibly have
+been practised. Trusting I may not have trespassed too much on your
+patience, I will now remain, Madam, yours very respectfully,
+
+J. H. H.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+LETTER II.
+
+
+_Gloucestershire, June 10, 1854._
+
+MADAM,
+
+Being not long ago on a visit of some days at the house of a friend, I
+happened to meet with your work, entitled "The Night side of Nature."
+
+The title struck my imagination, and opening the book I was delighted to
+find that it treated of subjects which had long engaged my serious
+thoughts. I was much pleased to see in you such an able and earnest
+protester against the cold scepticism of the age in reference to truths
+of the highest order, and those too sustained by a body of evidence
+which in any other case would be esteemed irresistible. I must also say
+that I never met with so great a number of well authenticated facts in
+any other work as you have given us, whilst the truly catholic spirit of
+your theological reflections, was to me pecularly refreshing. I once had
+a thought of making a similar collection, that design I have however
+abandoned, the state of my health not admitting of much literary labour.
+I could relate to you many things as remarkable as any you have
+described, for the truth of which I can vouch. I will mention one of a
+most singular nature, and should you be inclined to read anything more
+from me on these matters, I shall feel a pleasure in the communication.
+Writing letters I find to be a relief from a melancholy, induced some
+two years ago by a variety of heavy afflictions, and this must be my
+apology for addressing you. But to my narrative:--
+
+Shortly after I entered the ministry, I was introduced to a gentleman of
+very superior mind who belonged to the same profession, and whom I had
+never seen equalled for the genius and eloquence which his conversation
+displayed.
+
+I became at once attached to him, and for some reason or other he
+evinced a desire to cultivate my friendship. After some months of most
+agreeable intercourse had elapsed, he was taken seriously ill, and one
+evening I was hastily summoned to his house. On my entering his chamber
+he requested that we might be left alone, and he then told me that it
+was his impression that his disease was mortal--that many supernatural
+occurrances had marked his life, which he desired might be given to the
+world when he was gone, and that he wished me to perform this office.
+Having expressed my willingness to gratify him, he commenced the chapter
+of extraordinaries. Here is one event in his remarkable history. Prior
+to his becoming a minister and when in humble circumstances, he lodged
+at the house of a tradesman at a certain sea-port town in W--s. He was
+then in perfect health. One night he retired to rest in peculiarly good
+spirits, and as his custom was (for it was then summer) he sat near the
+window and gazed for some time on the beauties of nature. He then amused
+himself for a while by humming a tune, when presently on looking towards
+the door, he saw the figure of a man enter--his dress was a blood red
+night cap, flannel jacket, and breeches. The man approached the bed (his
+countenance and walk indicating extreme illness), threw himself upon it,
+gave several groans and apparantly expired. My friend was so filled with
+horror that he lost all power of speech and motion, and remained fixed
+on his seat till morning, when he told his landlord the occurrence of
+the night, and declared that unless they could find him other apartments
+he would leave them that very day. The honest people were disinclined to
+part with him and agreed to accommodate him on the ground-floor. About
+_twelve months after this_, he went out on a market day for the purpose
+of purchasing some provisions, and when he returned, he heard that his
+old room was taken; but what was his surprise to find in the new lodger
+the very form, with the very same dress that had so terrified him a year
+before!
+
+The man was then very ill: he died in a few weeks, and the circumstances
+were without _any exception_ the same as those which my friend had
+witnessed. This is one of those cases in which it is extremely difficult
+to ascertain the design of the appearance.
+
+I should much like to know what conjecture you would form, as to the
+_modus_ and end of such a singular incident.
+
+Of the veracity of the narrator it was impossible for me to doubt. As
+this minister is still _living_ I am not at liberty to mention his
+name.
+
+Pray excuse the freedom of thus addressing you, and believe me to be
+
+    Madam, with every sentiment
+    of respect and esteem,
+    Yours, very truly,
+    Mrs. C. Crowe.      R. I. O.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+LETTER III.
+
+
+_Gloucestershire, June 21, 1854._
+
+MADAM,
+
+As I find that another communication will not be unacceptable, I proceed
+to detail a few cases. My first relates to the minister, a part of whose
+history I have given you, and belongs to the class of prophetic dreams.
+When he had resolved to study for the ministry and through the influence
+of friends, had obtained admission to a Dissenting College; as the day
+affixed for his departure drew near, he was filled with anxiety, from
+the fact that he had not even money to pay his travelling expenses.
+
+He did not like to borrow, and he had no reason to conclude that any
+one suspected the miserable state of his finances. The evening before
+his expected removal, he laid down to rest with a troubled heart. This
+was in the very same seaport where the circumstance happened which I
+have already told you. After some hours of great mental suffering sleep
+came to his relief, and in his dream there seemed to approach him one of
+a most pleasing form, who told him that he not only saw that he was in
+distress, but that he well knew the cause of it, and that if he would
+walk down on the beach to a certain place which he pointed out as in a
+picture, he would find under some loose stones enough for his present
+necessities. In the morning, accordingly, almost as soon as it was light
+he hastened to the indicated spot and to his great surprise and delight
+found a sum amounting to a trifle more than was absolutely necessary for
+his journey. I would just, in passing, remark that he said that on
+another occasion, his father who died many years before appeared to him
+with an angry countenance, and assured him that he would suffer much
+from something he had done in reference to his family, but as this was
+evidently an unpleasant and even painful topic I did not wish him to
+enlarge upon it. The other fact I shall mention, happened to my
+grandfather who was also a minister. I am well aware that it is of such
+a nature that the relation of it would in most companies excite a burst
+of laughter or at least a contemptuous and sceptical smile, but I know I
+am addressing one who has studied in a very different school of
+philosophy. It was in the large town of B--m where my grandfather
+resided for many years, that the event took place. He himself my
+grandfather, my aunts, and my mother used often to tell it to their
+friends when the conversation turned on the supernatural. I have
+probably heard it a hundred times and I am not ashamed to say that on
+the testimony of such a man as my grandfather I cannot but yield to it
+my belief.
+
+One morning when _breakfast had just commenced_, my grandfather went
+from the table, at which my grandmother also was sitting, into the
+passage, for what purpose I have now forgotten, and there he found (for
+the front door had been standing open,) a strange looking man in black,
+with a shuffling gait and a club foot. He declared that he had an
+instantaneous conviction that this was a supernatural appearance, and
+that a spirit of evil stood before him. The man in black exclaimed,
+moving towards the breakfast room, "I am come to take breakfast with you
+this morning." My grandfather convulsively seizing the handle of the
+door, said, with a stern look, "you are too late sir," to which the
+other instantly replied, "I am not too late for the remnant," and then
+rushed into the street. My grandfather followed, and to his amazement
+saw this creature at the top of the street, which was of great length,
+and in a moment or two he vanished. My grandmother heard a loud talking,
+and when my grandfather returned to the table in considerable agitation,
+she naturally wished to know what had occurred, but as she was near her
+confinement he of course concealed the matter from her. The mysterious
+words of the stranger followed him continually, and he puzzled himself
+in seeking to explain their meaning. In a few days my grandmother was
+confined. The child was dead-born and her life for some time hung in
+jeopardy. He now believed he had arrived at the solution of the
+difficulty--the infant was the "remnant" referred to.
+
+I am not the subject of remarkable dreams. I had one, however, lately,
+and I give it you because it stands connected in my mind with the
+knowledge of a singular psychical fact which I am confident will greatly
+interest you, if you have not yet fallen upon it in the course of your
+reading. About a fortnight ago I thought I saw in my sleep, a young man,
+who is assistant to our principal surgeon, come into my room, looking
+exceedingly unwell. He laid himself on the other bed in my chamber, and
+I thought that he had come there to linger out his last illness, at
+which I felt not the least surprise or objection. He seemed to be
+perfectly resigned, and presently he began to converse with me, and
+after we had talked for some time, whilst he was replying to something I
+had said, I distinctly saw his spirit rise up out of his body. He gazed
+at the corpse with the deepest interest and pleasure. One moment he
+would stand by the head and survey the face, and the next move to the
+feet, and then gaze at the entire body. He called me to come and stand
+by his side and view this lifeless frame, which I did with as much
+placidity as he seemed himself to possess, and without the slightest
+idea of their being anything absurd in what I saw. I could not,
+however, help saying "O, that I could leave my body and have such a view
+of it as you have now of yours!" I remember no more. In the morning I
+had occasion to call on a friend, who has a large library containing
+many rare books. Not being in the humour for close reading (for I spend
+many hours at a time there) I took up from a centre table a volume of a
+lighter kind. It happened to be Mrs. Child's "Letters from New York."
+Turning the leaves over carelessly, my eye lighted on a chapter headed
+"The spirit surveying its own body!" She there says that she was told by
+a pious lady, that when once in a swoon, she felt that she left the body
+and was _standing by it_ during the whole time it lasted; that she
+distinctly heard every word spoken by the doctor and her family, and saw
+every movement of their countenances, and all that was done with her
+body. I may observe that I have not heard that anything has occurred to
+the young man I saw. If I have not already tired your patience you may
+draw on my memory for something more. A line to that effect will oblige,
+
+    Yours very truly,
+    Mrs. Crowe,      R. I. O.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+LETTER IV.
+
+
+_Edinburgh, Aug. 10th._
+
+MADAM,
+
+In consequence of a long absence abroad, I never had, till recently, an
+opportunity of reading your agreeable work, "The Night side of Nature,"
+which contains a mass of evidence in favour of your theories, to which I
+take the liberty of adding a few cases from my own experience.
+
+Many years ago I lived in a house in Edinburgh, which belonged to my
+mother's relatives, and in which my maternal grandfather had died,
+several years antecedent to my own birth. The room in which I slept was
+that (but at the time unknown to me) in which my relative had expired.
+There were two beds in the room--one a large four-poster and the other a
+sort of couch. The latter was next the door, and both lay between it and
+the window, which was barred and bolted, and opposite to them was the
+fireplace, with rather a high mantlepiece. Being summer, the "board" was
+on the chimney. It was about eleven o'clock at night; the rest of the
+family had retired to rest. As there were only about two inches of
+candle left, I placed the candlestick on the mantlepiece, intending to
+allow it to burn out, and went to my bed, which was on the couch. I had
+just lain down, and was looking towards the candle, when, to my extreme
+horror, I perceived a tall old man in his night dress, standing by the
+mantlepiece. His sight seemed impaired, for he put forth his hand _and
+felt for something_, and then moved across the fireplace, in doing
+which, _he obscured the light on passing it_. My gaze was riveted on
+him. He then turned towards the large bed on my left, and stretching out
+his hands attempted with a feeble effort to lay himself down, and in
+doing so I heard him _sigh_ distinctly. He disappeared almost at the
+same moment. He did not appear to have noticed me. I immediately sprang
+out of bed and opening the door on my right hand, called out loudly, but
+_never left the doorway_, as I was resolved that if the figure were that
+of a living person there should be no means of egress. On the assembling
+of the family in my room, a search was made; but there was nothing to be
+seen, and there had been no possibility of a human being having been in
+the room; the affair was put down to an _illusion_. Yet so strong an
+impression did it leave on my mind, that a few years since (1851 or 52),
+when in India, I published in "Saunder's Magazine," printed at the Delhi
+Gazette press, an account of this apparition, in a narrative, which I
+wrote called "Idone, or Incidents in the life of a dreamer," and which
+with the exception of this introductory vision, was, in reality, a
+series of actual dreams of which I had kept a record, and this I
+endeavoured to weave into a vague story, with the view of illustrating
+how a person might live _two distinct lives_!
+
+Sometime after the above were published, I read with much interest,
+"Swedenborg's Theory of the Spiritual World;" and lately when reading
+your work, I was struck with some peculiar resemblances between my own
+experience and the cases you cite.
+
+But to return to the family and house in Edinburgh, of my grandfather.
+Other members of the family have seen unaccountable figures in the same
+house. An aunt of mine and a cousin, one night, met an old woman on the
+stairs with a large bunch of keys, and were in the greatest alarm. On
+another occasion, on going to open a room which had been locked up for
+some time, in order to prepare it for the reception of my eldest uncle,
+who had just returned that night from abroad, two members of the family
+started back and locked the door again, for on entering they had both
+seen the _mattrass &c. violently heaved up_. On returning with the
+servants, nothing was visible of an unusual description. Again, two
+relatives occupied the same room, and one night, as the fire was burning
+low, after they had gone to bed (the door being locked) they were
+alarmed by a sound like wings, over their beds, and by a _dusky form_
+moving about the room. It walked up to the fireplace and seemed
+restless. When it had disappeared, they both rose and _unlocked_ the
+door, called for assistance, but, as usual, nothing of their visitor was
+to be seen. A still more remarkable incident occurred in the same house.
+As two of my aunts were sitting opposite the window, at night, they were
+startled by the apparition of an absent brother-in-law looking in, and
+with a pen in his hand. A few days afterwards the intelligence of his
+death arrived. He had been _signing his will_ at the exact time they
+had seen his apparation. My eldest uncle shortly after his return from
+abroad went to Musselburgh to visit an old school-master, and as he
+entered the yard he observed him limping into the school. He tried to
+overtake him, and on reaching the door he met one of the tutors, who
+informed him that the Dr. had been confined to his bed for some time
+with a broken leg.
+
+The same uncle, who was an officer in the army, dreamt that he had
+obtained his captaincy by the retirement of an officer of the name of
+Patterson (so far as I remember.) There was no such officer then in the
+regiment, and he mentioned it as strange that he should have dreamt of a
+_particular_ name. A few Gazettes afterwards my uncle obtained his
+promotion by an officer of _this_ name being _brought in from the
+half-pay to sell out in the same Gazette_.
+
+I have myself heard the most remarkable and unaccountable noises in my
+grandfather's house. The servants were often in the greatest terror. I
+have heard, seemingly, the whole of the furniture, in a particular room,
+thrown violently about, accompanied with the noise of something rolling
+on the floor. At other times I have distinctly heard, as it were, a
+boy's marble falling step by step down the stairs and striking against
+my door, which was at the foot of them, and yet this was at night, and
+there were no children in the house. This annoyance, with that of steps
+heard round my bed, was so common as to cease to make any impression on
+me.
+
+I may mention that my grandfather was not happy in his family relations,
+and died in an uneasy frame of mind, on Christmas eve, 1820. Since my
+family sold his house, I have never heard that its new occupants were
+disturbed.
+
+I have at different periods of my life had _groups_, as it were, of very
+remarkable allegorical dreams.
+
+It is somewhat singular that involuntary efforts may be made during
+sleep, which are I believe beyond the bounds of possibility during
+waking moments. Indeed the curious phenomena which you have so ably
+criticised, are without limit.
+
+Though you do not approve of the concealment of names, I hope you will
+excuse my asking you to do so in the present instance as many of the
+parties concerned might be displeased.
+
+    I have the honour to remain,
+    Madam,
+    Your obedient servant,
+
+    Mrs. Catherine Crowe.      H. A.
+
+"P.S. I know two remarkable instances of prophetic denunciation or the
+power of will, under, of course, the control of Providence. In one
+instance, the death of the party denounced, followed on the week
+predicted, although at the time he was well. Moreover, the denunciation
+was never mentioned to him.
+
+"In the other instance, the accomplishment of the denunciation was
+accomplished to the exact day, and under very remarkable circumstances.
+I believe this power to be _involuntary_, and more of the nature of
+inspiration."
+
+
+
+
+SECOND PART.
+
+LEGENDS OF THE EARTHBOUND.
+
+
+
+
+THE ITALIAN'S STORY.
+
+
+"How well your friend speaks English!" I remarked one day to an
+acquaintance when I was abroad, alluding to a gentleman who had just
+quitted the room. "What is his name?"
+
+"Count Francesco Ferraldi."
+
+"I suppose he has been in England?"
+
+"Oh, yes; he was exiled and taught Italian there. His history is very
+curious and would interest you, who like wonderful things."
+
+"Can you tell it me."
+
+"Not correctly, as I never heard it from himself. But I believe he has
+no objection to tell it--with the exception of the political
+transactions in which he was concerned, and which caused his being sent
+out of the Austrian dominions; that part of it I believe he thinks it
+prudent not to allude to. We'll ask him to dinner, if you'll meet him,
+and perhaps we may persuade him to tell the story."
+
+Accordingly, the meeting took place; we dined _en petit comité_,--and
+the Count very good-naturedly yielded to our request; "but you must
+excuse me," he said, "beginning a long way back for my story commences
+three hundred years ago.
+
+"Our family claims to be of great antiquity, but we were not very
+wealthy till about the latter half of the 16th century, when Count
+Jacopo Ferraldi made very considerable additions to the property; not
+only by getting, but also by saving--he was in fact a miser. Before that
+period the Ferraldis had been warriors, and we could boast of many
+distinguished deeds of arms recorded in our annals; but Jacopo, although
+by the death of his brother, he ultimately inherited the title and the
+estates, had begun life as a younger son, and being dissatisfied with
+his portion, had resolved to increase it by commerce.
+
+"Florence then was a very different city to what it is now; trade
+flourished, and its merchants had correspondence and large dealings with
+all the chief cities of Europe. My ancestor invested his little fortune
+so judiciously, or so fortunately, that he trebled it in his first
+venture; and as people grow rapidly rich who gain and don't spend, he
+soon had wealth to his heart's content--but I am wrong in using that
+term as applied to him--he was never content with his gains but still
+worked on to add to them, for he grew to love the money for itself, and
+not for what it might purchase.
+
+"At length, his two elder brothers died, and as they left no issue he
+succeeded to their inheritance, and dwelt in the palace of his
+ancestors; but instead of circulating his riches he hoarded them; and
+being too miserly to entertain his friends and neighbours, he lived like
+an anchorite in his splendid halls, exulting in his possessions but
+never enjoying them. His great pleasure and chief occupation seems to
+have been counting his money, which he kept either hidden in strange
+out-of-the-way places, or in strong iron chests, clamped to the floors
+and walls. But notwithstanding those precautions and that he guarded it
+like a watch dog, to his great dismay he one day missed a sum of two
+thousand pounds which he had concealed in an ingeniously contrived
+receptacle under the floor of his dining-room, the existence of which
+was only known to the man who made it; at least, so he believed. Small
+as was this sum in proportion to what he possessed, the shock was
+tremendous; he rushed out of his house like a madman with the intention
+of dragging the criminal to justice, but when he arrived at the man's
+shop he found him in bed and at the point of death. His friends and the
+doctor swore that he had not quitted it for a fortnight; in short,
+according to their shewing, he was taken ill on his return from working
+at the Count's, the very day he finished the job.
+
+"If this were true, he could not be the thief, as the money was not
+deposited there till some days afterwards, and although the Count had
+his doubts, it was not easy to disprove what everybody swore, more
+especially as the man died on the following day, and was buried. Baffled
+and furious, he next fell foul of his two servants--he kept but two, for
+he only inhabited a small part of the palace. There was not the smallest
+reason to suspect them, nor to suppose they knew anything of the hiding
+place, for every precaution had been used to conceal it; moreover, he
+had found it locked as he himself had locked it after depositing the
+money, and he was quite sure the key had never been absent from his own
+person. Nevertheless, he discharged them and took no others. The thief,
+whoever he was, had evinced so much ingenuity, that he trembled to think
+what such skill might compass with opportunity. So he resolved to afford
+none; and henceforth to have his meals sent in from a neighbouring
+eating-house, and to have a person once a week to sweep and clean his
+rooms, whom he could keep an eye on while it was doing. As he had no
+clue to the perpetrators of the robbery, and the man whom he had most
+reason to suspect was dead, he took no further steps in the business,
+but kept it quiet lest he should draw too much attention towards his
+secret hoards; nevertheless, though externally calm, the loss preyed
+upon his mind and caused him great anguish.
+
+"Shortly after this occurrence, he received a letter from a sister of
+his who had several years before married an Englishman, saying that her
+husband was dead, and it being advisable that her dear and only son
+should enter into commerce, that she was going to send him to Florence,
+feeling assured that her brother would advise him for the best, and
+enable him to employ the funds he brought with him advantageously.
+
+"This was not pleasing intelligence; he did not want to promote any
+body's interest but his own, and he felt that the young man would be a
+spy on his actions, an intruder in his house, and no doubt an expectant
+and greedy heir, counting the hours till he died; for this sister and
+her family were his nearest of kin, and would inherit if he left no will
+to the contrary. However, his arrival could not be prevented; letters
+travelled slowly in those days, and ere his could reach England his
+nephew would have quitted it, so he resolved to give him a cold
+reception and send him back as soon as he could.
+
+"In the mean time, the young man had started on his journey, full of
+hope and confidence, and immediately on his arrival hastened to present
+himself to this rich uncle who was to shew him the path he had himself
+followed to fortune. It was not for his own sake alone he coveted
+riches, but his mother and sister were but poorly provided for, and they
+had collected the whole of their little fortune and risked it upon this
+venture, hoping, with the aid of their relative, to be amply repaid for
+the present sacrifice.
+
+"A fine open countenanced lad was Arthur Allen, just twenty years of
+age; such a face and figure had not beamed upon those old halls for many
+a day. Well brought up and well instructed too; he spoke Italian as well
+as English, his mother having accustomed him to it from infancy.
+
+"Though he had heard his uncle was a miser, he had no conception of the
+amount to which the mania had arisen; and his joyous anticipations were
+somewhat damped when he found himself so coldly received, and when he
+looked into those hard grey eyes and contracted features that had never
+expanded with a genial smile; so fearing the old man might be
+apprehensive that he had come as an applicant for assistance to set him
+up in trade, he hastened to inform him of the true state of the case,
+saying that they had got together two thousand pounds.
+
+"'Of course, my mother,' he said, 'would not have entrusted my
+inexperience with such a sum; but she desired me to place it in your
+hands, and to act entirely under your direction.
+
+"To use the miser's own expression--for we have learnt all these
+particulars from a memoir left by himself--'When I heard these words the
+devil entered into me, and I bade the youth bring the money and dine
+with me on the following day.'
+
+"I daresay you will think the devil had entered into him long before;
+however, now he recognized his presence, but that did not deter him from
+following his counsel.
+
+"Pleased that he had so far thawed his uncle's frigidity, Arthur arrived
+the next day with his money bags at the appointed hour, and was received
+in an inner chamber; their contents were inspected and counted, and then
+placed in one of the old man's iron chests. Soon afterwards the tinkle
+of a bell announced that the waiter from the neighbouring traiteur's had
+brought the dinner, and the host left the room to see that all was
+ready. Presently he re-entered, and led his guest to the table. The
+repast was not sumptuous, but there was a bottle of old Lacryma Christi
+which he much recommended, and which the youth tasted with great
+satisfaction. But strange! He had no sooner swallowed the first glass,
+than his eyes began to stare--there was a gurgle in his throat--a
+convulsion passed over his face--and his body stiffened.
+
+"'I did not look up,' says the old man in his memoir, 'for I did not
+like to see the face of the boy that had sat down so hearty to his
+dinner, so I kept on eating mine--but I heard the gurgle, and I knew
+what had happened; and presently lest the servant should come to fetch
+the dinner things, I pushed the table aside and opened the receptacle
+from which my two thousand pounds had been stolen--curses on the thief!
+and I laid the body in it, and the wine therewith. I locked it and drove
+in two strong nails. Then I put back the table--moved away the lad's
+chair and plate, unlocked the door which was fast, and sat down to
+finish my dinner. I could not help chuckling as I ate, to think how his
+had been spoilt.
+
+"'I closed up that apartment, as I thought there might be a smell that
+would raise observation, and I selected one on the opposite side of the
+gallery for my dining-room. All went well till the following day. I
+counted my two thousand pounds again and again, and I kept gloating
+over the recovery of it--for I felt as if it was my own money, and that
+I had a right to seize it where I could. I wrote also to my sister,
+saying, that her son had not arrived; but that when he did, I would do
+my best to forward his views. My heart was light that day--they say
+that's a bad sign.
+
+"'Yes, all was so far well; but the next day we were two of us at
+dinner! And yet I had invited no guest; and the next and the next, and
+so on always! As I was about to sit down, he entered and took a chair
+opposite me, an unbidden guest. I ceased dining at home, but it made no
+difference; he came, dine where I would. This preyed upon me; I tried
+not to mind, but I could not help it. Argument was vain. I lost my
+appetite, and was reduced nearly to death's door. At last, driven to
+desperation, I consulted Fra Guiseppe. He had been a fast fellow in his
+time, and it was said had been too impatient for his father's
+succession; howbeit, the old man died suddenly; Guiseppe spent the money
+and then took to religion. I thought he was a proper person to consult,
+so I told him my case. He recommended repentance and restitution. I
+tried, but I could not repent, for I had got the money; but I thought,
+perhaps, if I parted with it to another, I might be released; so I
+looked about for an advantageous purchase, and hearing that Bartolomeo
+Malfi was in difficulties, I offered him two thousand pounds, money
+down, for his land--I knew it was worth three times the sum. We signed
+the agreement, and then I went home and opened the door of the room
+where it was; but lo! he sat there upon the chest where the money was
+fast locked, and I could not get it. I peeped in two or three times, but
+he was always there; so I was obliged to expend other moneys in this
+purchase, which vexed me, albeit the bargain was a good one. Then I
+consulted friend Guiseppe again, and he said nothing would do but
+restitution--but that was hard, so I waited; and I said to myself, I'll
+eat and care not whether he sit there or no. But woe be to him! he
+chilled the marrow of my bones, and I could not away with him; so I said
+one day, "What if I go to England with the money?" and he bowed his
+head.'
+
+"The old man accordingly took the moneybags from the chest and started
+for England. His sister and her daughter were still living in the house
+they had inhabited during the husband's lifetime; in short, it was their
+own; and being attached to the place they hoped, if the young man
+succeeded in his undertakings, to be able to keep it. It was a small
+house with a garden full of flowers, which the ladies cultivated
+themselves. The village church was close at hand, and the churchyard
+adjoined the garden. The poor ladies had become very uneasy at not
+hearing of Arthur's arrival; and when the old man presented himself and
+declared he had never seen anything of him, great was their affliction
+and dismay; for it was clear that either some misfortune had happened to
+the boy, or he had appropriated the money and gone off in some other
+direction. They scarcely admitted the possibility of the last
+contingency, although it was the one their little world universally
+adopted, in spite of his being a very well conducted and affectionate
+youth; but people said it was too great a temptation for his years, and
+blamed his mother for entrusting him with so much money. Whichever it
+was, the blow fell very heavy on them in all ways, for Arthur was their
+sole stay and support, and they loved him dearly.
+
+"Since he had set out on this journey, the old man had been relieved
+from the company of his terrible guest, and was beginning to recover
+himself a little, but it occasioned him a severe pang when he remembered
+that this immunity was to be purchased with the sacrifice of two
+thousand pounds, and he set himself to think how he could jockey the
+ghost. But while he was deliberating on this subject, an event happened
+that alarmed him for the immediate safety of the money.
+
+"He had found on the road, that the great weight of a certain chest he
+brought with him, had excited observation whenever his luggage had to be
+moved; on his arrival two labouring men had been called in to carry it
+into the house, and he had overheard some remarks that induced him to
+think they had drawn a right conclusion with regard to its contents.
+Subsequently, he saw these two men hovering about the house in a
+suspicious manner, and he was afraid to leave it or to go to sleep at
+night, lest he should be robbed.
+
+"So far we learn from Jocopo Ferraldi himself; but there the memoir
+stops. Tradition says that he was found one morning murdered in his bed
+and his chest rifled. All the family, that is the mother and daughter
+and their one servant, were accused of the murder; and notwithstanding
+their protestation of innocence were declared guilty and executed.
+
+"The memoir I have quoted was found on his dressing table, and he
+appears to have been writing it when he was surprised by the assassins;
+for the last words were--'I think I've baulked them, and nobody will
+understand the--' then comes a large blot and a mark, as if the pen had
+fallen out of his hand. It seems wonderful that this man, so suspicious
+and secretive, should thus have entrusted to paper what it was needful
+he should conceal; but the case is not singular; it has been remarked in
+similar instances, when some dark mystery is pressing on a human soul,
+that there exists an irresistible desire to communicate it,
+notwithstanding the peril of betrayal; and when no other confident can
+be found, the miserable wretch has often had recourse to paper.
+
+"The family of Arthur Allen being now extinct, a cousin of Jacopo's,
+who was a penniless soldier, succeeded to the title and estate, and the
+memoir, with a full account of what had happened, being forwarded to
+Italy, enquiries were made about the missing two thousand pounds; but it
+was not forthcoming; and it was at first supposed that the ladies had
+had some accomplice who had carried it off. Subsequently, however, one
+of the two men who had borne the money chest into the house, at the
+period of the old man's arrival, was detected in endeavouring to dispose
+of some Italian gold coin and a diamond ring, which Jacopo was in the
+habit of wearing. This led to investigation, and he ultimately confessed
+to the murder committed by himself and his companion, thus exonerating
+the unfortunate woman. He nevertheless declared that they had not rifled
+the strong box, as they could not open it, and were disturbed by the
+barking of a dog before they could search for the keys. The box itself
+they were afraid to carry away, it being a remarkable one and liable to
+attract notice; and that therefore their only booty was some loose coin
+and some jewels that were found on the old man's person. But this was
+not believed, especially as his accomplice was not to be found, and
+appeared, on enquiry, to have left that part of the country immediately
+after the catastrophe.
+
+"There the matter rested for nearly two centuries and a half. Nobody
+sorrowed for Jacopo Ferraldi, and the fate of the Allens was a matter of
+indifference to the public, who was glad to see the estate fall into the
+hands of his successor, who appears to have made a much better use of
+his riches. The family in the long period that elapsed, had many
+vicissitudes; but at the period of my birth my father inhabited the same
+old palace, and we were in tolerably affluent circumstances. I was born
+there, and I remember as a child the curiosity I used to feel about the
+room with the secret receptacle under the floor where Jacopo had buried
+the body of his guest. It had been found there and received Christian
+burial; but the receptacle still remained, and the room was shut up
+being said to be haunted. I never _saw_ anything extraordinary, but I
+can bear witness to the frightful groans and moans that issued from it
+sometimes at night, when, if I could persuade anybody to accompany me, I
+used to stand in the gallery and listen with wonder and awe. But I
+never passed the door alone, nor would any of the servants do so after
+dark. There had been an attempt made to exclude the sounds by walling up
+the door; but so far from this succeeding they became twenty times
+worse, and as the wall was a disfigurement as well as a failure, the
+unquiet spirit was placated by taking it down again.
+
+"The old man's memoir is always preserved amongst the family papers, and
+his picture still hangs in the gallery. Many strangers who have heard
+something of this extraordinary story, have asked to see it. The palace
+is now inhabited by an Austrian nobleman,--whether the ghost continues
+to annoy the inmates by his lamentations I do not know.
+
+"'I now,' said Count Francesco, 'come to my personal history. Political
+reasons a few years since obliged me to quit Italy with my family. I had
+no resources except a little ready money that I had brought with me, and
+I had resolved to utilise some musical talent which I had cultivated for
+my amusement. I had not voice enough to sing in public, but I was
+capable of giving lessons and was considered, when in Italy, a
+successful amateur. I will not weary you with the sad details of my
+early residence in England; you can imagine the difficulties that an
+unfortunate foreigner must encounter before he can establish a
+connexion. Suffice it to say that my small means were wholly exhausted,
+and that very often I, and what was worse, my wife and child were in
+want of bread, and indebted to one of my more prosperous countrymen for
+the very necessaries of life. I was almost in despair, and I do not know
+what rash thing I might have done if I had been a single man; but I had
+my family depending on me, and it was my duty not to sink under my
+difficulties however great they were.
+
+"One night I had been singing at the house of a nobleman, in St. James's
+Square, and had received some flattering compliments from a young man
+who appeared to be very fond of Italian music, and to understand it. My
+getting to this party was a stroke of good luck in the first instance,
+for I was quite unknown to the host, but Signor A. an acquaintance of
+mine, who had been engaged for the occasion, was taken ill at the last
+moment, and had sent me with a note of introduction to supply his
+place.
+
+"I knew, of course, that I should be well paid for my services, but I
+would have gladly accepted half the sum I expected if I could have had
+it that night, for our little treasury was wholly exhausted, and we had
+not sixpence to purchase a breakfast for the following day. When the
+great hall door shut upon me, and I found myself upon the pavement, with
+all that luxury and splendour on one side, and I and my desolation on
+the other, the contrast struck me cruelly, for I too had been rich, and
+dwelt in illuminated palaces, and had a train of liveried servants at my
+command, and sweet music had echoed through my halls. I felt desperate,
+and drawing my hat over my eyes I began pacing the square, forming wild
+plans for the relief or escape from my misery. No doubt I looked
+frantic; for you know we Italians have such a habit of gesticulating,
+that I believe my thoughts were accompanied by movements that must have
+excited notice; but I was too much absorbed to observe anything, till I
+was roused by a voice saying, 'Signor Ferraldi, still here this damp
+chilly night! Are you not afraid for your voice--it is worth taking care
+of.'
+
+"'To what purpose,' I said savagely, 'It will not give me bread!'
+
+"If the interruption had not been so sudden, I should not have made such
+an answer, but I was surprised into it before I knew who had addressed
+me. When I looked up I saw it was the young man I had met at Lord L.'s,
+who had complimented me on my singing. I took off my hat and begged his
+pardon, and was about to move away, when he took my arm.
+
+"'Excuse me,' he said, 'let us walk together,' and then after a little
+pause, he added, with an apology, 'I think you are an exile.'
+
+"'I am,' I said.
+
+"'And I think,' he continued, 'I have surprised you out of a secret that
+you would not voluntarily have told me. I know well the hardships that
+beset many of your countrymen--as good gentlemen as we are
+ourselves--when you are obliged to leave your country; and I beg
+therefore you will not think me impertinent or intrusive, if I beg you
+to be frank with me and tell me how you are situated!'
+
+"This offer of sympathy was evidently so sincere, and it was so welcome,
+at such a moment, that I did not hesitate to comply with my new friend's
+request--I told him everything--adding that in time I hoped to get
+known, and that then I did not fear being able to make my way; but that
+meanwhile we were in danger of starving.
+
+"During this conversation we were walking round and round the square,
+where in fact he lived. Before we parted at his own door, he had
+persuaded me to accept of a gift, I call it, for he had then no reason
+to suppose I should ever be able to repay him, but he called it an
+advance of ten guineas upon some lessons I was to give him; the first
+instalment of which was to be paid the following day.
+
+"I went home with a comparitively light heart, and the next morning
+waited on my friendly pupil, whom I found, as I expected, a very
+promising scholar. He told me with a charming frankness, that he had not
+much influence in fashionable society, for his family, though rich, was
+_parvenue_, but he said he had two sisters, as fond of music as himself,
+who would be shortly in London, and would be delighted to take lessons,
+as I had just the voice they liked to sing with them.
+
+"This was the first auspicious incident that had occurred to me, nor did
+the omen fail in its fulfilment. I received great kindness from the
+family when they came to London. I gave them lessons, sung at their
+parties, and they took every opportunity of recommending me to their
+friends.
+
+"When the end of the season approached, however, I felt somewhat anxious
+about the future--there would be no parties to sing at, and my pupils
+would all be leaving town; but my new friends, whose name, by the way,
+was Greathead, had a plan for me in their heads, which they strongly
+recommended me to follow. They said they had a house in the country with
+a large neighbourhood--in fact, near a large watering-place; and that if
+I went there during the summer months, they did not doubt my getting
+plenty of teaching; adding, 'We are much greater people there than we
+are here, you see; and our recommendation will go a great way.'
+
+"I followed my friend's advice, and soon after they left London, I
+joined them at Salton, which was the name of their place. As I had left
+my wife and children in town, with very little money, I was anxious that
+they should join me as soon as possible; and therefore the morning after
+my arrival, I proceeded to look for a lodging at S., and to take
+measures to make my object known to the residents and visitors there.
+My business done, I sent my family directions for their journey, and
+then returned to Salton to spend a few days, as I had promised my kind
+patrons.
+
+"The house was modern, in fact it had been built by Mr. Greathead's
+grandfather, who was the architect of their fortunes; the grounds were
+extensive, and the windows looked on a fine lawn, a picturesque ruin, a
+sparkling rivulet, and a charming flower-garden; there could not be a
+prettier view than that we enjoyed while sitting at breakfast. It was my
+first experience of the lovely and graceful English homes, and it fully
+realised all my expectations, both within doors and without. After
+breakfast Mr. Greathead and his son asked me to accompany them round the
+grounds, as they were contemplating some alterations.
+
+"'Among other things,' said Mr. G., 'we want to turn this rivulet; but
+my wife has a particular fancy for that old hedge, which is exactly in
+the way, and she won't let me root it up.'
+
+"The hedge alluded to enclosed two sides of the flower-garden, but
+seemed rather out of place, I thought.
+
+"'Why?' said I. 'What is Mrs. Greathead's attachment to the hedge?'
+
+"'Why? it's very old; it formerly bordered the churchyard, for that old
+ruin you see there, is all that remains of the parish church; and this
+flower-garden, I fancy, is all the more brilliant for the rich soil of
+the burial-ground. But what is remarkable is, that the hedge and that
+side of the garden are full of Italian flowers, and always have been so
+as long as anybody can remember. Nobody knows how it happens, but they
+must spring up from some old seeds that have been long in the ground.
+Look at this cyclamen growing wild in the hedge.'
+
+"The subject of the alterations was renewed at dinner, and Mrs.
+Greathead, still objecting to the removal of the hedge, her younger son,
+whose name was Harry, said, 'It is very well for mamma to pretend it is
+for the sake of the flowers, but I am quite sure that the real reason is
+that she is afraid of offending the ghost.'
+
+"'What nonsence, Harry,' she said. 'You must not believe him, Mr.
+Ferraldi.'
+
+"'Well mamma,' said the boy, 'you know you will never be convinced that
+that was not a ghost you saw.'
+
+"'Never mind what it was,' she said; 'I won't have the hedge removed.
+Presently,' she added, 'I suppose you would laugh at the idea of anybody
+believing in a ghost, Mr. Ferraldi.'
+
+"'Quite the contrary,' I answered; 'I believe in them myself, and upon
+very good grounds, for we have a celebrated ghost in our family.'
+
+"'Well,' she said, 'Mr. Greathead and the boys laugh at me; but when I
+came to live here, upon the death of Mr. Greathead's grandfather,--for
+his father never inhabited the place, having died by an accident before
+the old gentleman,--I had never heard a word of the place being haunted;
+and, perhaps, I should not have believed it if I had. But, one evening,
+when the younger children were gone to bed, and Mr. Greathead and George
+were sitting with some friends in the dining-room, I, and my sister, who
+was staying with me, strolled into the garden. It was in the month of
+August, and a bright starlight night. We were talking on a very
+interesting matter, for my sister had that day, received an offer from
+the gentleman she afterwards married. I mention that, to show you that
+we were not thinking of anything supernatural, but, on the contrary,
+that our minds were quite absorbed with the subject we were discussing.
+I was looking on the ground, as one often does, when listening intently
+to what another person is saying; my sister was speaking, when she
+suddenly stopped, and laid her hand on my arm, saying, 'Who's that?'
+
+"'I raised my eyes and saw, not many yards from us, an old man, withered
+and thin, dressed in a curious antique fashion, with a high peaked hat
+on his head. I could not conceive who he could be, or what he could be
+doing there, for it was close to the flower-garden; so we stood still to
+observe him. I don't know whether you saw the remains of an old
+tombstone in a corner of the garden? It is said to be that of a former
+rector of the parish; the date, 1550, is still legible upon it. The old
+man walked from one side of the hedge to that stone, and seemed to be
+counting his steps. He walked like a person pacing the ground, to
+measure it; then he stopped, and appeared to be noting the result of
+his measurement with a pencil and paper he held in his hand; then he did
+the same thing, the other side of the hedge, pacing up to the tombstone
+and back.
+
+"'There was a talk, at that time, of removing the hedge, and digging up
+the old tombstone; and it occurred to me, that my husband might have
+been speaking to somebody about it, and that this man might be concerned
+in the business, though, still, his dress and appearance puzzled me. It
+seemed odd, too, that he took no notice of us; and I might have
+remarked, that we heard no footsteps, though we were quite close enough
+to do so; but these circumstances did not strike me then. However, I was
+just going to advance, and ask him what he was doing? when I felt my
+sister's hand relax the hold she had of my arm, and she sank to the
+ground; at the same instant I lost sight of the mysterious old man, who
+suddenly disappeared.
+
+"'My sister had not fainted; but she said her knees had bent under her,
+and she had slipt down, collapsed by terror. I did not feel very
+comfortable myself, I assure you; but I lifted her up, and we hastened
+back to the house and told what we had seen. The gentlemen went out,
+and, of course, saw nothing, and laughed at us; but shortly afterwards,
+when Harry was born, I had a nurse from the village, and she asked me
+one day, if I had ever happened to see "the old gentleman that walks!" I
+had ceased to think of the circumstance, and inquired what old gentleman
+she meant? and then she told me that, long ago, a foreign gentleman had
+been murdered here; that is, in the old house that Mr. Greathead's
+grandfather pulled down when he built this; and that, ever since, the
+place has been haunted, and that nobody will pass by the hedge, and the
+old tombstone after dark; for that is the spot to which the ghost
+confines himself.'
+
+"'But I should think,' said I, 'that so far from desiring to preserve
+these objects, you would rather wish them removed, since the ghost
+would, probably, cease to visit the spot at all.'
+
+"'Quite the contrary,' answered Mrs. G. 'The people of the neighbourhood
+say, that the former possessor of the place entertained the same idea,
+and had resolved to remove them; but that then, the old man became very
+troublesome, and was even seen in the house; the nurse positively
+assured me, that her mother had told her, old Mr. Greathead had also
+intended to remove them; but that he quite suddenly counter-ordered the
+directions he had given, and, though he did not confess to anything of
+the sort, the people all believed that he had seen the ghost. Certain,
+it is, that this hedge has always been maintained by the proprietors of
+the place.'
+
+"The young men laughed and quizzed their mother for indulging in such
+superstitions; but the lady was quite firm in her opposition, alledging,
+that independently of all considerations connected with the ghost, she
+liked the hedge on account of the wild Italian flowers; and she liked
+the old tombstone on account of its antiquity.
+
+"Consequently, some other plan was devised for Mr. Greathead's
+alterations, which led the course of the rivulet quite clear of the
+hedge and the tombstone.
+
+"In a few days, my family arrived, and I established myself at S., for
+the summer. The speculation answered very well, and through the
+recommendations of Mr. and Mrs. Greathead, and their personal kindness
+to myself and my wife, we passed the time very pleasantly. When the
+period for our returning to London approached, they invited us to spend
+a fortnight with them before our departure, and, accordingly, the day we
+gave up our lodgings, we removed to Salton.
+
+"Preparations for turning the rivulet had then commenced; and soon after
+my arrival, I walked out with Mr. Greathead to see the works. There was
+a boy, about fourteen, amongst the labourers; and while we were standing
+close to him, he picked up something, and handed it to Mr. G., saying,
+'Is this yours, sir?' which, on examination, proved to be a gold coin of
+the sixteenth century,--the date on it was 1545. Presently, the boy who
+was digging, picked up another, and then several more.
+
+"'This becomes interesting,' said Mr. Greathead, 'I think we are coming
+upon some buried treasure;' and he whispered to me, that he had better
+not leave the spot.
+
+"Accordingly, he did stay, till it was time to dress for dinner; and,
+feeling interested, I remained also. In the interval, many more coins
+were found; and when he went in, he dismissed the workmen, and sent a
+servant to watch the place,--for he saw by their faces, that if he had
+not happened to be present he would, probably, never have heard of the
+circumstance. A few more turned up the following day, and then the store
+seemed exhausted. When the villagers heard of this money being
+discovered, they all looked upon it as the explanation of the old
+gentleman haunting that particular spot. No doubt he had buried the
+money, and it remained to be seen, whether now, that it was found, his
+spirit would be at rest.
+
+"My two children were with me at Salton on this occasion. They slept in
+a room on the third floor, and one morning, my wife having told me that
+the younger of the two seemed unwell, I went up stairs to look at her.
+It was a cheerful room, with two little white beds in it, and several
+old prints and samplers, and bits of work such as you see in nurseries,
+framed and hung against the wall. After I had spoken to the child, and
+while my wife was talking to the maid, I stood with my hands in my
+pockets, idly looking at these things. Amongst them was one that
+arrested my attention, because at first I could not understand it, nor
+see why this discoloured parchment, with a few lines and dots on it,
+should have been framed and glazed. There were some words here and there
+which I could not decipher; so I lifted the frame off the nail and
+carried it to the window. Then I saw that the words were Italian,
+written in a crabbed, old-fashioned hand, and the whole seemed to be a
+plan, or sketch, rudely drawn, of what I at first thought was a
+camp--but, on closer examination, I saw was part of a churchyard, with
+tomb stones, from one of which lines were drawn to various dots, and
+along these lines were numbers, and here and there a word as _right_,
+_left_, &c. There were also two lines forming a right angle, which
+intersected the whole, and after contemplating the thing for some time,
+it struck me that it was a rude sort of map of the old churchyard and
+the hedge, which had formed the subject of conversation some days
+before.
+
+"At breakfast, I mentioned what I had observed to Mr. and Mrs.
+Greathead, and they said they believed it was; it had been found when
+the old house was pulled down, and was kept on account of its
+antiquity.
+
+"'Of what period is it,' I asked, 'and how happens it to have been made
+by an Italian?'
+
+"'The last question I can't answer,' said Mr. Greathead; 'but the date
+is on it, I believe.'
+
+"'No,' said I, 'I examined it particularly--there is no date.'
+
+"'Oh, there is a date and name, I think--but I never examined it
+myself;' and to settle the question he desired his son Harry to run up
+and fetch it, adding, 'you know Italian architects and designers of
+various kinds, were not rare in this country a few centuries ago.'
+
+"Harry brought the frame, and we were confirmed in our conjectures of
+what it represented, but we could find no date or name.
+
+"'And yet I think I've heard there was one,' said Mr. Greathead. 'Let us
+take it out of the frame?'
+
+"This was easily done, and we found the date and the name; the count
+paused, and then added, 'I dare say you can guess it?'
+
+"'Jacopo Ferraldi?' I said.
+
+"'It was,' he answered; and it immediately occurred to me that he had
+buried the money supposed to have been stolen on the night he was
+murdered, and that this was a plan to guide him in finding it again. So
+I told Mr. Greathead the story I have now told you, and mentioned my
+reasons for supposing that if I was correct in my surmise, more gold
+would be found.
+
+"With the old man's map as our guide, we immediately set to work--the
+whole family vigorously joining in the search; and, as I expected, we
+found that the tombstone in the garden was the point from which all the
+lines were drawn, and that the dots indicated where the money lay. It
+was in different heaps, and appeared to have been enclosed in bags,
+which had rotted away with time. We found the whole sum mentioned in the
+memoir, and Mr. Greathead being lord of the manor, was generous enough
+to make it all over to me, as being the lawful heir, which, however, I
+certainly was not, for it was the spoil of a murderer and a thief, and
+it properly belonged to the Allens. But that family had become extinct;
+at least, so we believed, when the two unfortunate ladies were executed,
+and I accepted the gift with much gratitude and a quiet conscience. It
+relieved us from our pressing difficulties, and enabled me to wait for
+better times.
+
+"'And,' said I, 'how of the ghost? was he pleased or otherwise, by the
+_denouement_?'
+
+"'I cannot say,' replied the count; 'I have not heard of his being seen
+since; I understand, however, that the villagers, who understand these
+things better than we do, say, that they should not be surprised if he
+allowed the hedge and tombstone to be removed now without opposition;
+but Mr. Greathead, on the contrary, wished to retain them as mementoes
+of these curious circumstances.'"
+
+
+
+
+THE DUTCH OFFICER'S STORY.
+
+
+"Well, I think nothing can be so cowardly as to be afraid to own the
+truth?" said the pretty Madame de B., an Englishwoman, who had married a
+Dutch officer of distinction.
+
+"Are you really venturing to accuse the General of cowardice?" said
+Madame L.
+
+"Yes," said Madame de B., "I want him to tell Mrs. Crowe a ghost
+story--a thing that he saw himself--and he pooh, poohs it, though he
+owned it to me before we were married, and since too, saying that he
+never could have believed such a thing if he had not seen it himself."
+
+While the wife was making this little _tirade_, the husband looked as if
+she was accusing him of picking somebody's pocket--_il perdait
+contenance_ quite. "Now, look at him," she said, "don't you see guilt in
+his face, Mrs. Crowe?"
+
+"Decidedly," I answered; "so experienced a seeker of ghost stories as
+myself cannot fail to recognise the symptoms. I always find that when
+the circumstances is mere hearsay, and happened to nobody knows who,
+people are very ready to tell it; when it has happened to one of their
+own family, they are considerably less communicative, and will only tell
+it under protest; but when they are themselves the parties concerned, it
+is the most difficult thing imaginable to induce them to relate the
+thing seriously, and with its details; they say they have forgotten it,
+and don't believe it; and as an evidence of their incredulity, they
+affect to laugh at the whole affair. If the General will tell me the
+story, I shall think it quite as decisive a proof of courage as he ever
+gave in the field."
+
+Betwixt bantering and persuasion, we succeeded in our object, and the
+General began as follows:--
+
+"You know the Belgian Rebellion (he always called it so) took place in
+1830. It broke out at Brussels on the 28th of August, and we immediately
+advanced with a considerable force to attack that city; but as the
+Prince of Orange hoped to bring the people to reason, without bloodshed,
+we encamped at Vilvorde, whilst he entered Brussels alone, to hold a
+conference with the armed people. I was a Lieutenant-Colonel then, and
+commanded the 20th foot, to which regiment I had been lately appointed.
+
+"We had been three or four days in cantonment, when I heard two of the
+men, who were digging a little drain at the back of my tent, talking of
+Jokel Falck, a private in my regiment, who was noted for his
+extraordinary disposition to somnolence, one of them remarked that he
+would certainly have got into trouble for being asleep on his post the
+previous night, if it had not been for Mungo. 'I don't know how many
+times he has saved him,' added he.
+
+"To which the other answered, that Mungo was a very valuable friend, and
+had saved many a man from punishment.
+
+"This was the first time I had ever heard of Mungo, and I rather
+wondered who it was they alluded to; but the conversation slipt from my
+mind and I never thought of asking any body.
+
+"Shortly after this I was going my rounds, being field-officer of the
+day, when I saw by the moonlight, the sentry at one of the outposts
+stretched upon the ground. I was some way off when I first perceived
+him; and I only knew what the object was from the situation, and because
+I saw the glitter of his accoutrements; but almost at the same moment
+that I discovered him, I observed a large black Newfoundland dog
+trotting towards him. The man rose as the dog approached, and had got
+upon his legs before I reached the spot. This occupied the space of
+about two minutes--perhaps, not so much.
+
+"'You were asleep on your post,' I said; and turning to the mounted
+orderly that attended me, I told him to go back and bring a file of the
+guard to take him prisoner, and to send a sentry to relieve him.
+
+"'Non, mon colonel,' said he, and from the way he spoke I perceived he
+was intoxicated, 'it's all the fault of that _damné_ Mungo. Il m'a
+manqué.'
+
+"But I paid no attention to what he said and rode on, concluding _Mungo_
+was some slang term of the men for drink.
+
+"Some evenings after this, I was riding back from my brother's
+quarter--he was in the 15th, and was stationed about a mile from
+us--when I remarked the same dog I had seen before, trot up to a sentry
+who, with his legs crossed, was leaning against a wall. The man started,
+and began walking backwards and forwards on his beat. I recognised the
+dog by a large white streak on his side--all the rest of his coat being
+black.
+
+"When I came up to the man, I saw it was Jokel Falck, and although I
+could not have said he was asleep, I strongly suspected that that was
+the fact.
+
+"'You had better take care of yourself, my man,' said I. 'I have half a
+mind to have you relieved, and make a prisoner of you. I believe I
+should have found you asleep on your post, if that dog had not roused
+you.'
+
+"Instead of looking penitent, as was usual on these occasions, I saw a
+half smile on the man's face, as he saluted me.
+
+"'Whose dog is that?' I asked my servant, as I rode away.
+
+"'Je ne sais pas mon, Colonel,' he answered, smiling too.
+
+"On the same evening at mess, I heard one of the subalterns say to the
+officer who sat next him, 'It's a fact, I assure you, and they call him
+Mungo.'
+
+"'That's a new name they've got for Schnapps, isn't it?' I said.
+
+"'No, sir; it's the name of a dog,' replied the young man, laughing.
+
+"'A black Newfoundland, with a large white streak on his flank?'
+
+"'Yes, sir, I believe that is the description,' replied he, tittering
+still.
+
+"'I have seen that dog two or three times,' said I. 'I saw him this
+evening--who does he belong to?'
+
+"'Well, sir, that is a difficult question,' answered the lad; and I
+heard his companion say, 'To Old Nick, I should think.'
+
+"'Do you mean to say you've really seen Mungo?' said somebody at the
+table.
+
+"'If Mungo is a large Newfoundland--black, with a white streak on its
+side--I saw him just now. Who does he belong to?'
+
+"By this time, the whole mess table was in a titter, with the exception
+of one old captain, a man who had been years in the regiment. He was of
+very humble extraction, and had risen by merit to his present position.
+
+"'I believe Captain T. is better acquainted with Mungo than anybody
+present,' answered Major R., with a sneer. 'Perhaps he can tell you who
+he belongs to.'
+
+"The laughter increased, and I saw there was some joke, but not
+understanding what it meant, I said to Captain G., 'Does the dog belong
+to Jokel Falck?'
+
+"'No, sir,' he replied, 'the dog belongs to nobody now. He once belonged
+to an officer called Joseph Atveld.'
+
+"'Belonging to this regiment?'
+
+"'Yes, sir.'
+
+"'He is dead, I suppose?'
+
+"'Yes, sir, he is.'
+
+"'And the dog has attached himself to the regiment?'
+
+"'Yes, sir.'
+
+"During this conversation, the suppressed laughter continued, and every
+eye was fixed on Captain T., who answered me shortly, but with the
+utmost gravity.
+
+"'In fact,' said the major, contemptuously, 'according to Captain T.,
+Mungo is the ghost of a deceased dog.'
+
+"This announcement was received with shouts of laughter, in which I
+confess I joined, whilst Captain T. still retained an unmoved gravity.
+
+"'It is easier to laugh at such a thing than to believe it, sir,' said
+he. '_I_ believe it, because I know it.'
+
+"I smiled, and turned the conversation.
+
+"If anybody at the table except Captain T. had made such an assertion as
+this, I should have ridiculed them without mercy; but he was an old man,
+and from the circumstances I have mentioned regarding his origin, we
+were careful not to offend him; so no more was said about Mungo, and in
+the hurry of events that followed. I never thought of it again. We
+marched on to Brussels the next day; and after that, had enough to do
+till we went to Antwerp, where we were besieged by the French the
+following year.
+
+"During the siege, I sometimes heard the name of Mungo again; and, one
+night, when I was visiting the guards and sentries as grand rounds, I
+caught a glimpse of him, and I felt sure that the man he was approaching
+when I observed him, had been asleep; but he was screened by an angle of
+the bastion, and by the time I turned the corner, he was moving about.
+
+"This brought to my mind all I had heard about the dog; and as the
+circumstance was curious, in any point of view, I mentioned what I had
+seen to Captain T. the next day, saying, 'I saw your friend Mungo, last
+night.'
+
+"'Did you, sir?' said he. 'It's a strange thing! No doubt, the man was
+asleep!'
+
+"'But do you seriously mean to say, that you believe this to be a
+visionary dog, and not a dog of flesh and blood?'
+
+"'I do, sir; I have been quizzed enough about it; and, once or twice,
+have nearly got into a quarrel, because people will persist in laughing
+at what they know nothing about; but as sure as that is a sword you hold
+in your hand, so sure is that dog a spectre, or ghost--if such a word is
+applicable to a fourfooted beast!'
+
+"'But, it's impossible!' I said. 'What reason have you for such an
+extraordinary belief?'
+
+"'Why, you know, sir, man-and-boy, I have been in the regiment all my
+life. I was born in it. My father was pay-serjeant of No. 3 company,
+when he died; and I have seen Mungo myself, perhaps twenty times, and
+known, positively, of others seeing him twice as many more.'
+
+"'Very possibly; but that is no proof, that it is not some dog that has
+attached himself to the regiment.'
+
+"'But I have seen and heard of the dog for fifty years, sir; and my
+father before me, had seen and heard of him as long!'
+
+"'Well, certainly, that is extraordinary,--if you are sure of it, and
+that it's the same dog!'
+
+"'It's a remarkable dog, sir. You won't see another like it with that
+large white streak on his flank. He won't let one of our sentries be
+found asleep, if he can help; unless, indeed, the fellow is drunk. He
+seems to have less care of drunkards, but Mungo has saved many a man
+from punishment. I was once, not a little indebted to him myself. My
+sister was married out of the regiment, and we had had a bit of a
+festivity, and drank rather too freely at the wedding, so that when I
+mounted guard that night--I wasn't to say, drunk, but my head was a
+little gone, or so; and I should have been caught nodding; but Mungo,
+knowing, I suppose, that I was not an habitual drunkard, woke me just
+in time.'
+
+"'How did he wake you?' I asked.
+
+"'I was roused by a short, sharp bark, that sounded close to my ears. I
+started up, and had just time to catch a glimpse of Mungo before he
+vanished!'
+
+"'Is that the way he always wakes the men?'
+
+"'So they say; and, as they wake, he disappears.'
+
+"I recollected now, that on each occasion when I had observed the dog, I
+had, somehow, lost sight of him in an instant; and, my curiosity being
+awakened, I asked Captain T., if ours were the only men he took charge
+of, or, whether he showed the same attention to those of other
+regiments?
+
+"'Only the 20th, sir; the tradition is, that after the battle of
+Fontenoy, a large black mastiff was found lying beside a dead officer.
+Although he had a dreadful wound from a sabre cut on his flank, and was
+much exhausted from loss of blood, he would not leave the body; and even
+after we buried it, he could not be enticed from the spot. The men,
+interested by the fidelity and attachment of the animal, bound up his
+wounds, and fed and tended him; and he became the dog of the regiment.
+It is said, that they had taught him to go his rounds before the guards
+and sentries were visited, and to wake any men that slept. How this may
+be, I cannot say; but he remained with the regiment till his death, and
+was buried with all the respect they could show him. Since that, he has
+shown his gratitude in the way I tell you, and of which you have seen
+some instances.'
+
+"'I suppose the white streak is the mark of the sabre cut. I wonder you
+never fired at him.'
+
+"'God forbid sir, I should do such a thing,' said Captain T., looking
+sharp round at me. 'It's said that a man did so once, and that he never
+had any luck afterwards; that may be a superstition, but I confess I
+wouldn't take a good deal to do it.'
+
+"'If, as you believe, it's a spectre, it could not be hurt, you know; I
+imagine ghostly dogs are impervious to bullets.'
+
+"'No doubt, sir; but I shouldn't like to try the experiment. Besides,
+it would be useless, as I am convinced already.'
+
+"I pondered a good deal upon this conversation with the old captain. I
+had never for a moment entertained the idea that such a thing was
+possible. I should have as much expected to meet the minotaur or a
+flying dragon as a ghost of any sort, especially the ghost of a dog; but
+the evidence here was certainly startling. I had never observed anything
+like weakness and credulity about T.; moreover, he was a man of known
+courage, and very much respected in the regiment. In short, so much had
+his earnestness on the subject staggered me, that I resolved whenever it
+was my turn to visit the guards and sentries, that I would carry a
+pistol with me ready primed and loaded, in order to settle the question.
+If T. was right, there would be an interesting fact established, and no
+harm done; if, as I could not help suspecting, it was a cunning trick of
+the men, who had trained this dog to wake them, while they kept up the
+farce of the spectre, the animal would be well out of the way; since
+their reliance on him no doubt led them to give way to drowsiness when
+they would otherwise have struggled against it; indeed, though none of
+our men had been detected--thanks, perhaps, to Mungo--there had been so
+much negligence lately in the garrison that the general had issued very
+severe orders on the subject.
+
+"However, I carried my pistol in vain; I did not happen to fall in with
+Mungo; and some time afterwards, on hearing the thing alluded to at the
+mess-table, I mentioned what I had done, adding, 'Mungo is too knowing,
+I fancy, to run the risk of getting a bullet in him.'
+
+"'Well,' said Major R., 'I should like to have a shot at him, I confess.
+If I thought I had any chance of seeing him, I'd certainly try it; but
+I've never seen him at all.'
+
+"'Your best chance,' said another, 'is when Jokel Falck is on duty. He
+is such a sleepy scoundrel, that the men say if it was not for Mungo
+he'd pass half his time in the guard house.'
+
+"'If I could catch him I'd put an ounce of lead into him; that he may
+rely on.'
+
+"'Into Jokel Falck, sir?' said one of the subs, laughing.
+
+"'No, sir,' replied Major R.; 'into Mungo--and I'll do it, too.'
+
+"'Better not, sir,' said Captain T., gravely; provoking thereby a
+general titter round the table.
+
+"Shortly after this, as I was one night going to my quarter, I saw a
+mounted orderly ride in and call out a file of the guard to take a
+prisoner.
+
+"'What's the matter?' I asked.
+
+"'One of the sentries asleep on his post, sir; I believe it's Jokel
+Falck.'
+
+"'It will be the last time, whoever it is,' I said; 'for the general is
+determined to shoot the next man that's caught.'
+
+"'I should have thought Mungo had stood Jokel Falck's friend, so often
+that he'd never have allowed him to be caught,' said the adjutant.
+'Mungo has neglected his duty.'
+
+"'No, sir,' said the orderly, gravely. 'Mungo would have waked him, but
+Major R. shot at him.'
+
+"'And killed him,' I said.
+
+"The man made no answer, but touched his cap and rode away.
+
+"I heard no more of the affair that night; but the next morning, at a
+very early hour, my servant woke me, saying that Major R. wished to
+speak to me. I desired he should be admitted, and the moment he entered
+the room, I saw by his countenance that something serious had occurred;
+of course, I thought the enemy had gained some unexpected advantage
+during the night, and sat up in bed inquiring eagerly what had happened.
+
+"To my surprise he pulled out his pocket-handkerchief and burst into
+tears. He had married a native of Antwerp, and his wife was in the city
+at this time. The first thing that occurred to me was, that she had met
+with some accident, and I mentioned her name.
+
+"'No, no,' he said; 'my son, my boy, my poor Fritz!'
+
+"'You know that in our service, every officer first enters his regiment
+as a private soldier, and for a certain space of time does all the
+duties of that position. The major's son, Fritz, was thus in his
+noviciate. I concluded he had been killed by a stray shot, and for a
+minute or two I remained in this persuasion, the major's speech being
+choked by his sobs. The first words he uttered were--
+
+"'Would to God I had taken Captain T.'s advice!'
+
+"'About what?' I said. 'What has happened to Fritz?'
+
+"'You know,' said he, 'yesterday I was field officer of the day; and
+when I was going my rounds last night, I happened to ask my orderly, who
+was assisting to put on my sash, what men we had told off for the guard.
+Amongst others, he named Jokel Falck, and remembering the conversation
+the other day at the mess table, I took one of my pistols out of the
+holster, and, after loading, put it in my pocket. I did not expect to
+see the dog, for I had never seen him; but as I had no doubt that the
+story of the spectre was some dodge of the men, I determined if ever I
+did, to have a shot at him. As I was going through the Place de Meyer, I
+fell in with the general, who joined me, and we rode on together,
+talking of the siege. I had forgotten all about the dog, but when we
+came to the rampart, above the Bastion du Matte, I suddenly saw exactly
+such an animal as the one described, trotting beneath us. I knew there
+must be a sentry immediately below where we rode, though I could not see
+him, and I had no doubt that the animal was making towards him; so
+without saying a word, I drew out my pistol and fired, at the same
+moment jumping off my horse, in order to look over the bastion, and get
+a sight of the man. Without comprehending what I was about, the general
+did the same, and there we saw the sentry lying on his face, fast
+asleep.'
+
+"'And the body of the dog?' said I.
+
+"'Nowhere to be seen,' he answered, 'and yet I must have hit him--I
+fired bang into him. The general says it must have been a delusion, for
+he was looking exactly in the same direction, and saw no dog at all--but
+I am certain I saw him, so did the orderly.'
+
+"'But Fritz?' I said.
+
+"'It was Fritz--Fritz was the sentry,' said the major, with a fresh
+burst of grief. The court-martial sits this morning, and my boy will be
+shot, unless interest can be made with the general to grant him a
+pardon.'
+
+"I rose and drest myself immediately, but with little hope of success.
+Poor Fritz being the son of an officer, was against him rather than
+otherwise--it would have been considered an act of favouritism to spare
+him. He was shot; his poor mother died of a broken heart, and the major
+left the service immediately after the surrender of the city."
+
+"And have you ever seen Mungo again?" said I.
+
+"No," he replied; "but I have heard of others seeing him."
+
+"And are you convinced that it was a spectre, and not a dog of flesh and
+blood?"
+
+"I fancy I was then--but, of course, one can't believe--"
+
+"Oh, no;" I rejoined; "Oh, no; never mind facts, if they don't fit into
+our theories."
+
+
+
+
+THE OLD FRENCH GENTLEMAN'S STORY.
+
+
+I spent the summer of fifty-six at Dieppe--a charming watering-place for
+those who can bear an exciting air, and are not very particular about
+what they eat. Dieppe, as travellers see it who are hurrying through to
+Paris, has a most unpromising aspect, with its muddy basins and third
+and fourth rate inns on the quays, but if you are not hastening from the
+packet to the train, which the great proportion of people do; you have
+only to pass up one of the short streets you will see _en face_, when
+you issue from the Custom-house, into which you have been introduced on
+landing, and you will find yourself on an esplanade of considerable
+extent, with a wide expanse of clear salt water before you, a fine
+terrace walk along the shore, and several newly erected hotels opposite
+the sea. Of course, there is an _etablissement_ where the usual
+amusements are provided; the bathing is excellent, and the company
+numerous, for Dieppe is the favourite watering place of the fashionable
+world of Paris. The beauty of the place is greatly increased by a
+judicious suggestion of the Emperor's. I was told that when he and the
+Empress were there in '55, they complained of the absence of flowers on
+the esplanade; it was objected that none would grow there; however, he
+recommended them to try hollyhocks, china-asters, and poppies, the
+latter are the finest I ever saw, and the brilliant and varied masses of
+colour produce a very good effect. But they do not feed you well here;
+'_La Viande est longue à Dieppe_' as the Garçon of the Hôtel Royal urged
+when I objected to the meat which, on application of the knife fell into
+strips of pack-thread; the poultry is lean and bad; fish scarce, because
+it all goes to London or Paris, by contract, and everything dear.
+Nevertheless, Dieppe is a very nice place and the surrounding country is
+exceedingly pretty and picturesque.
+
+Some members of the Jockey Club were in the Hôtel Royal, living very
+fast indeed. They all bore very aristocratic names and titles, but not
+the impress of high blood. How should they? Judging from what I saw,
+such a course of profligate self-indulgence, unredeemed, even by good
+breeding, must have effaced the stamp, if it ever was there. They
+inhabited a pavilion in the cour, and the luxurious repasts that we
+constantly saw served to them gave us an awful idea of the amount of
+their bill. They played at cards all day--the live long summer day! And
+only suspended this amusement when the garçons appeared with their trays
+loaded with expensive wines and high-seasoned dishes. One other
+amusement they had, which was no less an amusement to us--they had a
+drag--a regular English four-in-hand. The cour of the hotel was divided
+from the road by iron rails, with a large gate at each extremity for
+carriages, so that to an English whip, nothing would have been easier
+than to drive in at one of these gates, and round the sweep, and out at
+the other; but this the jockey club could never accomplish; when the
+gentlemen took the reins from the coachman, if they were in, they could
+not get out; and if they were out, they could not get in; so after a few
+ambitious attempts and ignominious failures, they submitted to the
+inglorious expediency of mounting and dismounting outside the gates.
+The French have certainly a remarkable incapacity for riding or driving,
+which is strange, as they are active men and have generally light
+figures. The Emperor is almost the only Frenchman I ever saw ride well;
+but he rides like an English gentleman.
+
+There were many elegantly drest women, of all nations, at Dieppe, but
+there was one who particularly attracted my attention, and for whom,
+when I afterwards heard her story, I felt an extraordinary interest.
+This was the Countess Adeline de-Givry-Monjerac, at least so I will call
+her here. When I first saw her she was going down to bathe, attended by
+her maid, a grave elderly person, and I was so much struck by her
+appearance, that I took the first opportunity of enquiring her name. She
+was tall and very pale, with fine, straight features, and an expression
+of countenance at once noble and melancholy. Her figure was so good, and
+her bearing at once so graceful and dignified, that her unusual height
+did not strike you till you saw her standing beside other women. She was
+leaning on her maid's arm, and stooped a little, apparently from
+feebleness. Her attire was a peignoir of grey taffetas, lined with
+blue, and on her head she wore a simple capote of the same. Her age, I
+judged to be about forty.
+
+She lodged in the Hôtel Royal, as I did also, but lived entirely in
+private; and we only saw her there as she went in and out. Later in the
+season, the Duchesse de B., and other persons, arrived from Paris, with
+whom she was acquainted, and I often observed her in conversation with
+them on the promenade; but her countenance never lost its expression of
+melancholy. However, I should have left Dieppe, ignorant of the singular
+circumstances I am about to relate, but for an accident.
+
+There was a verandah in the court of the hotel, in which many of us
+preferred to breakfast, rather than in the salon; and the verandah not
+being very extensive, and the candidates numerous, there was often a
+little difficulty in securing a table. One morning, I had just laid my
+parasol on the only one I saw vacant, when the garçon warned me that it
+was already engaged by _ce monsieur_, indicating an old gentleman, who
+was standing with his back to me, in conversation with one of a
+sisterhood called _Soeurs de la Providence_, who was soliciting him to
+buy some of the lottery tickets she held in her hand; they were for the
+_Loterie de Bienfaisance_, the proceeds of which are devoted to
+charitable purposes. There are innumerable lotteries of this sort in
+France, authorized by the government; and they seem to me to be the
+substitute for our magnificent private charities in England, for very
+large sums are collected. The tickets only cost a franc. I believe the
+_tirage_ is conducted with perfect fairness; and people thus subscribe a
+franc for the poor, with the agreeable, but very remote, chance of being
+repaid, _même ici bas_, a hundred thousand-fold.
+
+The old gentleman turned his head on hearing my conversation with the
+waiter; and, begging I would not derange myself on his account, desired
+that I might have the table. Grateful for such an unusual exertion of
+politeness--for the politeness of the modern French gentleman does not
+include the smallest modicum of self-sacrifice--I modestly declined, and
+said, "I would wait." He answered, "by no means." And while we were
+engaged in this amicable contest, the waiter brought his breakfast, and
+placed it on the table; seeing which, he proposed, that as he was denied
+the pleasure of making way for me, I should have my coffee placed on the
+other side, and we should breakfast together; an offer which I gladly
+accepted.
+
+He was a pleasant, garrulous, old gentleman. Monsieur de Vennacour was
+his name, _proprietaire à Paris_, and he told me how he had lost his
+fortune by the revolutions, and how he lived now in a _petit apartment_
+in the _Rue des Ecuries d'Anjou_, and belonged to a coterie of old
+ladies and gentlemen like himself, who had a _petit whisk_ every night
+during the winter. While we were talking, the Countess passed us on her
+way to the bath; and, happening to catch her eye as she crossed the
+court, he bowed to her; whereupon I asked him if he knew her?
+
+"A little," he said; "but I knew her husband well; and her mother's
+hotel was next to that my family formerly inhabited. She was a beautiful
+woman, Madame de Lignerolles."
+
+"Then, she is dead?" said I.
+
+"No," he replied. "She has retired from the world,--she is in a convent.
+C'est une histoire bien triste celle de Madame de Lignerolles et sa
+fille, et aussi bien etrange!"
+
+"If it is not a secret, perhaps you will tell it to me?" said I; for I
+saw that my new acquaintance desired nothing better. He was a famous
+raconteur; and I wish I could tell the story in English as well, and as
+dramatically, as he told it to me in French; however, I'll repeat it as
+faithfully as I can.
+
+"Madame de Lignerolles née Hermione de Givry, was married early to the
+Marquis de Lignerolles, without any particular _penchant_ for or against
+the union. The Marquis was a great deal older than herself, but it was
+considered a good match, for he was very rich, and his genealogy was
+unexceptionable. Not more so, however, than the young lady's; for the de
+Givry's heraldic tree had apparently sprung from an acorn floated to the
+west by Deucalion himself. At the period of Hermione's marriage her
+father, mother, and two brothers, older than herself, still lived. Her
+father, the Comte de Givry had been a younger son, and had inherited the
+fortune on the death of his elder brother who was killed in a duel the
+day before he was to have been married to a woman he passionately
+loved. He died by the hand of one of his most intimate friends, with
+whom he had never had a word of difference before, and the subject of
+quarrel was a peacock! But it was always remarked by the world, that the
+eldest scions of the house of Givry were singularly unfortunate; they
+seldom prospered in their loves, and if they did, they were sure to die
+before their hopes were realised. People in general called it _a
+destiny_; others whispered that it was a curse; but the family laughed
+contemptuously if any one presumed to hint such a thing in their
+presence, and asserted that it was merely _le hazard_; and as the world
+in these days is very much disposed to believe in _le hazard_, few
+persons sought to penetrate further into the cause of these
+misadventures. However, Hermione's elder brother, Etienne, did not
+escape his _mauvais destin_; the lady he was engaged to marry was seized
+with the smallpox, and, from being a pretty person, became a very ugly
+one. During her illness, he had sworn nothing should break his
+engagement, and accordingly, disfigured as she was, he married her; but
+he had better, for both their sakes, have left it alone. He was
+disgusted and she was jealous; they parted within a month after the
+wedding, and he was soon after killed by a fall from his horse in the
+Bois de Boulogne, and died, leaving no issue. Upon his decease, the
+second son, Armande, now the heir, was recalled from Prussia, whither he
+had gone with his regiment, but they were on the eve of a battle, and it
+was not consistent with his honour to leave till it was over. He was the
+first officer that fell in the fight, and thus the hopes of the ancient
+family of Givry became centered in the offspring of Hermione. But,
+Adeline, the fair object of my admiration, was the sole fruit of the
+marriage, and great were the lamentations of the old Count and Countess
+that the continuation of this noble stock rested on so frail a tenure,
+for the child was exceedingly delicate; she outgrew her strength, and
+for some years was supposed to be _poitrinaire_. But, either, thanks to
+the wonderful care that was bestowed upon her, or to an inherent good
+constitution, she survived this trying period and grew up to
+marriageable years, rewarding all the solicitude of her family by her
+charms and amiability. She was not so beautiful as her mother had
+been--and even was still--but she was quite sufficiently handsome; and
+there was so much grace in her movements and her manners, and she had
+such a noble and pure expression of countenance--a true indication of
+her character--that Adeline de Lignerolle's perfections were universally
+admitted by the men, and scarcely denied by the women, insomuch, that
+these attractions, added to her lineage and fortune, caused her to be
+looked upon as one of the most desirable matches in the kingdom.
+
+"Her father, the old Marquis de Lignerolles-Givry--for he was
+constrained to adopt the latter name--had died previous to this period;
+and as her grandfather Monsieur de Givry undertook the affair of her
+marriage, numerous were the propositions he privately received, and
+frequent the closettings and consultations on the subject. In these
+cases, the more people have, the more they require; and as Adeline had
+better blood, and more money, than most people, the family exigence in
+these respects was considerable, and the difficulties that lay in the
+way of procuring a suitable alliance, manifold.
+
+"She had reached the age of seventeen, and this important point was
+still unsettled, when she and her mother went to visit a relative of
+Madame de Lignerolles, who was united to a Portuguese nobleman. On her
+marriage, she had followed her husband to his own country; but he was
+now on a mission to the French court; and the Paris season being over,
+they had taken a château on the Loire, for the summer months. There were
+other young people in the house, and all sorts of amusements going on,
+which no one seemed to enjoy, at first, more than Adeline de Givry; but,
+at the end of a fortnight, a change began to be observable in her
+spirits and demeanour, which did not escape the observation of her young
+companions; and by their means awakened the attention of Madame de
+Saldanha, their hostess; who hinted to her cousin, Madame de
+Lignerolles, that Adeline was falling in love with the young Count de la
+Cruz; at least, such was the opinion of her own daughter, Isabella;
+adding, that if so abnormal a circumstance, as a young lady choosing her
+own husband _was_ to happen, she could not have fixed on a more
+desirable individual than Rodriguez de la Cruz,--a man unexceptionable
+in person, mind, and manners whose genealogy might vie with that of the
+De Givry's themselves; and whose name was associated with distinguished
+deeds of arms during the Holy Wars.
+
+"But this indulgent view of the case was not shared by Madame de
+Lignerolles. She seemed exceedingly surprised and incredulous; but when
+the other insisted on the probability of such a result, since the two
+young people had been residing for six weeks under the same roof; and
+pointed out to the lady that the assiduous attentions paid by De la Cruz
+to herself were, doubtless, not without an object, suggesting that that
+object was to gain her interest in his favour, she evinced so much
+displeasure and indignation, that Madame de Saldanha apologized and gave
+up the point, saying, she was very likely mistaken, and that it was a
+mere fancy of Isabella's.
+
+"Nevertheless, these suspicions were perfectly well founded. De la Cruz
+was waiting for his father's consent to make his proposals in form; and
+this consent was only delayed till the old gentleman had time to come to
+Paris and make the needful inquiries regarding fortune and family; about
+which, he considered himself entitled to be quite as particular as the
+De Givry's.
+
+"It was remarked that, from this time, Madame de Lignerolles observed
+her daughter with a jealous eye, and sought every means of keeping her
+away from the young Portuguese; added to which, as it afterwards
+appeared, she severely reproved Adeline for what she called the levity
+of her conduct.
+
+"Moreover, she hastened her departure; and in a few days after the
+conversation with Madama de Saldanha, took her leave; alleging, that her
+presence was required by her father, in Paris. To Paris, however, she
+did not immediately go. There was in Brittany an ancient château
+belonging to the family, which, for some reason or other, they very
+rarely visited; it was supposed, because they possessed others more
+agreeable. At all events, whatever might be the cause, it was known that
+the old count had a mortal aversion to this residence, insomuch, that
+his daughter had never been there since her infancy; when something very
+unpleasant was reported to have happened to her mother's eldest brother
+shortly before his death. Thither, however, they now travelled with all
+speed, accompanied only by two maids and a man.
+
+"Madame de Lignerolles was a person, in whom the maternal instinct had
+never been largely developed. She was even, still, at eight-and-thirty,
+a beautiful woman; and it was generally suspected, that she did not feel
+at all delighted at having this tall, handsome daughter, to proclaim her
+age; and, perhaps shortly, make her a grandmother. But, her manner to
+Adeline--usually, more indifferent than harsh--now assumed a new
+character; she seemed engrossed with her own thoughts; was cold and
+constrained; spoke little; and when she did, it was with a gravity truly
+portentous.
+
+"They were not unexpected at Château Noir--for such was the ominous name
+of the old castle, which frowned upon them in the gloom of a dusky
+November evening; but instead of the liveried servants, by whom they
+were accustomed to be greeted, an elderly housekeeper, a concierge, and
+a few rustic menials, appeared to be its only inhabitants. However, they
+had done their best to make ready for this visit; fires were lighted,
+and dinner was prepared and served, accompanied by plenty of apologies
+for its not being better.
+
+"The evening passed in silence; they were tired, and went early to bed.
+The next two days, Mdme. de Lignerolles kept her room, and Adeline
+strolled about the neglected grounds, occupied with her own thoughts of
+the future, not without wondering a little at her mother's mysterious
+behaviour. On the third day, she was summoned to the presence of Mdme.
+de Lignerolles, who received and bade her be seated, with the same
+significant solemnity, and then proceeded to inform her that she had a
+most painful secret to communicate--a secret that had long prest upon
+her conscience, but which she could never find resolution to disclose;
+that lately, however, her confessor had so strongly urged her to perform
+this act of duty, that, with the greatest reluctance, she had resolved
+to obey his injunctions--her doing so having become more imperative from
+the fact of Adeline's having arrived at marriageable years, as in the
+event of any alliance presenting itself, honour would constrain her to
+speak. The dreadful secret was, that Adeline was not her child; that the
+nurse who had had the charge of her infancy, confessed on her
+death-bed, that she had substituted her own infant for the countess's,
+that the latter had subsequently died, but that she could not leave the
+world in peace without avowing her crime.
+
+"'I did not believe her,' said Mdme. de Lignerolles, 'but she reminded
+me that my child had a mole under the left breast, which you, Adeline,
+have not. This cruel change was effected during our absence from France.
+Shortly after my confinement, I was ordered to spend the winter in
+Italy, and the child was left to the care of my father and mother, who
+by that time had nearly lost her eye-sight. To this circumstance, and
+the little notice men usually take of infants, the woman trusted to
+escape detection. Of course, I could not discern the difference between
+the child I had left and the one I found. I had no suspicion; and
+whatever alterations I remarked, I attributed to the lapse of
+time--though I must own that maternal instinct offered a strong
+confirmation of the nurse's confession. While I believed you my own
+offspring, I had none of those tender yearnings which I have heard other
+women speak of, and I often reproached myself for the want of them.
+However, I endeavoured to do my duty by you, and no pains or expense
+were spared on your education, which was already nearly completed, when
+I became acquainted with this dreadful secret, of which, when the nurse
+died, I was the sole possessor. But, aware of the intense grief such a
+disclosure would occasion my husband, who was then in exceedingly bad
+health, I determined during his lifetime to preserve silence. After his
+death, I ought to have exerted courage to speak; but my mother adored
+you--it would have killed her. She is now gone, and there is only your
+grandfather left. I well know the suffering it will cause him, and,
+believe me, I feel for _you_--but my duty is plain. You will be amply
+provided for--' but ere the sentence could be finished, Adeline, who had
+sat like a statue, listening to this harangue, with wondering eyes and
+open lips, suddenly rose and rushed out of the room. That she was not
+Mdme. de Lignerolles' daughter caused her little grief, nor was she of
+an age very highly to appreciate the position and splendours she was
+losing; but she thought of her grandfather, whom she really loved; she
+thought of De la Cruz, and her heart filled with anguish.
+
+"She was not pursued to her retreat; the whole day she kept her chamber,
+and Mdme. de Lignerolles kept hers. On the following morning, a note was
+handed to her from Mdme. de L., announcing that she was starting for
+Paris to communicate this distressing intelligence to M. de Givry; and
+desiring Adeline to remain where she was, under the care of Mdme.
+Vertot, the housekeeper, till she received further directions; assuring
+her, at the same time, that everything should be done for her happiness
+and welfare, and, in due time, a suitable _parti_ be provided for her."
+
+Just as Monsieur de Venacour reached this point of his story, Madame de
+Montjerac returned from bathing, and if I looked at her with interest
+before, it may be well imagined how much more she inspired now.
+
+"How extraordinary!" I said, as my eyes rested on her noble countenance
+and majestic figure, "that that distinguished-looking woman is really
+the daughter of a good-for-nothing servant; and yet I should have said,
+if ever there was a person who bore the unmistakeable impress of
+aristocracy, it is she."
+
+He nodded his head, and significantly lifting his fore-finger to the
+side of his nose, said "Ecoutez!" and forthwith proceeded with his
+narration as follows.
+
+"On Madam de Lignerolle's arrival in Paris, she sent for her father,
+threw herself at his feet, and with tears and lamentations, disclosed
+this dreadful secret, which, she said, had been making the misery of her
+life for the last two years; but whatever distress it occasioned her, it
+was quite evident that that of Monsieur de Givry was much more severe.
+He was wounded on all sides; his pride, his love of lineage, his
+personal affection for Adeline, and his horror of the notoriety such an
+extraordinary event must naturally acquire. So powerful were the two
+last sentiments, that for a moment he even entertained the idea of
+accepting Adeline as the heiress of Givry, and concealing the whole
+affair from her and every body else; but to this proposition his
+daughter objected that the poor girl was already in possession of the
+truth, and that it was impossible to make her a party to such a
+deception.
+
+"'Then,' said Monsieur de Givry, 'she must die! There is no other
+expedient.'
+
+"'Mais, non, mon pere!' cried Hermione, starting from her seat,
+evidently taken quite aback by this unexpected proposition.
+
+"De Givry waved his hand with a melancholy smile; 'Enfant!' he said. 'Do
+you think I intend to become an assassin? God forbid!' And then he
+explained that he did not mean a real but a fictitious death, for which
+purpose she must be removed to a foreign country, under the pretence of
+the re-appearance of pulmonary symptoms; that a husband must be found
+for her who would bind himself to leave France for ever, and to keep
+this secret, under pain of forfeiting the very handsome allowance he
+proposed to make them; for the safe conduct of which part of the
+business, it would be necessary to confide their unhappy circumstances
+to the family physician and lawyer. In the meantime, as these
+arrangements could not be made in a day, it was decided that Adeline
+should remain where she was till all was ready for their completion.
+
+"'I shall take her out of the country myself,' he said, 'and you must
+accompany us. Every consideration must be shown her; she is the victim,
+and not the criminal.'
+
+"In the course of this conversation, as may be imagined, Monsieur de
+Givry more than once lamented the extinction of his race; his daughter,
+however, on that point, offered him some consolation, by suggesting that
+she was still a young woman, and that for her father's sake, although
+she had never intended to marry again, she would consent to do so
+provided she could meet with an unobjectionable _parti_.
+
+"Shortly after this melancholy disclosure, De la Cruz arrived with his
+father in Paris; where they were so well received by Madame de
+Lignerolles, that the old gentleman, fascinated by her beauty and
+manners, expressed his surprise that his son had not fallen in love with
+the mother, instead of the daughter. However, at his son's desire, he
+made formal propositions for the young lady's hand; which, to the
+surprise of the young man, Monsieur de Livry said, was already promised;
+adding, however, that his granddaughter's state of health would,
+probably, retard the union; the physicians having discovered that the
+seeds of consumption were beginning to develope themselves in her
+constitution, and, consequently, recommended her removal to a warmer
+climate.
+
+"In the meanwhile, the poor young girl was pining alone in the dreary,
+old château, with no companion but her own maid,--receiving no
+intelligence, and ignorant of her future fate. All she knew was, that
+she never could be the wife of Rodriguez de la Cruz. She supposed, that
+when he made his proposals, he would be informed of the circumstances
+above related, and that she should never hear more of him. But, in this,
+she was mistaken. About three weeks after her mother had left her, a
+letter from him arrived, saying, that he had succeeded in discovering
+where she was, and that he had lost no time in writing to inform her of
+the ill fortune that had attended his proposals; adding, that if her
+sentiments continued unchanged, he would come to Château Noir,
+accompanied by his own chaplain, who would unite them; after which, he
+had no doubt, it would be easy to obtain her grandfather's forgiveness;
+he, probably, having only refused his consent because he was trammelled
+by a prior engagement.
+
+"But this letter was addressed to Mademoiselle de Lignerolles; and it
+was evident, from the whole tenour of it, that the writer knew nothing
+of the change in her fortunes. Honour forbad her to take advantage of
+this ignorance; but the struggle threw her into agonies of grief. She
+passed a miserable day, and retired early to bed; where she might
+indulge her tears, and avoid the curious eyes of her maid, who was
+greatly perplexed at these unusual proceedings. Sleep was far from her
+eyes, and her mind was busy, framing the answer she had to write on the
+following day to De la Cruz, when she heard a knock at her chamber door.
+'Come in,' she said; not doubting that it was her maid, or Madame
+Vertot. Immediately, she heard the handle turned, and she saw
+in a mirror that was opposite, the door open, and a miserable,
+haggard-looking woman enter. She was attired in rags, and she led by the
+hand two naked children. They approached the foot of the bed, and the
+woman held out a letter, as if she wished Adeline to take it, which she
+made an effort to do; but a sudden horror seized her, and she uttered a
+scream which roused her maid who slept in the adjoining apartment. She
+was found insensible; but the usual applications restored her; and,
+without telling what had happened, she requested the servant to pass the
+rest of the night in her room. The next day, she felt very poorly in
+consequence of this horrid vision; but she wrote to De la Cruz such a
+letter, as she felt her altered circumstances demanded. She could not
+bring herself to avow that she was the daughter of Robertine Collet; but
+sent him, simply, a cold, haughty refusal, which precluded all
+possibility of any further advances. The next day, she changed her room,
+and she saw no more of the frightful apparition.
+
+"She had done her duty to De la Cruz, but she was miserable; and when,
+shortly afterwards, her grandfather arrived, accompanied by Dr. Pecher,
+the family physician, they found her exceedingly ill, and confined to
+her bed. This Dr. Pecher was a clever and worthy man; and having been
+necessarily made the confidant of the painful secret, it had been
+privately arranged between him and Monsieur de Givry, that he should
+marry the girl; and that they should, thereupon, quit the
+country,--Monsieur de G. making ample provision for their future
+maintenance.
+
+"But the main thing needful, was to restore her to health; and in the
+course of his attendance on her, he learnt from her maid how she had
+been first attacked; and then elicited from herself, the cause of her
+alarm. Of course, he looked upon the vision as an illusion; in short,
+the premonitory symptoms of her illness,--and mentioned it in that
+light, to Monsieur de Givry. But to his surprise, Monsieur de G. took a
+different view of the matter; and hastening to Adeline's room, he made
+her repeat to him the exact description of what she had seen; after
+which, he started immediately for Paris, without explaining the motive
+of this sudden departure.
+
+"On his arrival, he presented himself before his daughter, and taxed her
+with having deceived him; what her motive could be he was unable to
+imagine; he supposed it to be pecuniary, and that she did not wish to
+part with the large portion to be paid to Adeline on her marriage; but
+he believed that the traditionary apparition of his family would not
+have appeared to any one who was not a member of it; and that therefore
+the girl, who had accurately described the appearance of these figures,
+of which the young people were always kept in entire ignorance, must be
+actually his granddaughter.
+
+"Madame de Lignerolles persisted in her story, and all she could be
+brought to own was, that it was possible, the woman, Collett, had
+deceived her. Strong in his own opinion, Monsieur de Givry returned to
+Château Noir, Dr. Pecher having recommended the young lady's removal;
+and after writing his daughter a very urgent and serious letter, he
+started on a tour of a few weeks, with Adeline, for the recovery of her
+health.
+
+"No answer reached him for some time, but at the end of a month, he
+received one, acknowledging the cruel deception she had practiced,
+alleging as her excuse, an ardent passion for Rodriguez de la Cruz; and
+the wish to detach him from Adeline, and marry him herself. But she had
+failed, and he was on the point of marriage with a lady selected for him
+by his father. The letter concluded by the announcement, that she was
+about to retire to a convent where she should, in due time, take the
+veil.
+
+"Monseiur de Givry assumed this to be a mere ebullition of shame and
+disappointment; but she kept her word. Mademoiselle de Lignerolles, some
+years later, married the Baron de Montjerac, from whom, said Monsieur de
+Venacour, I heard the story. By him she had two sons; but the constant
+apprehension that in the eldest will be fulfilled the _mauvais destin_
+entailed on the heirs of Givry, preys, it is said, on her mind and
+health, and is the cause of the expression of melancholy for which her
+fine countenance is so remarkable.
+
+"Some centuries earlier, when power was irresponsible, Count Armand de
+Givry, a cruel and oppressive lord of the soil, who then inhabited
+Château Noir, had put to death one of his serfs, and turned his wife and
+two children out of doors in inclement weather, forbidding any of his
+tenants to shelter or assist them. The children were without clothes,
+and the three poor creatures perished from cold and starvation, but
+leaving behind them a terrible retribution, in the form of a curse
+pronounced by the wretched woman's lips in her dying agonies, which,
+strange to say, seems to have been pretty literally fulfilled.
+
+"When they were nearly at the last extremity, some good Christian had
+had the courage to write a pathetic letter for her, which, however, it
+was necessary she should deliver herself, as no one else durst do it.
+She watched her opportunity; concealed herself in the park, and waylaid
+the Count as he returned one day from shooting. But instead of taking
+the letter, he set his dogs upon her, who would have torn her to pieces,
+but for the courageous interference of one of his followers.
+
+"The curse ran, that never should the heir of Givry prosper till one of
+them took the letter; and that the last scion of the house should
+_Renier le croix et se vouer à l'Enfer_.
+
+"Since that, it was said that, no eldest son or daughter of the house of
+Givry had lived and prospered, whilst the letter, in some way or other
+had been offered to every one of them; but as the cadets of the family
+lived and married and prospered like other people, they did not choose
+to believe in the story; at least, whatever their secret thoughts on the
+subject may have been, they publicly threw ridicule on the tradition,
+whenever it was alluded to; but Monsieur de Givry had sufficient faith
+in it to believe, that if Adeline had been the daughter of Robertine
+Collet, she would never have been visited by the ghost of Madeleine
+Dogue and her children."
+
+
+
+
+THE SWISS LADY'S STORY.
+
+
+"It was not I," said Madame de Geirsteche; "it was my mother who saw the
+apparition you have heard of; but I can tell you all the particulars of
+the story if you have patience to listen to it."
+
+"You would be conferring a great favour," I said; "from what I have
+heard of the circumstance, I am already much interested."
+
+We were in the steamboat that plies between Vevay and Geneva when this
+conversation occurred, and as there could not be a more convenient
+opportunity of hearing the narration, we retired from the crowd of
+travellers that thronged the deck, and Madame de G. began as follows.
+
+"My husband's father, the elder Monsieur Geirsteche, was acquainted with
+two young men named Zwengler. He was at school and at college with them,
+and their intimacy continued after their education was finished. When
+one was fourteen and the other ten, they had the misfortune to lose both
+their parents by an accident. They were crossing the Alps, when by the
+fall of an avalanche their carriage was overturned down a precipice, and
+they and their servants perished.
+
+"The Zwenglers were people of good family but small fortune; and as they
+had always lived fully up to what they had, their property, when it came
+to be divided between their four children, for they had two daughters
+besides the sons I have named, afforded but an inadequate portion to
+each; but this misfortune was mitigated by their rich relations--a
+wealthy uncle adopted the boys, and an equally wealthy aunt took the
+girls. This was but just, for they had both been enriched by what ought
+to have been the inheritance of the other sister, the mother of these
+children, who, having married Monsieur Zwengler contrary to the wishes
+of her parents, was cut off with a shilling. This uncle and aunt had
+never married, for their father objected to every match that was
+proposed, as not sufficiently advantageous; whilst the brother and
+sister, taking warning by the fate of Madame Zwengler, preferred living
+single to the risk of incurring the same penalty. The daughters having
+good fortunes married early, and I believe did well enough; it is on the
+history of the sons that my story turns.
+
+"As I mentioned, they were at the same school with my husband's father
+when the catastrophe happened to their parents, and he remembered
+afterwards the different manner in which the news had affected them;
+Alfred's grief was apparently stormy and violent; that of the other was
+less demonstrative, but more genuine. Alfred, in short, was secretly
+elated at the independence he expected would be the consequence of this
+sudden bereavement; and he lost no time in assuming over Louis the
+importance and authority of an elder brother. Louis was an enthusiastic,
+warm-hearted, and imaginative child, too young to appreciate his loss in
+a worldly point of view, but mourning his parents--especially his
+mother--sincerely.
+
+"Alfred's hopes of independence were considerably abated, when he found
+himself under the guardianship of Mr. Altorf, his uncle, a proud,
+pompous, tenacious, arbitrary man; on the other hand, he was somewhat
+consoled by the expectation of becoming the heir to his large fortune,
+the magnitude of which he had frequently heard descanted on by his
+parents. He soon discovered, too, that as the heir expectant he had
+acquired an importance that he had never enjoyed before; and in order to
+make sure of these advantages, he neglected no means of recommending
+himself to the old gentleman, insomuch, that Mr. Altorf, being very fond
+of the study of chemistry, Alfred affected great delight in the same
+pursuit, sacrificing his own inclinations to shut himself up in his
+uncle's laboratory, with crucibles and chemicals that he often wished
+might be consumed in the furnace they employed. Louis, the while,
+pursued his studies, thoughtless of the future as young people usually
+are; but as he advanced in age, he began to exhibit symptoms of a
+failing constitution, and as the law for which his uncle designed him
+required more study than was compatible with health, he was allowed to
+follow his inclination and become a soldier. With this view, he was sent
+to Paris, and committed to the surveillance of a friend of his uncle
+there, who was in the French service.
+
+"No profession being proposed for Alfred, he lived on with his uncle,
+confirmed in the belief that though his brother, if he survived, would
+be remembered in the old man's will, he himself should inherit the bulk
+of the property. It was a weary life to him, shut up half the day in the
+laboratory, that he detested, in constant association with an
+uncongenial companion. Moreover, up to the period of his being of age,
+he was kept almost entirely without money, and was excluded from all the
+pleasures suitable to his years. When he attained his majority, he
+became possessed of the small patrimony that devolved on him as the
+eldest son of his father, and was enabled to make himself some amends
+for the privations he had previously submitted to. Not that he threw off
+his uncle's authority, or became openly less submissive and conformable;
+but secretly he contrived to procure himself many relaxations and
+enjoyments, from which he had before been shut out; and in the attaining
+and purchasing these pleasures he freely squandered all the proceeds of
+his inheritance, reckoning securely on the future being well provided
+for.
+
+"His uncle inhabited a villa outside of Geneva, on the road to Ferney,
+and seldom came into the town, except when he visited his banker. His
+chemicals and other articles, Alfred usually purchased, and he had made
+acquaintance with several young men, whose society and amusements he
+availed himself of these opportunities to enjoy. One frosty day in
+December, he was strolling arm in arm with some of these youths, when,
+on turning a corner, he unexpectedly saw sailing down the street before
+them, the massive figure of his uncle, attired in his best chocolate
+suit, his hair powdered, and a long pigtail hanging down his back. The
+air of conscious importance and pomposity with which he strode along,
+amused these gay companions, and they were diverting themselves at the
+old gentleman's expense, when his foot slipped on a slide, and he fell
+down. This was irresistible; and they all burst into a simultaneous
+shout of laughter. A passer by immediately assisted him to rise; and as
+he did so, he turned round to see from whence the merriment
+proceeded--perhaps he had recognised his nephew's voice--at all events,
+Alfred felt sure he _saw_, if he did not _hear_, and thought it prudent
+to apologise for his ill-timed hilarity, which he sought to excuse by
+alleging that he had not at first been aware who it was that had fallen.
+Mr. Altorf looked stern; but as he said nothing, and never alluded to
+the subject again, Alfred congratulated himself at having got off so
+well, and endeavoured to efface any unpleasant impression that might
+remain by extra attentions and compliances.
+
+"Everything went on as usual till the following year, when one morning
+the old gentleman was found dead in his bed, and the medical men
+pronounced that he had expired in a fit of apoplexy.
+
+"When the will--which was dated several years back--came to be read, it
+was found that after two trifling legacies, and five thousand pounds to
+Louis, the whole estate was bequeathed to Alfred, whose breast dilated
+with joy, as the words fell upon his ear, although it was no more than
+he was prepared for; but the first flush of triumph had not subsided,
+when the lawyer arrested the incipient congratulations of the company,
+by saying, 'Here is a codicil, I see, dated the fourteenth of December,
+last year.'
+
+"The company resumed their seats, and a cold chill crept through
+Alfred's veins, as the reader proceeded as follows:--
+
+"'I hereby revoke the bequest hereabove made to my nephew Alfred
+Zwengler, and I give and bequeath the whole of my estates, real and
+personal, to my nephew, Louis Zwengler. To my nephew, Alfred Zwengler, I
+give and bequeath my bust, which stands on the hall table. It is
+accounted a good likeness, and when I am gone, it will serve to keep him
+merry. May he have many a hearty laugh at it--on the wrong side of his
+mouth.'
+
+"The auditors looked confounded on hearing this extraordinary paragraph,
+but Alfred understood it too well.
+
+"It is unnecessary to dwell upon his feelings; a quarter of an hour ago
+he was one of the richest men of his canton--now there were not many
+poorer in all Switzerland than Alfred Zwengler. He had awakened from his
+long dream of wealth and importance, and habits of expense, to poverty
+and utter insignificance; while Louis, whom he had always
+despised--Louis, over whom he had domineered, and assumed the airs of an
+elder brother and a great man, had leapt into his shoes at one bound,
+and left him grovelling in the mud. How he hated him.
+
+"But he might die; what letters they had had from Paris reported him
+very sickly; he might be killed in battle, for Europe was full of wars
+in those days; but he might do neither; and at all events, in the
+meantime what was Alfred to do? A thousand wild and desperate schemes
+passed through his brain for bettering his situation, but none seemed
+practicable. The sole remnant of the property he had inherited from his
+father, that still remained in his possession, was a house in Geneva,
+called L'Hôtel Dupont, that he had mortgaged to nearly its full value,
+intending at his uncle's death, to pay the money and redeem it. It had
+been let, but was now empty and under repair, and the creditors talked
+of selling it to pay themselves. But Alfred induced them to wait, by
+giving out that as soon as his brother understood his situation, he
+would advance the necessary sum to relieve him. Perhaps he really
+entertained this expectation, but he had no precise right to do so, for
+he had never given Louis a crown piece, though the latter had suffered
+much more from his uncle's parsimony than he had, having inherited
+nothing whatever from his parents. However, Alfred wrote to Louis,
+dating his letter from that house, dilating on his difficulties, and the
+hardness of his fate, and hinting that, had he come into possession of
+his uncle's fortune, as he had every right to expect he should, how he
+should have felt it his duty to act towards an only brother.
+
+"He received no answer to this appeal; and, at first, he drew very
+unfavourable conclusions from his brother's silence; but, as time went
+on, and Louis neither appeared to take possession of his inheritance,
+nor wrote to account for his absence, hope began once more to dawn in
+the horizon; the brighter, that no letters whatever arrived from him;
+even the lawyers who had applied for instructions, received no answer.
+The last letter his uncle had had from him, had mentioned the
+probability of his joining the Republican forces in the south, if his
+health permitted him to do so. Altogether, there certainly were grounds
+for anxiety or hope, as it might be; I need not say which it was on this
+occasion. Rumours of bloody battles, too, prevailed, in which many had
+fallen. Even the creditors were content to wait, not being inclined to
+push to extremity a debtor, who might be on the verge of prosperity, for
+it was not likely that Louis would make a will; and it was even possible
+that he might have died before his uncle. In either case, Alfred was the
+undoubted heir; and, accordingly, he began once more to taste some of
+the sweets of fortune;--hats were doffed, hands were held out to him,
+and one or two sanguine spirits went so far as to offer loans of small
+sums and temporary accommodation.
+
+"At length, affairs being in this state of uncertainty, the lawyers
+thought it necessary to investigate the matter, and endeavour to
+ascertain what was become of the heir. Measures were accordingly taken,
+which evidently kept Alfred in a violent state of agitation; but the
+result, apparently, made him amends for all he had suffered. It was
+proved that Louis, with his military friend, had joined the Republican
+forces in the south, but was supposed to have perished in an encounter
+with the Chouans; nobody could swear to having seen him dead; but, as
+the Republicans had been surprised and fallen into an ambush, they had
+been obliged to retreat, leaving their dead upon the field.
+
+"This being the case, the property was given up to Alfred; a portion
+being sequestered, in order that it might accumulate for a certain
+number of years, for the purpose of refunding the original heir, should
+he--contrary to all expectation--reappear. If not, at the expiration of
+that term, the sequestrated portion would be released.
+
+"Alfred Zwengler was now at the summit of his wishes; and one might have
+thought, would have felt the more intense satisfaction, in the
+possession of his wealth, from the narrow escape he had had of losing
+it; but this did not seem to be the case. He had, formerly, been very
+fond of society, though he had few opportunities of entering into it;
+but when he had, nobody enjoyed it more. Now, he did not shun mankind;
+on the contrary, he sought their company; but he was moody, silent, and
+apparently unhappy. People said, that he lived in constant fear of his
+brother's turning up again and reclaiming his inheritance. It might be
+so; nobody knew the cause of the change in him, for he was
+uncommunicative, even to his nearest acquaintance.
+
+"One thing, that gave colour to this supposition was, that he evidently
+disliked to hear Louis named; and whenever he was alluded to, he
+invariably asserted that he did not believe he was dead, and that he
+expected every day to see him come back. After saying this, it was
+observed that, he would turn deathly pale,--rising from his chair, and
+walking about the room in manifest agitation.
+
+"Preferring the town to the country, Mr. Zwengler had declared his
+intention of residing in his own house, which had lately been repaired
+under his special directions, and fitted up with all the appliances of
+comfort and elegance; but he was scarcely settled there before he took a
+sudden and unaccountable dislike to it, and offered it for sale. As it
+was an excellent property, Mr. Geirsteche, my husband's father bought
+it; and Mr. Zwengler purchased another house and removed his furniture
+thither.
+
+"Mr. Geirsteche had no intention of living in the house; he bought it as
+an investment; for being situated in one of the best streets of the
+city, it was sure to let well; and accordingly it was not long before
+he found an eligible tenent in Mr. Bautte, an eminent watchmaker of
+Geneva, who furnished it handsomely. He was very rich, and wanted it for
+his family, who expressed themselves delighted with their new residence.
+Nevertheless, they had not been in it three months before they expressed
+a desire to live in the environs of the city rather than in it. As Mr.
+Bautte had taken a long lease of the house, he put up a ticket
+announcing that it was to be let. A gentleman from Lucerne, named
+Maurice, who had just married his sister's governess, and wished
+therefore to reside at a distance from his family, took it for three
+years, with the option of keeping it on for whatever term he pleased at
+the end of that period. He gave directions for the furnishing, and when
+it was ready, they came to Geneva and took up their abode in their new
+house. At the end of a year, they applied to Mr. Bautte for permission
+to sub-let the house. There was no such provision in the agreement, and
+Mr. Bautte at first, we were told, objected, but consented after an
+interview with Mr. Maurice. But these frequent removals had begun to
+draw observation, and it began to be rumoured that there was something
+objectionable about the Hôtel du Pont. The common people whispered that
+it was haunted; some said it was infested with rats; others that it was
+ill drained; in short, it got a bad reputation, and nobody was willing
+to take it. Mr. Maurice and his wife, who were gone to Paris for a few
+months, and had not yet removed their furniture, being informed of this,
+advertised it to be let furnished. So many strangers come to Geneva,
+that there is no want of tenants for good furnished houses, and it was
+soon engaged by a French family from Dijon. They took it for a year, but
+at the end of that time they left it for a residence much inferior in
+every respect, and yet more expensive; the rent Mr. Maurice asked being
+very moderate.
+
+"I don't know who were the next tenants, but family after family took
+the house, for it was a very attractive one, but nobody lived in it
+long. When Mr. Maurice's three years had expired, Mr. Bautte bought his
+furniture, and continued to let the house furnished. He would have been
+glad to sell his lease, which was for thirty years, but nobody was
+inclined to buy it.
+
+"I now, said Madame de G. come to that part of the story that concerns
+my mother. I have frequently heard the story from her own lips, and
+nothing made her so angry as to see people listen to it with
+incredulity. My grandfather, Mr. Colman, was, as you are aware, much
+given to the pursuit of literature, and as that is one that seldom
+brings wealth, his means were somewhat restricted, although he had a
+small independance of his own. He had three daughters and two sons, and
+when his family had outgrown their childhood, and my mother, who was the
+eldest, had attained the age of seventeen, they came to Geneva for the
+sake of giving the young people some advantages of education that he
+could not afford them in England; besides there was a good deal of
+literary society to be had here then, and the place was cheaper than it
+is now.
+
+"Having no acquaintance, they applied on their arrival to an agent, who
+offered them several houses and L'Hôtel du Pont amongst the number. At
+first they were about to decline it as a residence beyond their means;
+but when the rent was named, they took it immediately. It was so far the
+best house they had seen, and the cheapest, that when the agreement was
+signed, they expressed their surprise to the agent, at what appeared the
+unreasonable demands of the other proprietors.
+
+"'Why, this house is particularly situated, sir,' said the agent. 'The
+gentleman who furnished it was obliged to leave Geneva almost
+immediately after he had settled himself here; and he being absent, and
+caring more for a good tenant than a high rent, we don't stand out for a
+price as people must do when they look to make money by a house.'
+
+"Mr. Colman congratulated himself on his good luck in finding such a
+liberal proprietor, and in a few days he and his family were comfortably
+established in the Hôtel du Pont. The only difficulty they had found was
+in procuring servants. They had one English maid with them, and, at
+last, they succeeded in getting two girls as cook and housemaid. The
+latter was a German, who had been brought there by a family who had gone
+on to Italy; and the former was a Frenchwoman, who had married a
+gentleman's valet, and had followed him from Paris to Geneva.
+
+"As soon as everything was arranged, they resumed their usual
+habits--one of which was, that for an hour or two before they went to
+bed the father read aloud to them, in a room they called the library--it
+was, in fact, his writing-room--whilst the ladies worked. A few evenings
+after they had recommenced this practice, a discussion arose between Mr.
+Colman and his eldest daughter, Mary, as to the precise meaning of a
+French word, and the dictionary had to be appealed to to decide the
+question. Mary said it was in her bed-chamber, and left the room to
+fetch it. The library was on the ground-floor, and the staircase was a
+broad, handsome one as far as the first flight; it had been made by
+Alfred Zwengler when the house was repaired, and there was a wide
+landing at the top, the whole being lighted sufficiently for ordinary
+purposes by a lamp that hung in the hall. The stairs were very easy of
+ascent, and my mother--I mean Mary--for she was afterwards my mother,
+who was a lively, active girl, was springing up two steps at a time,
+when, to her amazement, she saw a gentleman in uniform standing on the
+landing above. She stopt suddenly, but as he did not appear to notice
+her, she continued to ascend, concluding it was some stranger, who had
+got into the house by mistake, for he did not look a thief; but when she
+reached the landing he was gone. She stood at first bewildered. There
+were four doors opening into bedrooms, but they were all shut; and after
+thinking a moment, she concluded it was the shadow of some cloaks and
+hats, and sticks, that were hanging in the hall, that had deceived her.
+She did not pause to consider how this could be, but turned into her own
+room; felt for the book, which she remembered to have left on her bed
+and ran down stairs again to her father; so occupied with the disputed
+question, that for the moment she forgot what had happened, and as her
+father resumed his reading immediately, she did not mention it. When
+they were going to bed, and they were lighting their candles in the
+hall, she said, 'you can't think what a start I had this evening when I
+went for the dictionary. It must have been the shadow of those cloaks
+and things, but I could have declared I saw an officer in uniform
+standing at the top of the stairs. I even saw his epaulette and the
+colour of his clothes.'
+
+"'La! Mary,' said one of the younger ones, 'weren't you frightened?'
+
+"'Frightened! no, why should I be frightened at a shadow?'
+
+"'Or a handsome young officer either,' said one of the boys.
+
+"She playfully gave him a tap on the head, and they all went to bed,
+thinking no more of the matter.
+
+"The kitchen was at the back of the house, on the same floor as the
+library, and a few evenings after this occurrence, one of the girls
+being in the store-room, heard sounds of distress proceeding thence; and
+on opening the kitchen-door, to inquire what was the matter, she saw
+Jemima, the English girl, in hysterics, and the other two standing over
+her, sprinkling her face with water. They said that she had left the
+kitchen to fetch some worsted to mend her master's stockings, but that
+before she could have got up stairs, she had rushed back again, thrown
+herself into a chair, and '_gone off_' as they expressed it. On hearing
+the noise, Mr. and Mrs. Colman joined them, but, for a long time, they
+could extract nothing from her--but that she had seen _something_. My
+grandfather asked if it was a rat, or a robber! but she only shook her
+head; and it was not till they had all left the kitchen and sent her a
+glass of wine, that she was sufficiently collected to tell them that, as
+she got to the foot of the stairs, she saw an officer in uniform, going
+up before her. He had his cap in his hand, and his sword at his side;
+and supposing he was some friend of her master's, she was going to
+follow him up; but when he reached the landing, to her surprise and
+horror, he disappeared through the wall.
+
+"When the family heard this, combining it with what had happened to
+Mary--though the circumstance had never been mentioned in the hearing of
+the servants; nor, indeed, even alluded to a second time--they began to
+ask themselves whether it was possible any such person could get into
+the house? and they examined every part of it with care, but found
+nothing that threw a light on the mystery. After this, Jemima was afraid
+to go up stairs alone at night, and Gretchen shared her fears; but the
+Frenchwoman laughed at them both, and said she should like to see a
+ghost that would frighten her. One night, however, about nine o'clock,
+when the family were in the library, they suddenly heard a great noise
+upon the stairs, as if something had fallen from the top to the bottom,
+and when they all rushed out to see what was the matter, they found the
+cook lying across the lower step in a state of insensibility, and the
+coalscuttle upset beside her, with its contents scattered around. They
+carried her into the library, and when she revived, she insisted on
+immediately leaving the house; she would not sleep in it another night
+on any account whatever, and away she went. Gretchen and Jemima said,
+they were sure she had seen the ghost, but was too proud to own it,
+after turning their fears into ridicule; and the family began to be very
+much perplexed.
+
+"My grandfather had a truly philosophical mind, and did not think it a
+proof of wisdom to hold decided opinions on subjects that he had not
+investigated. He had never believed in spiritual appearances, but he had
+never thought seriously on the subject at all, and did not feel himself
+qualified to assert that such things were impossible. Certainly, it was
+a singular coincidence, that Jemima's description of the apparition
+exactly coincided with what my mother had seen; and though the
+Frenchwoman had confessed to nothing, yet it was at the same hour and
+the same place that she had taken fright. He tried, whether--by placing
+the cloaks and the lamp in certain relative positions--he could produce
+any reflection that might deceive the eye; but there was not the most
+remote approximation to such a thing; in short, he perceived that that
+explanation of the appearance was altogether inadmissible.
+
+"'Well,' he said, 'if anybody sees this figure again, I beg they will
+call me!'
+
+"They were not a nervous family, I suppose; my mother was quite the
+reverse, I know. I never saw anybody with more courage; at all events,
+they do not seem to have been alarmed, though both the boys afterwards
+saw the same figure on the same spot, and ran to call their father; but
+when Mr. Colman came it was gone. However, they declared they had seen
+it cross the landing; and that it had seemed to them, to walk through
+the wall, just as Jemima had described.
+
+"Some weeks after this, towards the same hour, as Mr. Colman was about
+to commence reading aloud, he discovered that he had left his
+spectacles in the pocket of his coat, when he dressed for dinner; and my
+mother, who was always alert and active, left the room to fetch them.
+Presently, she re-entered the room,--pale, and somewhat agitated, but
+perfectly collected; and said, that when she had ascended the stairs
+about half-way, she heard a slight rustle above, which caused her to
+raise her eyes; when she saw, distinctly, the same figure she had seen
+before. 'I was not frightened!' she said, 'and I stopt with one foot on
+the next stair, and looked at it steadily, that I might be sure I was
+not under a delusion. The face was pale, and it looked at me with such a
+sad expression, that I thought if it was really a ghost, it might wish
+to say something; so I asked it.'
+
+"'Asked it!' they all exclaimed. 'What did you say?'
+
+"'I said, if you have anything to communicate, I conjure you--speak!'
+
+"'And did it.'
+
+"'No,' answered Mary, 'but it made a sign--'
+
+"'Good Heavens!' said Mrs. Colman, 'do you know what you're saying?'
+
+"'Perfectly,' said Mary, calmly. 'With one hand it pointed to the
+wall--just where Jemima and the boys saw it go in--and with the other it
+made a movement, as if it was going to strike the wall with something
+heavy.'
+
+"'Perhaps there's some money buried there,' said one of the boys.
+
+"Mr. Colman, who had hitherto been a silent but amazed listener to his
+daughter's narration, asked her what the gesture appeared to signify.
+
+"'It was as if it wanted the wall to be pulled down--at least, I thought
+so. I wish I had asked if that was what it wished, but I had not
+presence of mind; if I see it again, I will.'
+
+"'But we could not pull down the wall, you know, my dear,' said Mrs.
+Colman.
+
+"'I suppose we might, if we engaged to build it up again,' suggested one
+of the party.
+
+"'But if we told anybody, we should not get the money,' said the boys.
+
+"'Hush!' said Mary, 'Don't speak in that way; think what a solemn thing
+it is. I shall never forget his face--never, to the day of my death; and
+it looked at me so gratefully when I spoke to it, and then it
+disappeared into the wall.'
+
+"Of course this extraordinary occurrence formed the subject of
+conversation for the rest of the evening, and Mr. Colman narrowly
+questioned his daughter with regard to the particulars; but her story
+was always consistent, and as he had a very high opinion of Mary's
+courage and sense, the circumstance made so much impression on him, that
+he set about making enquiries as to the owner and antecedents of the
+house. It was difficult to obtain much information--for saying a house
+is haunted, is an injury to the landlord, and sometimes brings people
+into trouble--but he ascertained that it had had several tenants, that
+nobody had staid in it long, and that one of the persons who had
+inhabited it for a short time, was Mr. Bautte himself, whereupon he
+resolved to pay him a visit.
+
+"Mr. Bautte, as I have mentioned, was a watchmaker; and though very rich,
+still attended to his trade, so that it was easy to obtain an interview
+with him. Mr. Colman called at his place of business, which was not a
+shop, but a room on the first floor of a private house. He asked about
+the engraving of a seal that he had to his watch-chain; and then, having
+ascertained which was Mr. B., he told him he was his tenant. Mr. B.
+bowed and said, 'I hope you like the house, sir.'
+
+"My grandfather said that, perhaps, he might not have observed it but
+for what had happened, but that he fancied this was said with a sort of
+misgiving, as if he was conscious that there was something objectionable
+about the house.
+
+"'Why,' said my grandfather, drawing him rather aside, 'I like the house
+very much; but there's one great inconvenience about it--we can't get
+any servants to stay with us. One has left us already, and the others
+have given us warning, and nobody seems willing to come in their places.
+I understand you lived in the house yourself a short time; may I ask if
+you found any similar difficulty?'
+
+"'Well, sir,' said Mr. Bautte, trying to look unconcerned, 'you are
+aware how ignorant and foolish such people are--I fancy from the
+construction of the house that the sounds from the next door penetrate
+the walls.'
+
+"'We hear no sounds,' said Mr. Colman. 'I have heard no complaints of
+any. Did any of your family ever say they saw anything extraordinary
+there?'
+
+"'Well, sir, since you put the question so directly, I can't deny that
+the female part of my family did assert something of the sort; but women
+have generally a tendency to superstition, and are easily terrified.'
+
+"'Very true,' said Mr. Colman, 'but I should take it as a great favour
+if you would tell me what they said they saw--I have no idea of leaving
+the house; you need not be afraid of that; and of course I shall not
+mention this conversation to any one--what did they say they saw?'
+
+"Mr. Bautte thus exhorted, confessed that his family, and everybody who
+had lived in the house, asserted that they had seen the apparition of a
+young man in uniform, who always appeared on the stairs or the landing;
+adding, that he himself had never seen it, although he had put himself
+in the way of it repeatedly, and he firmly believed it was some
+extraordinary delusion or optical deception, though it was impossible to
+account for its affecting so many persons in the same way.
+
+"My grandfather then told him what had occurred in his family;
+especially to his eldest daughter, in whose testimony, he assured Mr.
+Bautte, he placed the greatest reliance; and he ventured to propose an
+examination of the spot, where the figure was said invariably to
+disappear. At first, Mr. Bautte laughed at the idea; for--besides his
+scepticism, which made him unwilling to take any proceeding that
+countenanced what he considered an absurd superstition--he urged, that
+the staircase and landing in question, were of very recent erection,
+being one of Mr. Zwengler's improvements when he repaired the house.
+However, after a short argument, wherein my grandfather represented that
+nobody but the parties concerned need know the real reason for what they
+did, that the expense would be small, and the possible result beneficial
+to the property, Mr. Bautte consented, provided Mr. Geierstecke made no
+objection; he being still the owner of the house.
+
+"Mr. G., who, you know, was my husband's father, was aware that the
+Hôtel du Pont had frequently changed its tenants, but was quite ignorant
+of the cause. He had no immediate interest in the matter, as Mr. Bautte
+held a thirty-years lease, and he naturally assumed that these frequent
+changes were purely accidental. Everybody, who became acquainted with
+the house, had a strong motive for keeping the secret; for--besides the
+ridicule and penalty they might have incurred--they all wanted to get it
+off their hands. It's true, that amongst the servants and common people
+of the neighbourhood, there were strange whispers going about; the
+source of which it would not have been easy to trace. A glazier said he
+knew a man, who had heard another declare, that he was acquainted with a
+bricklayer, who had helped to build the staircase; who used to say, he
+did not wonder that nobody could live in the Hôtel du Pont; and that it
+was his opinion that nobody ever would be able to live in it; and a
+woman who kept a shop opposite, had been heard to say, that she saw
+somebody go into that house that never came out again; but whenever she
+alluded to this subject, her husband always reproved her, and told her
+she did not know what she was talking about.
+
+"This gossip had, however, never reached Mr. Geierstecks, and he was
+exceedingly surprised when Mr. Bautte communicated Mr. Colman's
+proposal, and the reason of it. He immediately called upon my
+grandfather, who recited the circumstances to him, and introduced my
+mother; from whose lips he wished to hear the account of her two
+rencontres with the ghost; and also, a particular description of its
+appearance. At the commencement of his visit, he was inclined to be
+jocular on the subject; but after he had seen my mother, and heard her
+describe the dress of the apparition, which was that of an officer in
+the Republican army of France, he seemed a good deal struck, and became
+serious. He said, he did not believe in ghosts; though he had heard
+people affirm, that they had seen such things; he always supposed them
+to be under a delusion; but that my mother's testimony was so clear, and
+from the account of her family she was so unlikely a person to be
+deceived, that he felt bound to give his assent to the proposed
+investigation; only stipulating for entire secrecy, and that he might
+fix the day for it himself. 'I'll speak to a builder,' said he; 'Mr.
+Bautte, of course, will wish to be present; and, perhaps, I may bring a
+friend with me.'
+
+"As I mentioned before, he had been early acquainted with the
+Zwengler's; and betwixt him and Alfred the intimacy still continued,
+although the latter was by no means the pleasant companion he had been
+formerly. Mr. Geierstecke concluding that his uncle's will, and the
+sudden vicissitudes of fortune he had experienced, had affected his
+spirits, pitied him; and had often endeavoured to argue him out of his
+depression, but with little effect.
+
+"I have heard him say, that after he left my grandfather's house on that
+day, he went to Mr. Zwengler's with the intention of telling him the
+circumstances I have related, and also of giving him notice of the
+impending investigation; but when he had got to the door, and his hand
+was upon the bell, he shrunk from the interview. 'Not,' he said, 'that
+he admitted a suspicion; on the contrary, he repelled it; but he could
+not overcome an uneasy feeling at the striking resemblance between Louis
+Zwengler and the ghost (if ghost there was), as described by my mother.
+He feared that, if his words did not betray this feeling, his
+countenance would, and he could not face Alfred in this state of mind;
+so he turned from the door and went home. Still he felt he could not
+allow this thing to be done without warning his friend of their
+intention, and he sat down to write him a letter; but it was a difficult
+thing to communicate,--at least, he somehow found it so. He could have
+mentioned it jocularly; but that, under all the circumstances, he could
+not do so; and he had torn up two or three unsuccessful efforts, when
+the door opened, and the servant announced Mr. Zwengler himself.
+
+"My father-in-law told me that he felt his knees tremble, and his cheek
+turn pale, when he rose to receive his visitor, who seemingly rather
+more cheerful than usual, said he had called to ask him why he did not
+come in to-day, when he was at his door. 'I was at the window,' said he,
+'and was quite disappointed to see you turn away.'
+
+"This was too good an opportunity to be lost, and Mr. Geierstecke
+answered, that it was quite true, and that he had actually had his hand
+upon the bell, when he thought it was useless troubling him with such
+nonsense.
+
+"'What nonsense?' asked Zwengler.
+
+"'It's about that house I bought of you,' said Mr. Geierstecke. 'People
+say they can't live in it;' adding, while he affected to laugh; 'They
+say there's a ghost in it, and they want to pull down the staircase to
+look for him.'
+
+"'How absurd,' said Mr. Zwengler; 'and are you going to do it?' but the
+voice sounded as if there was something in his throat.
+
+"'We are,' replied Mr. G. 'Mr. Bautte has never been able to keep a
+tenant, and I can't refuse, for it appears they all assert the same
+thing. Even Mr. Bautte's family would not live in it--they say they
+see----'
+
+"'Ha! ha!' laughed Zwengler, rising suddenly, and pushing back his chair
+in a hurried manner, 'but I must leave you--I've an appointment; I
+merely called as I passed the door, to ask why you'd not come in. Bless
+me! I'm late,' he added, as he looked at his watch; and he hurried out
+of the room, crying 'Good night,' as he disappeared.
+
+"Mr. Geierstecke used to say that he believed that he (Mr. G. himself)
+continued standing on the same spot, like a statue, for nearly half an
+hour after the door closed on his visitor.
+
+"'I had scarcely had time to rise from my chair,' he said, 'before he
+was gone, and I felt paralysed. I did not know what to do. I wished I
+had never bought the house, and I lay awake all night, thinking of
+horrors, and then trying to persuade myself that perhaps there was no
+cause for my apprehensions after all.'
+
+"'I saw nothing more of Zwengler, though I frequently passed his house
+purposely; and, at length, the day arrived which I had--not without
+design--fixed at the interval of a week from my first visit to Mr.
+Colman. We all assembled at the appointed time, with a respectable
+workman whom I was in the habit of employing, to whom we accounted for
+our proceeding, by alleging that there was a bad smell sometimes, which
+we thought might proceed from a dead rat.
+
+"'I never felt more nervous and agitated in my life, than while the man
+was demolishing the wall, and we were waiting the denouement; while
+Mary, the heroine, stood pale and earnest, with her eyes eagerly fixed
+on the spot.'
+
+"'We had better have a light, sir,' said the mason presently, 'There is
+something here----'
+
+"One of the boys went for a light, while silent and breathless they
+waited its arrival.
+
+"When it came it disclosed a fearful sight. There lay, huddled up, as if
+thrust in in haste, the bones of a perfect skeleton, and what appeared
+to be burnt remnants of clothes. Before they touched anything, Mr.
+Bautte sent for the police, and these sad relics were removed by their
+officers. There was no means of discovering how life had been taken, but
+the medical men said that some strong chemical preparation had been used
+to consume the flesh and clothes, and prevent any bad odour.
+
+"Everybody knew the Zwenglers and their history; and on this discovery,
+the prefêt sent for my mother, and took her deposition as to the
+appearance of the figure she had seen. He also examined Jemima and the
+Frenchwoman who had left our service; and the testimony of all parties
+coinciding, he issued an order to arrest Alfred. But when they went to
+his house he was not there. The servants said he had been absent nearly
+a week; that he left, saying he was going on business to Dôle, and his
+stay was uncertain. He had taken no baggage with him but a carpet bag. A
+messenger was despatched to Dôle, but nothing was known of him there;
+and the enquiries that were instituted at the Messageries and
+Voituriers threw no light on his mode of conveyance, if, indeed, he had
+left Geneva.
+
+"Various people, who had lived in the house, now confessed to have been
+troubled with the same apparition; and several amongst the neighbours of
+the lower ranks avowed that they had strong suspicions that Alfred
+Zwengler did not come fairly by his fortune, alleging different reasons
+for their opinion; one of which was singular--it was, that a little deaf
+and dumb girl, who lived near him, described to her mother, that when he
+passed their door, she always saw him as enveloped in a black cloud.
+
+"Howbeit, Alfred Zwengler never appeared more; and it was generally
+thought that terrified by the impending disclosure he had thrown himself
+either into the lake or the river, to escape it. He left no will, and
+the fortune went to his sisters. But this strange circumstance resulted
+in my mother's marriage to Monsieur de Beaugarde the Prefect, who was so
+captivated by her courage, that he made her an offer immediately; and
+the acquaintance with Mr. Geierstecke, thus commenced, led to my
+marriage with his son."
+
+In answer to my enquiry, of how it was supposed the murder was
+committed, Madame de G. said, the conjecture was, that Louis had made
+his escape from the Chouans, and returned unexpectedly--a neighbour even
+testified to having seen him enter the house one night at the time it
+was under repair--and that his brother by a sudden and dreadful impulse,
+had struck him down unawares. One of the masons who had been employed in
+building the staircase, but who was killed by a fall shortly before the
+discovery, had been heard to hint that before he died he must unburden
+his mind of a secret that weighed heavily on his conscience. "Not that
+the guilt lies on my soul, he used to say, but perhaps it's a sin to
+hold my tongue."
+
+However, he had no time to speak; but one came from the grave to tell
+the tale and bear awful witness against the unhappy Alfred Zwengler.
+
+
+
+
+THE SHEEP-FARMER'S STORY.
+
+
+The following singular story was related to me in a dialect which,
+though I understood, from having lived much in the country where it was
+spoken, I cannot attempt to imitate, not being "to the manner born;"
+neither, if I could, would it be agreeable, or very comprehensible, to
+my readers in general. I shall, therefore, tell it in plain English; and
+hope it will interest others as much as it did me.
+
+Sandy Shiels, the narrator, was a sheep-farmer in the Lammermuirs. He
+lived in a lone house, in a wild and desolate country, with his wife and
+children, his farm-servants, and his dogs, and seldom saw a stranger
+enter his door, from week's end to week's end; but on certain occasions,
+more or less frequent, Sandy attended the fairs and markets about the
+country; and at the cattle shows, sometimes, appeared in Edinburgh
+itself. He was a shrewd and a simple man--for the two characteristics
+are by no means incompatible--hardhanded and hardfeatured, but not
+unkindly; a serious churchman, a great reader of his Bible, and a keen
+observer of Nature and Nature's language, as men who are born and bred
+amongst mountains generally are.
+
+His wife was a plain, hardworking woman, by whom he had two children,
+yet young; but he had an elder son by a former marriage, called Ihan
+Dhu; a Highland appellation not common in the Lammermuirs; but his
+mother was a Highland woman, and had given it to him. Ihan Dhu means
+Black John; and it suited him well; for, instead of the brawny figure
+and sandy hue which so generally prevails in the south, he had inherited
+the slight figure, the dark complexion, and black hair and eyes of his
+mother, who was a specimen of the genuine Highland type; which, contrary
+to the belief commonly entertained in England, is (Lord Jeffrey informed
+me), _a little dark man_.
+
+The two farm-servants were called Donald and Rob. The former a heavy,
+stolid lout, who had just intellect enough to do what he was told; the
+latter, a smart, lively, goodnatured lad, who was fond of reading, when
+he could get a book; and wide awake about everything that his very
+limited sphere brought him in contact with. The only other member of the
+family was a girl, called Annie Goil, an orphan niece of Mrs. Shiel's;
+who, in conjunction with her aunt, did all the work of the house and
+dairy. The whole household lived and ate, and sat together, and with
+them the two sheep dogs, Coully and Jock. In the summer, it was pleasant
+enough; but in the winter, when the snow fell and the sheep were on the
+hills, they had often a hard time of it.
+
+Annie Goil was a pretty lass; and, naturally enough, there being no
+other at hand, the three young men, Ihan, Donald, and Rob, were all
+candidates for her favour. Nevertheless, they lived tolerably well
+together; the rivalry, apparently, not running very high. Ihan was, of
+course, much the best match; and he might, perhaps, feel pretty
+confident that whenever he chose seriously to put in his claim, it could
+not be resisted. Rob, possibly, comforted and consoled himself with the
+sundry little marks of preference she bestowed on him, which might be
+genuine, or might be designed to _agacer_ Ihan. As for Donald, he was of
+so slow and undemonstrative a nature, that though she and the other two
+often jeered him, and pretended to think he was the one destined to
+carry off the prize, he exhibited neither anger nor jealousy; if he felt
+either, he kept them to himself.
+
+Nevertheless, a sharp word, or sour look, would occasionally pass
+between them; that is, between Ihan and Rob; for any dissatisfaction on
+the part of Donald was only expressed by increased stolidity and
+silence; and so persuaded was the old man that their feelings towards
+each other were not very genial; to say the least, that he had been
+heard to say to his wife, that Annie Goil was a good girl; but, perhaps,
+it would have been better, if she had never come amongst them.
+
+Still they rubbed on "middling well," as Sandy said, and certainly far
+better than might have been expected under such circumstances.
+
+The winter preceding the circumstances I am about to relate, had been a
+very severe one, and Sandy Shiels, who had exposed himself too much to
+the weather, was laid up with an attack of rheumatism. As he was a very
+active man, still not much past middle life, who when in health
+diligently looked after his business himself; his loss during this
+confinement was much felt; and the others had enough to do to make up
+for his absence.
+
+On the 27th of February, the snow was on the ground, and the wind blew
+wildly over the Lammermuir hills; the sheep sought shelter and munched
+their turnips sadly in the nooks and hollows. Donald was abroad, with
+the dogs looking after them, and seeing that no stray lamb perished in
+the cold; while Ihan and Rob were off to Gifford. Ihan to do business
+there for his father; for there was a three days fair, or market, which
+Sandy, when in health, never failed to attend, both as a buyer and
+seller; and Rob to fetch some medicine for the patient, and other
+matters wanted at the farm.
+
+Rob set out at dawn of day, for it was a long walk of ten miles through
+the snow, and the sooner he could return the better, as the things he
+was to bring were wanted. Ihan rode a rough little Shetland pony; he did
+not start till midday, and was not expected back till the evening after
+the next. On the first day he had to go on as far as Haddington, which
+is four miles beyond Gifford, where he was to consult a lawyer about a
+disputed point in his father's lease. He was to sleep there at the house
+of a friend, and to be back to the Gifford market early the next
+morning.
+
+Annie Goil stood at the door covertly watching Ihan as he mounted his
+pony, well equipt for his cold ride, his neck enveloped in a red
+comforter, knitted for him by Annie herself. She leant against the
+door-post looking about her with an air of indifference; while Ihan
+seemed wholly occupied in tightening his girths and seeing that his
+stirrups were of the right length. Neither spoke; still he lingered over
+his gear, and still she stood leaning against the post, when suddenly
+Mrs. Shiels called from above, "Is Ihan gone? Stop him!" and hurrying
+down stairs appeared at the door.
+
+"Ihan," she said, "I forgot to tell Rob to bring sixpennyworth of
+camphorated spirits for your father; if he has not left Gifford before
+you get there, tell him to get it."
+
+"He will have left, I should think," answered Ihan.
+
+"Perhaps not," said Mrs. Shiels, "but if he has you must bring it,
+though I want it to night."
+
+"Very well," said Ihan as he rode away, and Mrs. Shiels and Annie
+re-entered the house.
+
+The hours passed drearily at the farm, with the sick man groaning in his
+pain, and the two lonely women dividing their time betwixt his chamber
+and their household cares. As the day advanced Annie went frequently to
+the door and looked up the glen; and Mrs. Shiels, glancing at the Dutch
+timepiece that stood in the kitchen, observed that she wondered Rob had
+not come back. Annie responding that the snow was deep, and it must be
+very heavy walking, again went to the door and looked up the glen; but
+there was nobody in sight. The hours dragged on, and as it grew later,
+large flakes began to fall and obscure what little light remained. Sandy
+grew impatient and accused Rob of idling and lingering at the fair; Mrs.
+Shiels wondered; and Annie having done her work, took up her station at
+the door with her gown-skirt over her head; there she stood listening
+for the sound of a step, for it was too dark to see, and at last, she
+heard a heavy foot approaching, but it was Donald returning from the
+hills, followed by Jock.
+
+"You haven't seen anything of Rob, have you?" said Annie.
+
+"How should I see Rob! He's gone to Gifford ar'n't he?"
+
+"You might have been on that side of the hill?"
+
+"Ar'n't he come back with the stuff?"
+
+"No; he might have been here three hours since. I can't think what's
+become of him."
+
+"Stopt at the Fair, may-be; there's dancing the night at the Lion."
+
+"Nonsense!" said Annie, pouting her lips at him, and turning away to
+prepare their evening meal.
+
+Donald shook himself, and stamped his feet to get rid of the snow, and
+then entered the kitchen. Mrs. Shiels hearing a foot, came down, hoping
+to find Rob; and was very much disappointed when she saw it was Donald.
+
+"What can that boy be doing, all this time?" she said.
+
+"Perhaps he met Ihan, and went back for the camphor," suggested Annie.
+
+"He'd never think of such a thing! Ihan would not let him; that is, if
+he had got any way on," said Mrs. Shiels.
+
+"There's dancing the night at the Lion," reiterated Donald.
+
+"Why, the boy would never think of staying for that!" exclaimed Mrs.
+Shiels; indignant at the mere notion of such a disorderly proceeding.
+
+"To be sure, he wouldn't," said Annie; "Donald knows that well enough;"
+and her lip curled as she spoke!
+
+Annie was evidently disturbed at Rob's prolonged absence, and angry with
+Donald's insidious attempts to put an ill construction on it. But still
+Rob did not come.
+
+Annie went on preparing the supper, which consisted of porridge; and
+when she had poured it into the bowls, she made two messes for the dogs.
+
+"Where's Coullie?" she said looking round.
+
+"Arn't he here?" inquired Donald.
+
+"No.--Don't you see he's not?"
+
+"Well, I thought he came in with me," said Donald; and going to the door
+he began whistling the familiar whistle that calls home the dogs. Jock
+leaving his bowl of porridge, that Annie had set down, went to the door
+too. Presently they both returned; Donald sat down to his supper,
+saying, he supposed the dog would come presently; and Jock applied
+himself to his.
+
+As the night drew on, the wonders and conjectures increased, and the
+family grew more and more fidgity and perplexed at Rob's absence. Donald
+went to bed as he had to be up betimes in the morning; Mrs. Shiels did
+the same, because she slept in her sick husband's room; Annie lingered
+as long as she could; then she made up a good fire, set a saucepan of
+porridge on the hob, left a bowl and a spoon, and salt on the table, and
+went to bed too. When she was undrest and had extinguished her candle,
+she opened the lattice window of her chamber and put out her head. The
+snow still fell, and it was very dark; after listening for some minutes,
+she shut the window, and softly opening her chamber door, she crept down
+stairs again to the kitchen. There she unhooked a lantern from the wall,
+put a lighted candle in it, and returning to her room, she hung it on
+the latch of the window before she got into bed. She thought she should
+not sleep, but after a little while she did, and soundly too, till next
+morning. When she opened her eyes at dawn of day, the candle was burnt
+out, but the sight of the lantern in so unusual a place, reminded her
+immediately why she had placed it there, and she wondered whether Rob
+had come home in the night, and been let in by Donald. When she came
+down, Donald was already outside the house cleaning his shoes and
+feeding the pigs. She called to him, "Is Rob come?"
+
+"I don't know," he answered. Of course, then, he was not. It was most
+extraordinary.
+
+"Is Coullie come in?" she asked.
+
+"I ha'nt seen him," he said.
+
+He was very silent; swallowed his mess of porridge in haste, and then
+set off to the hills with Jock. When Mrs. Shiels came down, the same
+questions were reiterated; and when she found Rob was not come, she was
+very angry, and expressed her conviction that he had staid for the dance
+at the Lion. Even Annie no longer defended him, for where else could he
+be all night? A pretty rating he will get when he comes back thought
+she; and she could not deny that he well deserved it.
+
+She expected him early, and every now and then she went to the door as
+on the preceding day; but hour after hour passed, and he did not come.
+All sorts of conjectures were formed as to the cause of the delay, but
+Mrs. Shiels and her husband admitted but one solution of the
+difficulty--"the boy's head had got clean turned, and he was gone to the
+bad althegither."
+
+At night, Donald came home to the great surprise of all, without
+Coullie; he said he had seen nothing of the dog. Now Coullie was devoted
+to Rob--in short, he was the only person the animal cared for--and it
+occurred to Annie that he had somehow come upon Rob's footsteps, and
+tracked him to Gifford, and she expected whenever they did come, to see
+them both arrive together.
+
+But that night passed and the next day, and then, towards evening,
+Annie, who had been to the door, announced that she heard the pony's
+foot; here was at hand one who doubtless would be able to solve the
+mystery about the absentee. It was the first question addressed to
+him--"Where's Rob?"
+
+"How should I know?"
+
+"Haven't you seen him?"
+
+"Seen him, no; I've not seen him since the day before yesterday. Why?
+what's the matter?"
+
+"He's never come back from Gifford. Where was he when you saw him?"
+
+"I never saw him at all, except in the morning before he set off."
+
+"You did not meet him on the road, nor in the village?"
+
+"No; I saw nothing of him after he left this."
+
+"Did you hear if he had been there?"
+
+"I never asked; I bought the camphor--here it is. How's father?"
+
+At night, Donald came home, still without Coullie; and as the dog had
+never strayed before, it was natural to conclude that he had gone after
+Rob, wherever the latter might be. The irritation of Mr. and Mrs. Shiels
+increased hourly, so did Annie's wonder and perplexity. The two young
+men, Ihan and Donald, were differently affected; Ihan seemed rather
+pleased, and he covertly taunted Annie with this desertion of her
+favourite; Donald was only more silent and stolid than he had been
+before.
+
+But the next day, and the next passed, and so on through the winter, and
+neither the man nor the dog were seen or heard of. It was ascertained by
+enquiry that he had been at Gifford, and made his purchases, and it was
+supposed, had left it early, but _that_ no one knew. Certainly, he was
+not at the ball at the Lion. Somebody had seen him in company with a
+young man from Edinburgh, in a tax cart, but nobody knew who he was;
+and, finally, Mr. and Mrs. Shiels declared their conviction that,
+tempted by fine promises--being an ambitious lad--he had gone off to
+Edinburgh with this acquaintance, to better his fortune; and Ihan
+appeared to adopt their opinion. Annie had considerable difficulty in
+doing so; but, at length, even she ceased to defend him, since there was
+no other way of accounting for his absence.
+
+Before the winter was over, Donald had left. He had come home one night,
+with his hands dreadfully mangled by a pole-cat, which he said he had
+found devouring a rabbit under a bush, and had rashly attempted to lay
+hold of. Hereupon, he went away to the infirmary in Edinburgh, to be
+under Dr. S.; and Sandy Shiels engaged a man to fill his situation, and
+also bought a dog in place of Coullie, whose loss he much regretted,
+well-broken sheep dogs being very valuable.
+
+Some time had elapsed--the fine weather had set in; and with it, the
+farmer had got rid of his rheumatism, and resumed his former habits of
+active occupation; when one day, as he was crossing the hill between his
+own farm and a place called 'The Hopes,' he observed a dog trotting
+along, that struck him as being very like Coullie. He gave a whistle,
+and the animal stopt and looked round, and on calling him by his name,
+he came up and fondled his master, appearing very glad to see him, and
+finally accompanying him where he was going.
+
+'The Hopes' was a gentleman's house, about three miles from Shiels'
+farm, and when he reached the gate, he was surprised to hear the keeper
+at the lodge say, patting the dog familiarly, "Well, Willie, so you've
+come back again?" Whereupon Sandy asked him if he knew him.
+
+"Oh, yes, I know him," he said; "he's a great favourite of the ladies
+here. They found him on the hill nearly starved, some time ago, and he
+followed them home, and has lived here, off and on, ever since."
+
+"That's very odd," said Sandy, "for the dog's mine. I brought him up
+from a pup, and we broke him ourselves--that is, a lad did, that lived
+with me then, called Rob. But, one day last winter, the lad disappeared,
+and the dog too, and I've never seen either of them since, till just now
+I saw the dog on the hill."
+
+"Well," said the keeper, "I think it was early in March the ladies
+brought him home here. He often goes away; but he comes back again, and
+the ladies take him along with them when they walk out."
+
+Sandy could not conceive why the dog had deserted his home, or why he
+had remained starving on the hill, when he knew very well where his food
+awaited him. The keeper agreed in its being very extraordinary, since he
+must have known his way over every part of the moor for miles round; and
+suggested that he might have gone after the young man who had
+disappeared, and been on his way back, when the ladies met him; but,
+even if that were so, why had he not returned home since, especially as
+he was frequently absent for hours, and sometimes all night?
+
+When Sandy Shiels had concluded his business, and was about to depart,
+he whistled the dog, who followed him willingly enough; but as he
+approached his own house, Coullie shrunk behind, and seemed inclined to
+turn tail, and run away; however, he came on in obedience to his
+master's call, and was joyfully received by the family in general, who
+listened with interest to the account of his adventures, as far as they
+were known; all agreeing that his absence must, in some way, be
+connected with that of Rob. It was observed that one of his first
+movements was to examine the premises after his own fashion, sniffing
+about, first below, and afterwards above stairs in the attic in which
+Rob and Donald formerly slept. What was the result of these
+investigations we cannot tell; but when they were concluded, he
+stretched himself before the kitchen fire, and went to sleep.
+
+The following days, Sandy took him on the hill when he went to look at
+the sheep, and he did his duty as formerly; but on the third or fourth
+evening he was missed, and was absent all night. He returned in the
+morning, and was gently chided for this irregularity--the family
+concluding he had been to visit his friends at "The Hopes;" however, a
+few evenings after, when they were sitting at supper, with the doors
+closed, and the dogs lying quietly dozing on the hearth, Coullie
+suddenly started up, and began to show signs of uneasiness; while,
+almost at the same moment, something like a low whistle reached their
+ears, which seemed to proceed from the air, rather than the earth. They
+had heard no sound of footsteps, but Ihan rose from the table and opened
+the door; whereupon Coullie seized the opportunity to dart out, and Ihan
+returned, saying he could see nobody, but that Coullie was off at the
+rate of ten miles an hour. Everybody wondered where he was gone; and at
+last it was concluded that some person from 'The Hopes' had been passing
+near the house, and that the dog had recognised the whistle, and
+followed him. The truant was found at the door in the morning, and
+chided as before, but that did not prevent his repeating the offence,
+till their wonder was greatly increased by the following
+circumstance:--
+
+Sandy Shiels always read prayers to his family on the Sunday evenings;
+and one night, while he was thus engaged, and the dogs were lying
+apparently asleep, Coullie suddenly uttered two or three low whines.
+Annie raised her head from her book to bid him be silent, and observing
+that he was sitting up, looking eagerly towards the door, which was
+open, she turned her eyes in that direction, and saw to her
+astonishment, a man standing in the dusk of the passage. As all the
+inmates of the house were present, and the outer door was shut, so that
+no stranger could have come in, she uttered an exclamation of surprise
+which interrupted the reader, and caused everybody to turn their heads;
+but with the sound of her voice the figure had disappeared, and the
+others saw nothing. Coullie ran to the door, and became uneasy, while
+Sandy asked what was the matter.
+
+"I saw a man in the passage," said Annie, looking very pale and
+agitated.
+
+"A man," said Ihan, rising; "I saw no man;" and going into the passage,
+he opened the outer door to look round; whereupon, Coullie seized the
+opportunity, and rushed out.
+
+"There's nobody that I see," said Ihan; "but the dog's off again."
+
+"I'm sure I saw somebody," said Annie.
+
+"Go and look up stairs," said Mrs. Shiels; Ihan went and returned,
+saying there was nobody in the house but themselves, and Annie must have
+been mistaken.
+
+But Annie shook her head, and beginning to cry, asserted that she had
+not been mistaken, and that she believed the man she saw was Rob,
+adding, that she always thought that the whistle they sometimes heard,
+and which agitated Coullie so much, was Rob's whistle.
+
+At this suggestion, Ihan fired and showed symptoms of great irritation;
+and if Sandy had not been present, high words would have arisen betwixt
+him and Annie. As it was, his countenance was clouded all the rest of
+the evening.
+
+This event made a great impression on the young girl; she thought of it
+day and night, and she watched with increasing interest Coullie's
+inexplicable proceedings, which still continued. Sometimes of an evening
+they would hear footsteps, whereon the dog would betray great
+uneasiness till they opened the door, and he could dart off on his
+mysterious errand. Once or twice they confined him and would not let him
+go; but the animal seemed so much distressed and whined so piteously,
+that they ceased to oppose his inclinations. Although when they heard
+these footsteps they searched the premises in all directions, nobody was
+ever to be found. Annie wished them to endeavour to find out where
+Coullie went; but nobody seemed to have sufficient curiosity to take any
+trouble about the matter, though they all admitted the singularity of
+the circumstances. No doubt, it was difficult, inasmuch as he always
+started on these expeditions at night, while he ran off so rapidly that
+it would have been impossible to overtake him or keep him in sight. This
+state of things continued till the month of October, which became very
+cold; and one morning, towards the end of it, Annie, when she went to
+the door, found there had been a fall of snow in the night. Coullie, who
+had gone off the evening before, was there waiting to be let in, and she
+observed the track of his feet on the ground. It immediately occurred to
+her that here was an opportunity of discovering what she wished so much
+to know. She had nobody to consult, for her aunt and uncle were not come
+down; and being a stout country girl, she threw her shawl over her head,
+and calling the dog to follow her, she set off up hill and down dale,
+guided by the marks of Coullie's footsteps which remained perfectly
+distinct for about four miles in the direction of Gifford, when they
+turned off to the left, and stopt at the edge of an old quarry. The dog,
+who had trotted cheerily beside her, now began to descend into the
+hollow, stopping and looking up every now and then, whining as if
+inviting her to follow; but after several attempts she found the descent
+too steep. When at the bottom, Coullie disappeared for a minute or two
+under the embankment, and she heard him still whining; but finding she
+could make no further investigations without assistance, she called the
+dog who joined her directly, and they returned home to find Mrs. Shiels
+in a dreadful state of mind at Annie's unaccountable and unprecedented
+absence. However, when she communicated the cause of it, and the
+discovery she had made, Sandy was sufficiently aroused to say that he
+would send some one down to examine the quarry. He did so, and the
+result was that they found the remains of poor Rob under circumstances
+that led to the conclusion that he had somehow gone out of his way, and
+fallen into the pit; for on medical examination, it appeared that both
+his legs were broken. As the quarry was abandoned and in a lonely spot,
+a person might very possibly die there under such circumstances without
+being able to make his distress known.
+
+Poor Rob's remains were committed to the earth; Coullie left off his
+erratic habits and became an ordinary, but intelligent, sheep dog; and
+the family at Shiel's farm, after due comment, on the singular events
+that had led to the discovery of his body, which could only be accounted
+for by admitting a spiritual agency (a view of the case which Ihan
+always repelled with scorn) turned their thoughts into other channels,
+with the exception of Annie, who had a strong persuasion that Rob had
+not come fairly by his end; and oftentimes she would say to Coullie when
+alone with the dog, "Ah, Coullie, if you had a tongue that could speak,
+I think you could tell a tale!"
+
+And Coullie looked at her with his large wise eyes full of affection;
+for she petted and cherished him for Rob's sake, and always gave him the
+largest mess at supper time.
+
+Sometimes, too, Annie had strange thoughts about Ihan; he had become
+more dark, and silent, and sulky, since Rob's death; was it because he
+was jealous of the interest she had exhibited, or was it from any other
+cause? Did he meet Rob that day on his way to Gifford? What could Rob be
+doing so much out of the road as the Quarry? These thoughts naturally
+made her more and more cold to Ihan, whilst her reserve aggrivated his
+ill-temper and dissatisfaction.
+
+And Annie was not the only person to whom these questions suggested
+themselves. People would gossip amongst themselves secretly; it got
+abroad that there had been a good deal of jealousy amongst the young
+men, and it was whispered that the first Mrs. Shiels had aptly named her
+son when she called him Ihan Dhu--Black John. At length, these reports
+reached Sandy Shiels and his son; the latter appeared sullenly
+indifferent, but they made the old man very unhappy; and every night
+when he prayed aloud with the family before retiring to rest, he
+besought God, saying, "Oh Lord if it be thy pleasure, may them that are
+innocent be justified!"
+
+At term time, when, in Scotland, servants frequently, especially farm
+servants, change their situations, the man whom Shiels had engaged in
+Donald's place left; and having heard that Donald, who had been in
+service at Dunse, was leaving also, Sandy wrote and proposed to him to
+return; the proposal was accepted, and they were expecting him, when a
+cart was heard to stop at the door, out of which they looked to see him
+alight; but the visitor proved to be an old Highland woman who
+introduced herself as Rob's grandmother--his father and mother having
+emigrated. She said she had heard the account of her boy's death, and
+the attachment displayed by the dog, and that she had come all the way
+to see the animal, and had brought the money to purchase him; if his
+master did not object. She had travelled from Argyleshire to Haddington
+by coach; and at the latter place she had hired a cart and a lad to
+drive her to her destination. She added that she and her old man "were
+no that puir but that they could afford to buy the dog that had been so
+faithful to their ain boy."
+
+Sandy Shiels and his family made her welcome; invited her to stay and
+take a day or two's repose after her journey, and granted her request
+with regard to Coullie. Annie was very much interested in the old woman;
+and the latter was deeply impressed with the circumstances the young
+girl related to her; enquiring minutely into every particular of places
+and persons connected with the boy's death. She said it was "wonderfu';"
+adding, that she had "seen" Rob's funeral,--meaning by the second
+sight--"but not the manner of his death; but she had no doubt God would
+shew it her before she died."
+
+On the third day she departed; and Sandy Shiels, who had business at
+Gifford, drove her and Annie, who wished to accompany her, in his cart.
+They started in time to meet the coach, Coullie making the fourth
+passenger; and in due time reached the village and drove up to the door
+of the Lion, where three or four men were sitting on the bench outside
+smoking and drinking beer; but the moment the cart stopped--almost
+before it had stopped--Coullie bounded out of it and with indescribable
+fury attacked one of the men. His master called him, but he was deaf to
+his voice; and so violent was his rage that it was not without the
+assistance of the others that he could draw him off. Even then, whilst
+holding him back with an iron grasp, the dog growled and shewed his
+teeth, and with flashing eyes, struggled to renew the onslaught.
+
+"Wha's that?" asked the old woman, who had witnessed the scene with
+surprise.
+
+"That's our Donald, that I told you of--he that lived with us in poor
+Rob's time," said Annie. "What a very extraordinary thing of Coullie to
+do! I never saw him in such a way before. Besides, he couldn't have
+forgotten Donald!"
+
+"Forget him!" exclaimed the old woman; "Na, na; Coullie no forgets. Mind
+ye lass; tak tent o' that man--there's bluid upon him!"
+
+Donald in the mean time had retreated into the house in search of some
+water to wash his hand that Coullie had bitten. When he came out the old
+woman and the dog had departed.
+
+But the lookers on were not uninterested observers of what had past. A
+new idea struck them; the tide of opinion was rather turned in Ihan's
+favour. However, this was but the under current of gossip. Donald went
+home with Sandy Shiels and Annie, who whatever they might have thought,
+said nothing; but after this, in the nightly prayer, Sandy not only
+besought God that the innocent might be justified; but also, that the
+guilty might be brought to repentance; and sometimes he would go
+further, dilating on the duties enjoined by a _true_ repentance; such as
+reparation, where reparation could be made; and, at all events, where it
+could not, taking the burthen of our guilt on our own shoulders, even
+though it weigh us down to death, rather than let the guiltless man
+suffer, though it were only the breath of slander.
+
+One morning, about three weeks after the departure of the old Highland
+woman, when they opened the door they found Coullie waiting to be let
+in. However, kindly treated by his new owners, he had found his way
+back; a letter arrived from them shortly afterwards, saying, they had
+missed him, and that they did not doubt that he would reach his former
+home, "and, may, be yet give testimony agen the wicked."
+
+Annie kept the contents of this epistle to herself, but it did not
+escape her eye that Donald seemed cowed by Coullie's enmity, which the
+animal never failed to exhibit as much as he durst. Moreover, as time
+passed, Donald lost his appetite and the healthy hue of his complexion;
+in short it was evident he was far from happy in his situation; and she
+thought that Sandy's significant and awful prayers were eating into his
+soul and wearing him away.
+
+Farm servants are usually hired for six months; and at last Donald gave
+warning that he should leave next term--he did not think the place
+agreed with him; so it seemed indeed; but that was the year 1832; and
+ere term time arrived, the cholera came, and seized upon Donald as one
+of its first victims in those parts.
+
+Before he died, he made his confession in presence of the doctor, to the
+effect, that he was jealous of Rob, because in the morning he and Ihan
+had overheard a conversation between him and Annie, and she had promised
+him a lock of her hair. That he met him as he was returning from
+Gilford, induced him to go out of his road towards the Quarry, by saying
+one of the sheep had fallen in, and when Rob was off his guard, he
+pushed him over; but not without a desperate struggle, Rob being very
+active and strong.
+
+He was dreadfully frightened, and ran from the place not knowing what
+would happen, and for some time he hourly expected Rob to come home. But
+at length finding he did not, he ventured to approach the spot; but
+Coullie was there and he flew at him and bit him so severely that he
+resolved to leave the country and go to the Infirmary. He had heard of
+Rob's remains being found and buried, while he was living at Dunse; and
+thinking there would be no more enquiry about the matter, he accepted
+the farmer's offer to come back, because he wanted to see Annie.
+
+And so he died, justifying the innocent, according to the old man's
+prayers; but Ihan did not long survive. Sandy said he feared he had
+taken to whiskey drinking from disappointment and vexation, and the
+cholera found him also an easy prey.
+
+
+
+
+MY FRIEND'S STORY.
+
+
+"I don't know how often you have promised to tell me a remarkable thing
+in the ghostly line, that happened to yourself," said I, the other day
+to my friend; "but something has always come in the way; now I shall be
+very much obliged to you for the particulars, if you have no objection
+to my printing the story."
+
+"None," she said, "but as regards names of persons and places; the
+circumstances are so singular that I think they deserve to be recorded.
+That part of the affair which happened to myself I vouch for; and I can
+only say that I have most entire confidence in the truth of the rest,
+and that all the enquiries I made, tended to confirm the story.
+
+"I remember your asking me once, why I so seldom visited our place in
+S----, and I told you it was because it was so dreadfully _triste_ that
+I could not inhabit it. You will perhaps suppose that what I am going to
+relate happened there, but it did not, for the house has not even the
+recommendation of being haunted--that would at least give it an
+interest--but I am sorry to say the sole interest it possesses is, that
+it happens to be ours. Dull as it is, however, we lived there shortly
+after I was married, for some time. I had no children then, which made
+it all the duller, particularly when my husband was called away; and on
+one of these occasions, some acquaintances I had, who were living at a
+place called the Bellfry, about two miles distant, invited me to visit
+them for a few days.
+
+"The Bellfry is a common place square house, just such as the doctor or
+lawyer would inhabit in a provincial town; a little white swing gate, a
+round grass plot, with a few straggling dahlias, a gravel road leading
+to the small portico, and a terrible loud bell to ring, when you want to
+be admitted. So much for the exterior. The interior is not at all more
+suggestive to the fancy. On the ground floor, there is the usual parlour
+on one side, and drawing-room on the other, with a long passage leading
+to the offices at the back; upstairs, a sort of corridor, with dingy
+bedrooms opening into it. Decidedly not lively, but perfectly prosaic,
+it was by no means calculated to inspire ghostly terrors; and, indeed, I
+must confess the supernatural, as it is called, was a subject that, at
+that time, had never engaged my attention. I mention all this to show
+you that what happened was not 'the offspring of my excited
+imagination,' as the learned always tell you these things are. Moreover,
+I was young; and, to the best of my belief, in very good health.
+
+"The room they gave me was the best. It was plainly but comfortably
+furnished, with a large four-post bed, and it looked into the
+churchyard; but this is not an uncommon prospect in country towns, and I
+thought nothing about it. Now that we understand these things better, I
+should think it not ghostly, but unhealthy.
+
+"The first two or three nights I slept there, nothing particular
+occurred; but on the fourth or fifth night, soon after I had fallen
+asleep, I was awoke by a noise which appeared very near me, and on
+listening attentively, I heard a rustling sound, and footsteps on the
+floor. I forgot for the moment that I had locked my door, and
+concluding it was the housekeeper, who sometimes looked in when I was
+going to bed, to ask if I was comfortable, I said, 'Is that you, Mrs.
+H?' But there was no answer, upon which I sat up and looked around; and
+seeing nobody, though I heard the sound still, I jumped out of bed. Then
+I observed, for if was a bright moonlight night, that there was a large
+tree in the churchyard, which grew very close to the window, and I
+concluded that a breeze had arisen, and caused the branches to touch the
+glass; so I got into bed again quite satisfied, and settled myself to
+sleep. But scarcely had I closed my eyes, when the footsteps began
+again, much too distinct this time to be mistaken for anything else; and
+whilst I was listening in amazement, I heard a heavy, heavy sigh. I had
+raised myself on my elbow, in order to have my ears freer to listen, and
+presently I saw the curtains at the foot of the bed, which were closed,
+slowly and gently opened. I saw no figure, but they were held apart,
+apparently by the two hands of some one standing there. I bounded out of
+bed, and rushed out of the room into the corridor, screaming for help.
+All who heard me, got up and came out of their rooms, to enquire what
+had happened; but I had not courage to tell the truth, I was afraid of
+giving offence, or incurring ridicule, and I said I had been awakened by
+a noise in my room, and I was afraid somebody was concealed there. They
+went in with me and searched; of course, nobody was found; and one
+suggested that it was a mouse, another that it was a dream, and so
+forth. But then, and still more the next morning, I fancied, from their
+manner, they were better acquainted with my midnight visitor than they
+chose to say. However, I changed my room, and soon after quitted the
+Bellfry, which I have never slept at since, so there concludes the
+story, so far as I am concerned; but there is a sequel to the tale.
+
+"I must tell you that I never mentioned these circumstances, because I
+knew I should only be laughed at; besides I thought it might annoy my
+hosts, as they had an idea of going abroad for some time, and it might
+have interfered with their letting the house.
+
+"Now to my sequel.
+
+"Two or three years after this occurrence, I fell desperately ill;
+first I was confined of an infant which did not survive; and then I was
+attacked with typhus fever, which raged in the neighbourhood. I was at
+death's door for eleven weeks, and not expected to recover; but you see,
+I did, _nonobstant messrs. les medicins_; but I was so long regaining my
+strength, that I was recommended to try the effects of a sea voyage.
+Even then, I could not sit up, and was lifted about like a baby; and as
+a fine lady's maid would have been of no use on board the yacht, a
+sailor's daughter from the coast was engaged to attend me; a strong,
+healthy young woman, to whom my weight was a feather. She tended me most
+faithfully, and I found her simple, truthful, and straightforward;
+insomuch, that I had thoughts of engaging her in my service permanently.
+With this view, and also because it helped to pass the time, I
+questioned her about her family, and the manner of life of her class, in
+the out of the way part of the country from which she came.
+
+"'I suppose, Mary, you've never been away from home before?'
+
+"'Oh, yes, Ma'am; I was in service as housemaid for a short time at the
+Bellfry, not far from your place, Ma'am; but I soon left that, and I
+have never been out again.'
+
+"'But why did you leave? Didn't you like the place?'
+
+"'No, Ma'am.'
+
+"'But why? Perhaps you'd too much to do?'
+
+"'No, Ma'am, it wasn't a hard place; but unpleasant things happened, and
+so I left.'
+
+"'What sort of unpleasant things?' said I, my own adventure there
+suddenly recurring to my memory.
+
+"She hesitated, and said, that perhaps it would alarm me; she had also
+made a sort of promise to her master and mistress not to talk about it,
+and she never had mentioned what happened except to her parents, in
+order to account for leaving so suddenly. I assured her that I should
+not be alarmed, and overcame her scruples, and then she told me what
+follows.
+
+"It appeared that she was engaged as housemaid at the Bellfry about two
+years before my visit there. Shortly after her arrival, her mistress
+being taken very unwell, her master went to sleep at the other side of
+the house, whilst Mary made her bed in the dressing-room, in order to
+be near at hand if the invalid required any assistance in the night. She
+had directions to keep some refreshment ready in case it was wanted, and
+towards two o'clock in the morning, her mistress saying she should like
+a little broth, Mary rose, and half drest, proceeded down stairs with a
+candle in her hand, to fetch some which she had left simmering on the
+kitchen fire. As she descended the last flight of stairs, she was a good
+deal startled at seeing a bright light issuing from the kitchen--the
+door of which was open--much brighter than could possibly proceed from
+the fire, for the whole passage was illuminated by it. Her first and
+very natural idea was that there were thieves in the house; and she was
+about to rush upstairs again to her master's room, when it occurred to
+her that one of the servants might be sitting up for some object of her
+own, and she stopt to listen, but there was not the least sound--all was
+silent. It then occurred to her that possibly something might have
+caught fire; so half-frightened, she advanced on tip-toe and peeped in,
+when, to her surprise, she saw a lady dressed in white, sitting by the
+fire, into which she was sadly and thoughtfully gazing. Her hands were
+clasped upon her knees, and two large greyhounds--beautiful dogs, said
+Mary--sat at her feet, both looking up fondly in her face. Her dress
+seemed to be of cambric or dimity, and from Mary's description, was that
+worn by ladies in the seventeenth century.
+
+"The kitchen was as bright as if illuminated by twenty candles, but this
+did not strike her she said, till afterwards; so quite reassured by the
+appearance of a lady instead of a band of robbers, it did not occur to
+her to question who she was or how she came there; and saying, 'I beg
+your pardon ma'am', she entered the kitchen, dropt a curtsey, and was
+going towards the fire, but as she advanced the vision retreated, till,
+at last, lady, chair, and dogs, glided through the closed window; and
+then the figure appeared standing erect in the garden, with its face
+close to the panes, and the eyes looking sorrowfully and earnestly on
+poor Mary.
+
+"'And what did you do then, Mary?' said I.
+
+"'Oh, ma'am, then I _fared_ to feel very queer, and I fell upon the
+floor with a scream.'
+
+"Her master heard the cry, and came down to see what was the matter.
+When she told him what she had seen, he endeavoured to persuade her it
+was all fancy; but Mary said she knew better than that; however, she
+promised not to talk of it, as it might frighten her sick mistress.
+
+"Subsequently, she met the same melancholy apparition pacing the
+corridor into which the room that I had slept in opened; and not liking
+these rencontres she gave warning and left the place.
+
+"She knew nothing more, for her home was at some distance from the
+Bellfry, which she had not since revisited: but when I had recovered my
+health and returned to that part of the country, I found, on enquiry,
+that this apparition was believed to haunt not only the house, but the
+neighbourhood; and I conversed with several people who affirmed they had
+seen her, generally alone, but sometimes accompanied by the two dogs.
+
+"One woman said she had no fear, and that she had determined if she met
+the ghost, to try and touch her, in order to ascertain if it was
+positively an apparition; she did meet her in the dusk of the evening on
+the path that runs by the high road between the Bellfry and G---- and put
+out her arm to take hold of her dress. She felt no substance, but she
+described the sensation as if she had plunged her hand into cold water.
+
+"Another person saw her go through the hedge, and he observed, that he
+could see the hedge through the figure as she glided into the field.
+
+"It is whispered that this unfortunate lady was an ancestress of the
+original proprietor of the place, who married a man she adored, contrary
+to the advice of her friends; and too late she discovered that he had
+taken her only for her money, which was needed to repair his ruined
+fortunes; he, the while being deeply enamoured of her younger sister,
+whose portion was too small for his purpose.
+
+"The sister came to live with the newly married couple; and suspecting
+nothing, the bride was some time wholly unable to account for her
+husband's mysterious conduct and total alienation. At length she
+awakened to the dreadful reality, but unable to overcome her passion,
+she continued to live under his roof, suffering all the tortures of
+jealousy and disappointed love. She shunned the world; and the world,
+who soon learnt the state of affairs, shunned her husband's society; so
+she dragged on her dreary existence with no companionship but that of
+two remarkable fine greyhounds, which her husband had given her before
+marriage. Riding or walking, she was always accompanied by these
+animals--they and their affection were all she could call her own on
+earth.
+
+"She died young; not without some suspicions that her end was
+hastened--at least, passively, by neglect, if not by more active means.
+
+"When she was gone, the husband and the sister married; but the
+tradition runs, that the union was anything but blest. It is said that
+on the wedding night, immediately after her attendant had left her,
+screams were heard proceeding from the bridal chamber; and that on going
+upstairs, the bride was found in hysterics, and the groom pale, and
+apparently horror-stricken. After a little while, they desired to be
+left alone, but in the morning it was evident that no heads had prest
+the pillows. They had past the night without going to bed, and the next
+day they left their home--she never to return. She is supposed to have
+gone out of her mind, and to have died abroad in that state, carefully
+tended by him to the last. After her decease, he returned once to the
+Bellfry, a prematurely aged, melancholy man; and after staying a few
+days, and destroying several letters and papers, to do which appeared
+the object of his visit, he went away, and was seen no more in that
+county."
+
+Alas, for poor human nature! How we are cursed in the realisation of our
+own wishes! How we struggle and sin to attain what we are never to
+enjoy!
+
+
+
+OSTELL, PRINTER, HART STREET, BLOOMSBURY.
+
+
+
+***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GHOSTS AND FAMILY LEGENDS***
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+<body>
+<h1>The Project Gutenberg eBook, Ghosts and Family Legends, by Catherine Crowe</h1>
+<p>This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at <a
+href="http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></p>
+<p>Title: Ghosts and Family Legends</p>
+<p>       A Volume for Christmas</p>
+<p>Author: Catherine Crowe</p>
+<p>Release Date: April 19, 2012  [eBook #39485]</p>
+<p>Language: English</p>
+<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p>
+<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GHOSTS AND FAMILY LEGENDS***</p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<h3>E-text prepared by Delphine Lettau, Mary Meehan,<br />
+    and the Online Distributed Proofreading Canada Team<br />
+    (http://www.pgdpcanada.net)</h3>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr class="full" />
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<h1>GHOSTS AND FAMILY LEGENDS.</h1>
+
+<h2>A VOLUME FOR CHRISTMAS.</h2>
+
+<h2>BY MRS. CROWE,</h2>
+
+<h3>AUTHORESS OF "NIGHT SIDE OF NATURE," &amp;c.</h3>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<p class="center">LONDON:<br />
+THOMAS CAUTLEY NEWBY, PUBLISHER,<br />
+WELBECK STREET, CAVENDISH SQUARE.<br />
+1859.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CONTENTS.</h2>
+
+<table summary="contents">
+<tr><td align="center"><b>FIRST PART.</b></td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td><a href="#PREFACE">PREFACE</a></td><td align="right"> <i>page</i> v</td></tr>
+<tr><td align="center"><b>ROUND THE FIRE.</b></td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td><a href="#FIRST_EVENING">FIRST EVENING</a></td><td align="right"> 1</td></tr>
+<tr><td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="smcap">The Lover's Farewell</span>.</td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>The Appointment Kept.</i></td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td><a href="#SECOND_EVENING">SECOND EVENING</a></td><td align="right"> 19</td></tr>
+<tr><td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="smcap">The White Cat</span>.</td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="smcap">Passing Spirits</span>.</td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="smcap">The Garde Chasse</span>.</td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td><a href="#THIRD_EVENING">THIRD EVENING</a> </td><td align="right">43</td></tr>
+<tr><td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="smcap">The Carrier</span>.</td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td><a href="#FOURTH_EVENING">FOURTH EVENING</a> </td><td align="right">63</td></tr>
+<tr><td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="smcap">Rehearsals, etc</span>.</td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="smcap">Prophetic Dreams</span>.</td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td><a href="#FIFTH_EVENING">FIFTH EVENING</a> </td><td align="right">81</td></tr>
+<tr><td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="smcap">The Vigil</span>.</td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="smcap">The Strange Dog</span>.</td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="smcap">The Scotch Minister</span>.</td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td><a href="#SIXTH_EVENING">SIXTH EVENING</a> </td><td align="right">93</td></tr>
+<tr><td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="smcap">The Radiant Boy</span>.</td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="smcap">The Prediction</span>.</td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="smcap">Haunted Houses</span>.</td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="smcap">The Justification</span>.</td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td><a href="#SEVENTH_EVENING">SEVENTH EVENING</a> </td><td align="right">111</td></tr>
+<tr><td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="smcap">The German Inn</span>.</td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="smcap">The Benighted Traveller</span>.</td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td><a href="#EIGHTH_EVENING">EIGHTH EVENING</a> </td><td align="right">135</td></tr>
+<tr><td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="smcap">My own Visit to a Haunted House</span>.</td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="smcap">Mr. G.'s Adventure</span>.</td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="smcap">Conclusion to First Part</span>.</td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td><a href="#APPENDIX">APPENDIX</a> </td><td align="right">149</td></tr>
+<tr><td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="smcap">Autograph Letters communicating</span></td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="smcap">Personal Experiences addressed to the Author</span>.</td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="center"><b>SECOND PART.</b></td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="center"><b>LEGENDS OF THE EARTHBOUND.</b></td><td align="right"></td></tr>
+<tr><td><a href="#THE_ITALIANS_STORY"><span class="smcap">The Italian's Story</span></a> </td><td align="right">173</td></tr>
+<tr><td><a href="#THE_DUTCH_OFFICERS_STORY"><span class="smcap">The Dutch Officer's Story</span></a> </td><td align="right">209</td></tr>
+<tr><td><a href="#THE_OLD_FRENCH_GENTLEMANS_STORY"><span class="smcap">The Old Frenchman's Story</span></a> </td><td align="right">229</td></tr>
+<tr><td><a href="#THE_SWISS_LADYS_STORY"><span class="smcap">The Swiss Lady's Story</span></a> </td><td align="right">259</td></tr>
+<tr><td><a href="#THE_SHEEP-FARMERS_STORY"><span class="smcap">The Sheep Farmer's Story</span></a> </td><td align="right">297</td></tr>
+<tr><td><a href="#MY_FRIENDS_STORY"><span class="smcap">My Friend's Story</span></a> </td><td align="right">327</td></tr>
+</table>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="PREFACE" id="PREFACE"></a>PREFACE.</h2>
+
+
+<p>It happened that I spent the last winter in a large country mansion, in
+the north of England, where we had a succession of visitors, and all
+manner of amusements&mdash;dancing, music, cards, billiards, and other games.</p>
+
+<p>Towards the end of December, 1857, however, the gaiety of the house was
+temporarily interrupted by a serious misfortune that occurred to one of
+the party, which, in the evening, occasioned us to assemble with grave
+faces round the drawing-room fire, where we fell to discussing the
+slight tenure by which we hold whatever blessings we enjoy, and the sad
+uncertainty of human life, as it affects us in its most mournful
+aspect&mdash;the lives of those we love.</p>
+
+<p>From this theme, the conversation branched out into various speculations
+regarding the great mysteries of the here and hereafter; the reunion of
+friends, and the possible interests of them that have past away in the
+well-being of those they have left behind; till it fell, naturally, into
+the relation of certain experiences which almost everybody has had, more
+or less; and which were adduced to fortify the arguments of those who
+regard the future as less disjoined from the present than it is
+considered to be by Theologians generally.</p>
+
+<p>In short, we began to tell ghost stories; and although some of the party
+professed an utter disbelief in apparitions, they proved to be as
+fertile as the believers in their contributions&mdash;relating something that
+had happened to themselves or their friends, as having undoubtedly
+occurred, or to all appearance, occurred&mdash;only, with the reservation,
+that it must certainly have been a dream.</p>
+
+<p>The substance of these conversations fills the following pages, and I
+have told the stories as nearly as possible in the words of the original
+narrators. Of course, I am not permitted to give their names; nobody
+chooses to confess, in print, that he or anybody belonging to him, has
+seen a ghost, or believes that he has seen one. There is a sort of
+odium attached to the imputation, that scarcely anyone seems equal to
+encounter; and no wonder, when <i>wise</i> people listen to the avowal with
+such strange incredulity, and pronounce you at the best a superstitious
+fool, or a patient afflicted with spectral illusions.</p>
+
+<p>Under these circumstances, whether I have ever seen a ghost, myself, I
+must decline confiding to the public; but I take almost as courageous a
+step in avowing my entire and continued belief in the fact that others
+do occasionally see these things; and I assert, that most of those who
+related the events contained in the ensuing pages of this work,
+confessed to me their absolute conviction that they or their friends had
+actually seen and heard what they said they did.</p>
+
+<p>Some of the company related curious traditions and legends connected
+with their family annals; and these form the second part of this little
+book, which I hope may prove a not uninteresting companion for a
+Christmas fireside.</p>
+
+<p class="right">CATHERINE CROWE.</p>
+
+<p>15th <i>October</i>, 1858.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>GHOST STORIES<br />
+AND<br />
+FAMILY LEGENDS.</h2>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>ROUND THE FIRE.</h2>
+
+<h2><a name="FIRST_EVENING" id="FIRST_EVENING"></a>FIRST EVENING.</h2>
+
+
+<p>"But there are no ghosts now," objected Mr. R.</p>
+
+<p>"Quite the contrary," said I; "I have no doubt there is nobody in this
+circle who has not either had some experience of the sort in his own
+person, or been made a confidant of such experiences by friends whose
+word on any other subject he would feel it impossible to doubt."</p>
+
+<p>After some discussion on the existence of ghosts and cognate subjects,
+it was agreed that each should relate a story, restricting himself to
+circumstances that had either happened to himself or had been told him
+by somebody fully entitled to confidence, who had undergone the
+experience.</p>
+
+<p>We followed the order in which we were sitting, and Miss P. began as
+follows:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"I was some years ago engaged to be married to an officer in the &mdash;&mdash;
+regiment. Circumstances connected with our families prevented the union
+taking place as early as we had expected; and in the mean while Captain
+S., whose regiment was in the West Indies, was ordered to join. I need
+not say that this separation distressed us a good deal, but we consoled
+each other as well as we could by maintaining a constant correspondence;
+though there were no steam packets in those days, and letters were much
+longer on their way and less certain in their arrival than they are now.
+Still I heard pretty regularly, and had no reason for the least
+uneasiness.</p>
+
+<p>"One day that I had been out shopping, and had returned rather tired, I
+told my mother that I should go and lie down for an hour, for we were
+going out in the evening, and I was afraid I might have a head-ache, to
+which I am rather subject; so I went up to my room, took down a book and
+threw myself on the bed to read or sleep as it might happen. I had read
+a page or two, and feeling drowsy had laid down the volume in order to
+compose myself to sleep, when I was aroused by a knock at my chamber
+door.</p>
+
+<p>"'Come in,' I said, without turning my head, for I thought it was the
+maid come to fetch the dress I was going to wear in the evening.</p>
+
+<p>"I heard the door open and a person enter, but the foot was not her's;
+and then I looked round and saw that it was Captain S. What came over me
+then I can't tell you. I knew little of mesmerism at that period, but I
+have since thought that when a spirit appears, it must have some power
+of mesmerising the spectator; for I have heard other people who had been
+in similar situations describe very much what I experienced myself. I
+was perfectly calm, not in the least frightened or surprised, but
+transfixed. Of course, had I remained in my normal state, I should
+either have been amazed at seeing Captain S. so unexpectedly, especially
+in my chamber; or if I believed it an apparition, I should have been
+dreadfully distressed and alarmed; but I was neither; and I can't say
+whether I thought it himself or his ghost. I was passive, and my mind
+accepted the phenomenon without question of how such at thing could be.</p>
+
+<p>"Captain S. approached the bedside, and spoke to me exactly as he was
+in the habit of doing, and I answered him in the same manner. After the
+first greeting, he crossed the room to fetch a chair that stood by the
+dressing table. He wore his uniform, and when his back was turned, I
+remember distinctly seeing the seams of his coat behind. He brought the
+chair, and having seated himself by the bed side, he conversed with me
+for about half-an-hour; he then rose and looking at his watch, said his
+time had expired and he must go; he bade me good bye and went out by the
+same door he had entered at.</p>
+
+<p>"The moment it closed on him, I knew what had happened; if my hypothesis
+be correct, his power over me ceased when he disappeared and I returned
+to my normal state. I screamed, and seized the bell rope which I rang
+with such violence that I broke it. My mother, who was in the room
+underneath, rushed up stairs, followed by the servants. They found me on
+the floor in a fainting state, and for some time I was unable to
+communicate the cause of my agitation. At length, being somewhat calmed,
+I desired the servants might leave the room, and then I told my mother
+what had happened. Of course, she thought it was a dream; in vain I
+assured her it was not, and pointed to the chair which, wonderful to
+say, had been actually brought to the bedside by the spirit&mdash;there it
+stood exactly as it had been placed by him; luckily nobody had moved it.
+I said, you know where that chair usually stands; when you were up here
+a little while ago it was in its usual place&mdash;so it was when I lay
+down&mdash;I never moved it; it was placed there by Captain S.</p>
+
+<p>"My mother was greatly perplexed; she found me so confident and clear;
+yet, the thing appeared to her impossible.</p>
+
+<p>"From that time, I only thought of Captain S. as one departed from this
+life; suspense and its agonies were spared me. I was certain.
+Accordingly, about a month afterwards, when one morning Major B. of the
+---- regiment sent in his card, I said to my mother, 'Now you'll see; he
+comes to tell me of Henry's death.'</p>
+
+<p>"It was so. Captain S. had died of fever on the day he paid me that
+mysterious visit."</p>
+
+<p>We asked Miss P. if any similar circumstance had ever occurred to her
+before or since.</p>
+
+<p>"Never," she answered; "I never saw anything of the sort but on that
+occasion."</p>
+
+<p>"I have no experience of my own to relate," said Dr. W., "but in the
+course of my late tour in Scotland, I went amongst other places to Skye,
+and I found the whole island talking of an event that had just happened
+there, which may perhaps interest you. There was a tradesman in Portree
+of the name of Robertson; I believe he was a sort of general dealer, as
+shopkeepers frequently are in those remote localities. Whatever his
+business was, however, it frequently took him to the other islands or
+the mainland to make purchases. He had arranged to go on one of these
+expeditious, I think to Raasa, when a friend called to inform him that a
+meeting of the inhabitants was to be held on some public question in
+which he, Robertson, was much interested."</p>
+
+<p>"'You had better defer going till after Friday,' said Mr. Brown; 'we
+can't do without you, and its very possible you may not get back in
+time.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Oh, yes, I can do all my business, and be back very well on Thursday,'
+said Mr. Robertson; objecting that if he waited over Friday it would be
+no use going till Monday. Brown tried to persuade him to alter his
+plans, but in vain; 'however,' said he, 'you may rely on seeing me on
+Thursday, if you'll look in, in the evening; as I would not miss the
+meeting on any account.'</p>
+
+<p>"This conversation took place at an early hour on Tuesday morning.
+Immediately afterwards Mr. Robertson bade his wife and children
+good-bye, and proceeded to the boat which left at eleven o'clock, having
+on board, besides himself, two other passengers, and two boatmen.</p>
+
+<p>"On Thursday evening, Mr. Brown, who had been busying himself in
+fortifying and encouraging their adherents against the next day, and had
+taken upon himself to answer for his friend Robertson's presence, as
+soon as he had finished business, set off to keep his appointment with
+the latter, anxious to ascertain that he was arrived.</p>
+
+<p>"His anxiety was soon relieved, for on his way he met him.</p>
+
+<p>"'Well, here you are,' said he, holding out his hand.</p>
+
+<p>"'Yes,' answered Robertson, not appearing to notice the hand, 'I have
+kept my promise.'</p>
+
+<p>"Upon that Mr. Brown introduced the subject of the meeting, and
+mentioned the hopes he had of carrying the question, with which
+Robertson seemed satisfied; but as soon as possible turning the
+conversation into another direction, he began talking to his friend
+about his wife and children, and certain arrangements he had wished to
+be made respecting his property.</p>
+
+<p>"His mind seemed so much more engrossed with these matters than the
+meeting, that little was said upon the latter subject, and Mr. Brown,
+having parted with him in the street, rather wondered why he chose such
+a moment to discuss his private affairs.</p>
+
+<p>"The next morning, at the appointed hour, the principal inhabitants of
+the place assembled in a public room at the Tun. Brown, who wanted to
+say a word to Robertson, lingered at the door; but as he did not come,
+he thought he must have arrived before himself, and went up stairs.</p>
+
+<p>"'Is Robertson here?' said he, on entering the room.</p>
+
+<p>"'No,' said one, 'I'm afraid he's not come back from Raasa.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Oh, yes,' said Brown, 'he'll be here; I saw him yesterday evening.'</p>
+
+<p>"They then discoursed about the matter in hand for some time, till
+finding the chairman was about to proceed to business, Robertson's
+absence was again reverted to.</p>
+
+<p>"'I know he's come back,' said one, 'for I saw him standing at his own
+door as I passed last night.'</p>
+
+<p>"'He can't have forgotten it,' said another.</p>
+
+<p>"'Certainly not, for we spoke of it last night,' said Brown.</p>
+
+<p>"'Perhaps he's ill,' suggested somebody.</p>
+
+<p>"'Just send your man to Mr. Robertson's, and say we are waiting for
+him,' said Brown to the landlord.</p>
+
+<p>"The landlord left the room to do so; and, in the meantime, they
+proceeded to business.</p>
+
+<p>"Presently, the landlord re-entered the room, saying, that Mrs.
+Robertson answered that her husband had not returned from Raasa, and
+that she did not much expect he would be back till night.</p>
+
+<p>"'Nonsense,' cried Brown, 'Why, I saw the man yesterday according to
+appointment, and had a long conversation with him.'</p>
+
+<p>"'I am sure he's come back,' said one who had spoke before. 'I was
+coming down the street on the other side of the way, and I saw him
+standing at the door with his apron on. I should have crossed over to
+speak to him, but I was in a hurry.'</p>
+
+<p>"'It's extraordinary,' said the landlord: 'Mrs. Robertson declares he's
+not come.'</p>
+
+<p>"Some jokes were then passed about the apparent defection of Robertson
+from his spouse, and the meeting concluded their business without him,
+his party being exceedingly annoyed at his absence, which they thought
+not fair to the cause.</p>
+
+<p>"'He should have given us his support.'</p>
+
+<p>"'I suppose he has altered his opinions.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Then he had better have said so.'</p>
+
+<p>"'It struck me, certainly, that he was rather lukewarm on the subject
+when I talked to him last night; but on Tuesday I saw him just before he
+started, and he said he would not miss the meeting on any account. I'll
+go and look after him and know what he means.'</p>
+
+<p>"Accordingly, Brown proceeded to his friend's house, and found Mrs.
+Robertson and her children at dinner.</p>
+
+<p>"'Weel," Mr. Brown,' she said, 'so your meeting's over.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Aye,' said he, 'but where's Robertson? Why didn't he keep his word
+with us?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Why, you see, I dare say he meant to be back&mdash;indeed, I know he did:
+but business won't be neglected, and I suppose he could not manage it.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Do you mean to say he's not come back!' said Brown.</p>
+
+<p>"'Sure, I do,' answered Mrs. R. 'Of course, he'd have been at the
+meeting if he had.'</p>
+
+<p>"'But people saw him last night, standing at his own door,' answered the
+cautious Brown.</p>
+
+<p>"'Na, na, Mr. Brown, don't you believe that,' said Mrs. R., laughing;
+they that say that had too much whiskey in their een.'</p>
+
+<p>"The children laughed at the idea of anybody seeing their father when he
+was at Raasa, and on the whole it was evident, that if John Robertson
+had returned, it was unknown to his family. But what could be his reason
+for so strange a proceeding, and why, if he wanted to evade the meeting,
+had he needlessly shown himself at all? Why not really stay away from
+Portree?</p>
+
+<p>"However, Robertson did not appear; and later in the day the landlord of
+the Tun said to Brown, as he was passing the door, 'You must have been
+mistaken about seeing Mr. Robertson; the boat from Raasa is not come
+in.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Then he must have come over by some other, for I not only saw him but
+walked and talked with him. I can't think what he can mean by playing
+at Hide and Seek in this way?'</p>
+
+<p>"'It's very extraordinary,' said the landlord, 'for I am expecting a
+hamper from Raasa; and so, hearing from you that Mr. Robertson was come,
+I went down to inquire about it; but they declare no boat of any sort
+has come in these two days; the wind's right against them.'</p>
+
+<p>"'I know the boat from Raasa is not come back,' said the porter; 'for I
+saw Jenny McGill just now, and she says her husband is not returned.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Really you'll persuade me that I'm not in my right senses,' said the
+perplexed Brown. 'If ever I saw Robertson in my life I saw him last
+night; I was going to call upon him, as he had asked me to do so before
+he went away; but I met him, not far from my own house; and what is
+more, he told me of a thing I did not know before, regarding a purchase
+he had made, and spoke of what he intended to do with it.'</p>
+
+<p>"'It's most extraordinary,' said the landlord.</p>
+
+<p>"'Eh, sirs,' said an old fishwife, who was standing by, 'I wish it may
+not be John Robertson's ghaist that ye saw, for the wind's sair agin
+them, and I'd a bad dream about Jamie McGill last night.'</p>
+
+<p>"They all laughed; but this was the first suggestion of the sort that
+had been made; and though he would not confess it, Brown began to feel
+rather uncomfortable; the more so as several things were recalled to his
+memory that had not struck him at the time. He remembered that Robertson
+had avoided shaking hands with him, either on meeting or parting, as was
+his wont; he had even then been struck with the grave tone of his
+conversation, and with his choosing that particular moment for pressing
+on his friend's attention what did not appear to have any urgent
+interest at present. Then it occurred to him that he looked ill and
+sad&mdash;he had attributed this to fatigue; but now, putting everything
+together, he could not help feeling a considerable degree of uneasiness.
+He kept hovering about Robertson's house, and from that to the shore all
+day; went to bed at night quite nervous; and by the next afternoon the
+alarm had spread and become universal. It was not without cause.</p>
+
+<p>"John Robertson never came back; the boat had been lost&mdash;how, was not
+known, as all on board had perished. However, Mr. Brown took upon
+himself to be the friend and guardian of the bereaved family; and the
+information he received in that melancholy interview he was enabled to
+turn much to the advantage of their circumstances."</p>
+
+<p>"A very remarkable story," said I.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes," answered Dr. W. "very remarkable indeed, if true."</p>
+
+<p>"And is it not true," I said, "remember, we are upon honour; I should
+think it a very ill compliment if any one attempted to mystify us with
+an invented story."</p>
+
+<p>"I did not invent it, I assure you," replied Dr. W.; "I give it you as
+it was given to me on the spot. If you ask me if I believe it, I can't
+say I do."</p>
+
+<p>"Do you think the people who told you believed it?"</p>
+
+<p>"They certainly appeared to do so."</p>
+
+<p>"And did it seem generally believed?"</p>
+
+<p>"I can't say but it did; but of course, one must have wonderfully strong
+evidence before one could believe such a thing as that."</p>
+
+<p>"Granted; but unless you had seen the thing yourself, you cannot have
+stronger evidence of a phenomenon of that description, than that it was
+believed by those who had good reason to know the grounds of their
+belief. They were able to judge how far Mr. Brown was worthy of credit;
+and they had the advantage of having witnessed his demeanour at the
+public meeting, when he asserted that he had walked and talked with
+Robertson, at a time he could not possibly know if he was telling a lie,
+that the man would not sooner or later return to confute him. Besides,
+as far as we see, it would have been a useless and wicked lie, inasmuch
+as it was calculated to make the man's family very uneasy. His
+subsequent conduct does not at all countenance the persuasion that he
+was capable of such a proceeding.'</p>
+
+<p>"Certainly not; but you know the Scotch are very superstitious."</p>
+
+<p>"I can't agree with you; the higher and lower classes of the towns are
+exactly similar in that respect to the same classes of England. In all
+countries the lower classes are more disposed to put faith in these
+things, because they believe in their traditions and adhere to the axiom
+that seeing is believing. The higher classes, on the other hand, are
+carefully educated not to believe in such traditions and to reject the
+axiom that seeing is believing, if the thing seen is a ghost. Now I
+freely admit, that our senses often deceive us, and that we think we see
+what we do not; every body with the slightest intelligence has, I
+suppose, learnt to distrust his own senses to a certain extent; but why
+on one particular point we should reject their evidence altogether, I
+never could understand."</p>
+
+<p>"You have heard, I suppose of spectral illusions?" said the Doctor.</p>
+
+<p>"Of course I have, and admit their existence; but we have so many cases
+on our side, that doctrine will not cover, and it is so impossible for
+you to prove that any particular case of ghost seeing falls under that
+head, that it is no use discussing the subject. It complicates the
+difficulty I confess, but can never decide the question. I was going to
+say, however, that the shopkeepers and middle classes of Scotland are
+anything but what you mean by superstitious&mdash;the class to whom Brown and
+Robertson belong, is the most hardheaded, argumentative, and matter of
+fact in the kingdom; and their religion, which is eminently
+unimaginative, so far from inducing a belief in ghosts, would have a
+precisely opposite tendency, because ghosts do not form an article of
+belief in either the longer or shorter catechism. In the remoter
+districts of the Highlands, the people are said to have more of what you
+would call superstition; but the same peculiarity is remarked in all
+mountainous regions; and as it has never been satisfactorily accounted
+for, we will not enter into the discussion now."</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>ROUND THE FIRE.</h2>
+
+<h2><a name="SECOND_EVENING" id="SECOND_EVENING"></a>SECOND EVENING.</h2>
+
+
+<p>"After the doctor's story, I fear mine will appear too trifling," said
+Mrs. M., "but as it is the only circumstance of the kind that ever
+happened to myself, I prefer giving it you to any of the many stories I
+have heard.</p>
+
+<p>"About fifteen years ago, I was staying with some friends at a
+magnificent old seat in Yorkshire, and our host being very much crippled
+with the gout, was in the habit of driving about the park and
+neighbourhood in a low pony phaeton, on which occasions, I often
+accompanied him. One of our favourite excursions was to the ruins of an
+old abbey just beyond the park, and we generally returned by a
+remarkably pretty rural lane leading to the village, or rather, small
+town of C.</p>
+
+<p>"One fine summer's evening we had just entered this lane, when seeing
+the hedges full of wild flowers, I asked my friend to let me alight and
+gather some; I walked on before the carriage picking honeysuckles and
+roses as I went along, till I came to a gate that led into a field. It
+was a common country gate, with a post on each side, and on one of these
+posts sat a large white cat, the finest animal of the kind I had ever
+seen; and as I have a weakness for cats, I stopt to admire this sleek,
+fat puss, looking so wonderfully comfortable in a very uncomfortable
+position; the top of the post on which it was sitting, with its feet
+doubled up under it, being out of all proportion to its body, for no
+Angola ever rivalled it in size.</p>
+
+<p>"'Come on, gently,' I called to my friend, 'here's such a magnificent
+cat!' for I feared the approach of the phaeton would startle it away
+before he had seen it.</p>
+
+<p>"'Where?' said he, pulling up his horse opposite the gate.</p>
+
+<p>"'There,' said I, pointing to the post, 'Isn't it a beauty; I wonder if
+it would let me stroke it!'</p>
+
+<p>"'I see no cat,' said he.</p>
+
+<p>"'There on the post,' said I, but he declared he saw nothing, though
+puss sat there in perfect composure during this colloquy.</p>
+
+<p>"'Don't you see the cat, James,' said I, in great perplexity to the
+groom.</p>
+
+<p>"'Yes, ma'am; a large white cat on that post.'</p>
+
+<p>"I thought my friend must be joking, or else losing his eye-sight, and I
+approached the cat, intending to take it in my arms, and carry it to the
+carriage; but as I drew near, she jumped off the post, which was natural
+enough&mdash;but to my surprise she jumped into nothing&mdash;as she jumped she
+disappeared! no cat in the field&mdash;none in the lane&mdash;none in the ditch!</p>
+
+<p>"'Where did she go, James?'</p>
+
+<p>"'I don't know, ma'am, I can't see her,' said the groom, standing up in
+his seat, and looking all round.</p>
+
+<p>"I was quite bewildered; but still I had no glimmering of the truth; and
+when I got into the carriage again, my friend said he thought I and
+James were dreaming, and I retorted that I thought he must be going
+blind.</p>
+
+<p>"I had a commission to execute as we passed through the town, and I
+alighted for that purpose at the little haberdasher's; and while they
+were serving me, I mentioned that I had seen a remarkably beautiful cat
+sitting on a gate in the lane; and asked if they could tell me who it
+belonged to, adding, it was the largest cat I ever saw.</p>
+
+<p>"The owners of the shop, and two women who were making purchases,
+suspended their proceedings, looked at each other, and then looked at
+me, evidently very much surprised.</p>
+
+<p>"'Was it a white cat, ma'am?' said the mistress.</p>
+
+<p>"'Yes, a white cat; a beautiful creature and&mdash;'</p>
+
+<p>"'Bless me!' cried two or three, 'the lady's seen the <i>White Cat of C.</i>
+It hasn't been seen these twenty years.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Master wishes to know if you'll soon be done, ma'am? The pony is
+getting restless,' said James.</p>
+
+<p>"Of course, I hurried out, and got into the carriage, telling my friend
+that the cat was well known to the people at C., and that it was twenty
+years old.</p>
+
+<p>"In those days, I believe, I never thought of ghosts, and least of all
+should I have thought of the ghost of a cat; but two evenings
+afterwards, as we were driving down the lane, I again saw the cat in the
+same position, and again my companion could not see it, though the groom
+did. I alighted immediately, and went up to it. As I approached, it
+turned its head, and looked full towards me with its soft, mild eyes,
+and a kindly expression, like that of a loving dog; and then, without
+moving from the post, it began to fade gradually away, as if it were a
+vapour, till it had quite disappeared. All this the groom saw as well as
+myself; and now there could be no mistake as to what it was. A third
+time, I saw it in broad daylight, and my curiosity greatly awakened, I
+resolved to make further inquiries amongst the inhabitants of C., but
+before I had an opportunity of doing so, I was summoned away by the
+death of my eldest child, and I have never been in that part of the
+world since. However, I once mentioned the circumstance to a lady who
+was acquainted with that neighbourhood, and she said she had heard of
+the White Cat of C., but had never seen it.</p>
+
+<p>"But as you may not think this story very interesting since it only
+relates to a cat, I will, if you please, tell you another, in which I
+was concerned, although I saw nothing myself."</p>
+
+<p>"We shall be very happy," I said, "but I am far from thinking your story
+wanting in interest, in fact, to me it has a very peculiar interest.
+There are few friends so sincere as the animals who have loved us, and
+none that I, for my part, more earnestly desire to see again. I have had
+two dogs, in my life, who contributed much to my happiness while they
+lived, and never caused me a sorrow till they died. Besides, there is a
+deep mystery in the being of these creatures, which proud man never
+seeks to unravel, or condescends to speculate on. What is their relation
+to the human race? Why are these spiritual germs embodied in those forms
+and made subject to man, that hard and cruel master! who assumes to be
+their superior, because he is endowed with some higher faculties, the
+most of which he grossly misuses. How beautiful are their characters
+when studied? how wonderful their intelligence when cultivated? how
+willing they are to serve us when kindly treated? But man, by his
+cruelty, ignorance, laziness, and want of judgment, spoils their temper,
+blunts their intelligence, deteriorates their nature, and then punishes
+them for being what he himself has made them. Well might Chalmers
+exclaim, 'All nature groans beneath the cruelty of man.' Why are these
+creatures, sinless, as far as we see, placed here as the subjects of
+this barbarous, unthinking tyrant? That has always appeared to me a
+solemn question."</p>
+
+<p>After this little digression, Mrs. M. continued as follows:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"I had been travelling on the continent, and was staying at Brussels on
+my way home. The bedroom I occupied was within another, in which slept
+my faithful maid, Rachel, and one of my children. I had been in bed
+sometime, and had not been to sleep, when I heard Rachel's voice, saying
+something which I did not distinctly hear, and before I could ask what
+it was, she uttered a cry that immediately brought me to her bedside. I
+found her in a state of violent agitation, and as soon as she was
+composed enough to speak, she told me that she had not been long in bed
+when she heard a voice call her, which she supposed to be mine, and
+immediately afterwards, in the glass which was opposite the foot of the
+bed, she saw a figure in white, enter and proceed to the other end of
+the room. She concluded it was me in my night dress, and that I had only
+mentioned her name to ascertain if she was awake, fearing to disturb the
+child, who was restless, she lay still, and did not answer. The figure
+went back through the door, but presently returned again, and seemed to
+be looking about for something, whereupon she half sat up in bed; when
+it approached, and laid its hand heavily on her knee, there was
+something painful in the pressure, and she exclaimed, 'Oh, don't do that
+ma'am!' but she had scarcely uttered the words when she discerned the
+features, and saw it was her sister. The phantom looked sadly at her,
+and then retreating to the opposite corner, disappeared. This
+circumstance, in spite of my arguments and suggestions that it was a
+dream, made a very painful impression on her; she felt sure some
+misfortune had happened, and so it proved; her sister had died on that
+night, leaving a family of young children, about whom, in her last
+moments, she was very anxious."</p>
+
+<p>"Cases of that sort are very numerous," said Lady A., "I know of two
+which I can give upon perfectly good authority. A friend of mine was
+sitting a few years since in the drawing room at her country seat; there
+was a door at each end, leading to other rooms, both of which were open.
+A slight rustle caused her to raise her eyes from her work, when she saw
+her nephew enter at one door, walk straight through, and out at the
+other. The young man was at college, and she had no reason to expect
+him then, but concluding some unforeseen business had brought him, and
+that he was in search of her, she called&mdash;'Arthur, here I am,' and
+pursued him into the adjoining room, and then into the hall. Receiving
+no answer, and not being able to find him in any direction, she rang for
+the servants, and inquired where he was; but they did not know; they had
+seen nothing of him. She insisted he had arrived, and he was sought for
+all over the house and grounds in vain. The thing remained perfectly
+incomprehensible, till the post brought a letter, announcing that the
+young man had been drowned on that day.</p>
+
+<p>"Another instance, equally well established, is that of Dr. C., of
+Dublin. He resided with his family some few miles from the city, I
+believe, at or near Howth, and when he returned in the evening after
+visiting his patients, he frequently, to save time, took a short cut
+across some sands, which in certain states of the tide were not always
+safe. Mrs. C. had often entreated him to relinquish this practice, and
+take the more circuitous way; but he thought he was too well acquainted
+with the place to run any danger. One evening that they were expecting
+him, as usual, to dinner, his brother, who was standing at the window,
+saw him arrive; he rode a white horse, and was therefore a conspicuous
+object. When the dinner hour came, as he had not appeared in the drawing
+room, his brother and Mrs. C., to whom the latter had mentioned having
+seen him, desired the servants to seek him in his dressing room, and ask
+if he was ready. He was not in his room, nor was he any where to be
+found; neither had any of the servants seen him, nor was his horse in
+the stable. Mr. C., however, confident of his arrival, suggested that he
+might be gone to visit some sick person in the neighbourhood; so they
+waited. But in vain; news presently arrived that horse and man had been
+drowned that evening in crossing the sands."</p>
+
+<p>There was scarcely any one present unacquainted with examples of this
+kind of appearance amongst their family or friends, but Captain L.
+related to us a case still more curious and unaccountable that had
+happened to himself in India when he was in the Himalaya.</p>
+
+<p>"I was just finishing my breakfast one morning," said he, "when my
+servant entered and announced a visitor. It was Captain P. B. of ours,
+who came to invite me to a game of billiards. Our billiard-room was
+situated about a mile beyond my quarter, and Captain B., who lived at
+the other extremity, had to pass my residence to go to it.</p>
+
+<p>"'Are you going up there now?' I said.</p>
+
+<p>"'Yes,' said he; 'will you come?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Why, I can't come directly,' I answered; 'for I have a letter to write
+first; but if you'll go on, I'll join you presently.'</p>
+
+<p>"He left me, and as soon as I had written my letter, I started for the
+billiard-room. When I entered it, Captain P. B. was not there, nor,
+indeed, anybody but the marker&mdash;which was not surprising, as it was
+earlier than we usually went there.</p>
+
+<p>"'Where's Captain B?' I said.</p>
+
+<p>"'Don't know, sir; he has not been here yet.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Not been here?'</p>
+
+<p>"'No, sir, not to-day.'</p>
+
+<p>"Thinking, that as I was not ready, he had filled up the interval by
+going somewhere else, I began knocking about the balls; every now and
+then looking out of the window, expecting to see him approach; but when
+this had lasted upwards of two hours, I began to be rather impatient,
+and was just thinking of going away, when I saw him approaching with his
+wife in an open carriage from an opposite direction.</p>
+
+<p>"'A pretty fellow you are, to keep me kicking my heels here waiting for
+you,' said I, as he entered the room.</p>
+
+<p>"'Keep you waiting!' he said; 'I have not kept you waiting.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Why, I've been here these two hours and more.'</p>
+
+<p>"'How was I to know that; I did not know you were coming up here.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Why, I told you I'd come as soon as I had finished my letter.'</p>
+
+<p>"'My dear fellow, what are you talking about?' exclaimed my friend, in
+evident surprise; 'when did you tell me so? I don't recollect making any
+appointment to meet you to-day.'</p>
+
+<p>"'What! not this morning, as you were passing my quarter?' said I,
+amazed in my turn. 'Didn't you ask me to come and play a game at
+billiards; and didn't I tell you I'd come as soon as I had finished my
+letter? and I did.'</p>
+
+<p>"P. B. looked at me as if he thought I'd suddenly become insane; but as
+I suppose my countenance did not confirm that impression, he said,
+'Here's some mistake; when do you suppose I made this appointment with
+you?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Suppose!' I answered, rather indignant; 'what do you mean by
+<i>suppose</i>? Didn't you come into my quarter about three hours ago, just
+as I was finishing breakfast, and ask me to come up here and play a game
+at billiards with you?'</p>
+
+<p>"'No; it must have been somebody else. Who gave you the message?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Message! there was no message,' I answered, quite bewildered. 'You
+came in yourself&mdash;you know you did. What's the use of trying to hoax
+one?'</p>
+
+<p>"'I don't know whether you are trying to hoax <i>me</i>,' replied P. B.; 'but
+upon my soul I have not been in your quarter to-day; nor have I seen you
+at all, till I entered this room. Moreover, I went with my wife at an
+early hour to breakfast with Captain D., and we are now returning
+thence; and I told the coachman to set me down here as he passed.'</p>
+
+<p>"This was most confounding; and as we were both equally positive in what
+we asserted, we left the billiard-room together, and proceeded to take
+the testimony of my servant. On being asked who he had introduced when I
+was finishing breakfast, he unhesitatingly answered, Captain B. His
+account, in short, coincided entirely with mine.</p>
+
+<p>"'Now then,' said Captain B., 'as you have your witness, you must hear
+mine,' and we went on to his quarter, where I received the most
+satisfactory and unimpeachable evidence, that what he said was correct.
+He had left home with Mrs. B. at six o'clock, and gone by appointment to
+breakfast with Captain D., who lived quite in a different direction to
+my quarter; and Captain D. afterwards testified to his never having left
+his house till he stept into the carriage with his wife.</p>
+
+<p>"This event created a great sensation at the time; and people
+endeavoured by every means to explain it away, but nobody ever could.
+Captain B. did not like it at all; and his wife and family were very
+much alarmed, but nothing ensued, and I believe he is alive and well at
+this moment."</p>
+
+<p>We next turned to Madame Von B., who said she knew so many cases of
+spiritual appearances, and occurrences of that nature, that she was
+rather perplexed by the abundance of her recollections. Amongst these
+she selected the following on account of its singularity:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"We resided a great deal on the continent before I was married, and my
+mother had a favourite maid, called Fran&ccedil;oise, who lived with her many
+years&mdash;a most trustworthy, excellent creature, in whom she had the
+greatest confidence; insomuch, that when I married, being very young and
+very inexperienced, as she was obliged to separate from me herself, she
+transferred Fran&ccedil;oise to my service, considering her better able to take
+care of me than anybody else.</p>
+
+<p>"I was living in Paris then, where Fran&ccedil;oise, who was a native of Metz,
+had some relations settled in business, whom she often used to visit.
+She was generally very chatty when she returned from these people; for I
+knew all her affairs, and through her, all their affairs; and I took an
+interest in whatever concerned her or hers.</p>
+
+<p>"One Sunday evening, after she had been spending the afternoon with this
+family, observing that she was unusually silent, I said to her, while
+she was undressing me, 'Well, Fran&ccedil;oise, haven't you anything to tell
+me? How are your friends? Has Madame Pelletier got rid of her
+<i>grippe</i>?'</p>
+
+<p>"Fran&ccedil;oise started as if I had awakened her out of a reverie, and said,
+'Oh! oui, Madame; oui, merc&eacute;; elle se porte bien aujourd'hui.'</p>
+
+<p>"'And Monsieur Pelletier and the children, are they well?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Oui, Madame, merci; ils se portent bien.'</p>
+
+<p>"These curt answers were so unlike those she generally gave me, that I
+was sure her mind was pre-occupied, and that something had happened
+since we parted in the morning; so I turned round to look her in the
+face, saying '<i>Mais, qu'avez vous donc, Fran&ccedil;oise? Qu'est ce qu'il y
+a?</i>'</p>
+
+<p>"Then I saw what I had not observed before, that she was very pale, and
+that her cheeks had a glazed look, which showed that she had been
+crying.</p>
+
+<p>"'Mais, ma bonne Fran&ccedil;oise,' I said; 'vous avez quelque chose&mdash;est il
+arriv&eacute; quelque malheur &agrave; Metz?'</p>
+
+<p>"'C'est cela, Madame,' answered Fran&ccedil;oise, who had a brother there whom
+she had not seen for several years, but to whom she still continued
+affectionately attached. His name was Beno&icirc;t, and he was in a good
+service as garde forestier to a nobleman who possessed very extensive
+estates, <i>pr&egrave;s de chez nous</i>, as Fran&ccedil;oise said. He had a wife and
+children; and some time before the period I am referring to, Fran&ccedil;oise
+had told me, with great satisfaction, that in order to make him more
+comfortable, the Prince de M&mdash;&mdash; had given Beno&icirc;t the privilege of
+gathering up all the dead wood in the forest to sell for firewood,
+which, as the estate was very large, rendered his situation extremely
+profitable. When she said 'c'est cela, Madame,' Fran&ccedil;oise, who had just
+encased me in my dressing gown, sunk into a chair, and having declared
+that she was <i>b&ecirc;te, tr&egrave;s b&ecirc;te</i>, she gave way to a hearty good cry, after
+which, being somewhat relieved, she told me the following strange
+story:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"'You remember,' she said, 'that the prince was so good as to give
+Beno&icirc;t all the dead wood of the forest&mdash;and a great thing it was for him
+and his family, as you will think, when I tell you it was worth upwards
+of two thousand francs a-year to him. In short, he was growing rich, and
+perhaps he was getting to think too much of his money and too little of
+the <i>bon Dieu</i>&mdash;at all events, this privilege which the prince gave him
+to make him comfortable, and which made him a great man amongst the
+foresters, has been the cause of a dreadful calamity.'</p>
+
+<p>"'How?' said I.</p>
+
+<p>"'We never heard anything of what had happened,' said she, till
+yesterday, when Mons. Pelletier received a letter from Beno&icirc;t's wife,
+and another from a cousin of ours, relating what I am going to tell you,
+and saying that both he and his family had wished to keep it secret; but
+that was no longer possible.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Well, and what has happened?'</p>
+
+<p>"'La chose la plus incroyable! Eh bien, Madame; it appears that one day
+last autumn, Beno&icirc;t went out in the forest to gather the dead-wood. He
+had his cart with him, and as he gathered it he bound it into faggots
+and threw it in the cart. He had extended his search this day to a
+remote part of the forest, and found himself in a spot he did not
+remember to have visited before; indeed, it was evident to him that he
+had not, or he could not have escaped seeing an old wooden cross which
+was lying on the ground, and had apparently fallen into that recumbent
+position from old age. It was such a cross as is usually set up where a
+life has been lost, whether by murder or suicide; or sometimes when
+poor wanderers are frozen to death or lost in the deep winter snows. He
+looked about for the grave, but saw no indication of one; and he tried
+to remember if any catastrophe had happened there in his time, but could
+recall none. He took up the cross and examined it. He saw that the wood
+was decayed, and it bore such marks of antiquity, that he had no doubt
+the person whose grave it had marked had died before he was born&mdash;it
+looked as if it might be a hundred years old.</p>
+
+<p>"'Eh bien,' said Fran&ccedil;oise, wiping her eyes, into which the tears kept
+starting, 'of course you will think that Beno&icirc;t, or anybody in the world
+who had the fear of God before his eyes, as he could not find the grave
+to replace it as it should be, would have laid it reverently down where
+he had found it, saying a prayer for the soul of the deceased; but,
+alas! the demon of avarice tempted him, and he had not the heart to
+forego that poor cross, but bound it up into a faggot with the rest of
+the dead wood he found there, and threw it into his cart!'</p>
+
+<p>"'Well, Fran&ccedil;oise,' said I, 'you know I am not a Catholic, but I respect
+the custom of erecting these crosses, and I do think your brother was
+very wrong; I suppose he has lost the prince's favour by such impious
+greediness.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Pire que &ccedil;a! worse than that,' she replied. 'It appears that while he
+was committing this wicked action, he felt an extraordinary chill come
+over him, which made him think that, though it had been a mild day, the
+evening must have suddenly turned very cold, and hastily throwing the
+faggot into his cart, he directed his steps homeward. But walk as he
+would, he still felt this chill down his back, so that he turned his
+head to look where the wind blew from, when he saw, with some dismay, a
+mysterious-looking figure following close upon his footsteps. It moved
+noiselessly on, and was covered with a sort of black mantle that
+prevented his discerning the features. Not liking its appearance, he
+jumped into the cart and drove home as fast as he could, without looking
+behind him; and when he got into his own farmyard he felt quite
+relieved, particularly, as when he alighted he saw no more of this
+unpleasant-looking stranger. So he began unloading his cart, taking out
+the faggots, one by one, and throwing them upon the ground; but when he
+threw down the one that contained the cross, he received a blow upon
+his face, so sharp that made him stagger and involuntarily shout aloud.
+His wife and children were close by, but there was no one else to be
+seen; and they would have disbelieved him and fancied he had
+accidentally hit himself with the faggot, but that they saw the distinct
+mark on his cheek of a blow given with an open hand. However, he went
+into supper perplexed and uncomfortable; but when he went to bed this
+fearful phantom stood by his side, silent and terrible, visible to him,
+but invisible to others. In short, madame, this awful figure haunted him
+till, in spite of his shame, he resolved to consult our cousin Jerome
+about it.'</p>
+
+<p>"But Jerome laughed, and said it was all fancy and superstition. 'You
+got frightened at having brought away this poor devil's cross, and then
+you fancy he's haunting you,' said he.</p>
+
+<p>"But Beno&icirc;t declared that he had thought nothing about the cross, except
+that it would make fire wood, and that he had no more believed in ghosts
+than Jerome; 'but now,' said he, 'something must be done. I can get no
+sleep and am losing my health; if you can't help me, I must go to the
+priest and consult him.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Why don't you take back the cross and put it where you found it,' said
+Jerome.</p>
+
+<p>"'Because I am afraid to touch it and dare not go to that part of the
+forest.'</p>
+
+<p>"'So Jerome who did not believe a word about the ghost, offered to go
+with him and replace the cross. Beno&icirc;t gladly accepted, more especially,
+as he said he saw the apparition standing even then beside him,
+apparently, listening to the conversation. Jerome laughed at the idea;
+however, Beno&icirc;t lifted the cross reverently into the cart and away they
+went into the forest. When they reached the spot, Beno&icirc;t pointed out the
+tree under which he had found it; and as he was shaking and trembling,
+Jerome took up the cross and laid it on the ground, but as he did so he
+received a violent blow from an invisible hand, and at the same moment
+saw Beno&icirc;t fall to the ground. He thought he had been struck too, but it
+afterwards appeared that he had fainted from having seen the phantom
+with its upraised hand striking his cousin. However, they left the cross
+and came away; but there was an end to Jerome's laughter, and he was
+afraid the apparition would now haunt him. Nothing of the sort happened;
+but poor Beno&icirc;t's health has been so shaken by this frightful
+occurrence that he cannot get the better of it; his friends have advised
+change of scene, and he is coming to Paris next week.'</p>
+
+<p>"This was the story Fran&ccedil;oise told me, and in a few days I heard he had
+arrived and was staying with Mons. Pelletier; but the shock had been too
+great for his nerves, and he died shortly after. They assured me that
+previous to that fatal expedition into the forest, he had been a hale,
+hearty man, totally exempt from superstitious fancies of any sort; and
+in short, wholly devoted to advancing his worldly prosperity and getting
+money."</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>ROUND THE FIRE.</h2>
+
+<h2><a name="THIRD_EVENING" id="THIRD_EVENING"></a>THIRD EVENING.</h2>
+
+
+<p>"I don't know that I could tell you anything interesting in the way of
+Ghost Stories; I have never attended to them, though I have heard a
+great many," said Colonel C.; "but I can tell you an extraordinary
+circumstance which may, perhaps, be considered of a spiritual nature,
+and which I can myself vouch for the truth of.</p>
+
+<p>"My father, when I was young, resided in the South of England&mdash;I shall
+not give the name of the place, nor of the people immediately concerned,
+if these stories are to be published; because, for anything I know, some
+persons may survive to whom the publication might give pain; I lived
+there with him and my mother and sisters. Our house was on the road
+between two large towns, situated about eight miles distant from each
+other; and though we had a little ground and a short avenue in front, we
+were not more than half a quarter of a mile from the highway. When all
+was still, we could distinctly hear the carts and carriages as they
+passed, and even distinguish by the sound of the wheels what kind of
+vehicle it was. There was a carrier that plied between these two towns,
+whom I will call Healy, and as everything we used we had from B., he was
+generally at our house three or four times a week; in short, he did our
+marketings, in a great degree; my mother giving him an order, as he
+passed, for what he was to bring back; and many a time Healy has
+smuggled a novel from the circulating library for my sisters, or done
+little commissions for me that I could not so well manage for myself.
+All this made him a popular character with us, for he was very obliging;
+but for all that, he did not bear the best of characters. It was his
+interest to be well with us, and the gentry in general, who were his
+customers; and he understood that too well to incur our ill-will; but by
+his equals and inferiors he was looked upon with a less favourable eye.
+They had nothing very positive to allege against him; but they thought
+him a hard, griping, greedy man, who was honest in his dealings with us
+because the slightest suspicion would have ruined his trade, but who
+would take an advantage when he thought no possible damage to himself
+could accrue from it. He was about forty years of age; tall, with a long
+face, prominent nose, and dark complexion; his shoulders were round, but
+his frame was wiry, and he was reputed very strong.</p>
+
+<p>"One evening, between thirty and forty years ago, towards the beginning
+of winter, we were expecting Healy&mdash;my mother was solicitous about some
+provisions she had ordered for an approaching dinner-party; and I was
+very anxious for the arrival of a cricket-bat that I wanted for use the
+day after the next. Of course, long before the time he usually arrived,
+I was looking out for him, and fancying him late; I said, 'I wondered
+Healy was not come!' Upon which my father looked at his watch, and found
+that it wanted full half-an-hour of his time, which was nine o'clock;
+sometimes, indeed, later, but never earlier. It was then exactly
+half-past eight; and before my father had returned his watch into his
+pocket, one of my sisters exclaimed, 'Here he is!' and we heard the
+wheels coming up the avenue&mdash;we should have heard him before, but two
+of my sisters were practising a duet, which was to be produced at the
+approaching festivity, and drowned the sound.</p>
+
+<p>"Thereupon, I and my mother left the room, and went towards the back
+door, where Healy had just alighted, and was bringing sundry packages
+into the kitchen.</p>
+
+<p>"'Have you got my bat, Healy?' said I.</p>
+
+<p>"'No, sir,' he replied; 'there wasn't one in the whole town the size you
+wanted; but I'll bring you one from S. as I pass to-morrow. I know
+they've got 'em there. I believe that's all, Ma'am?' he added,
+addressing my mother.</p>
+
+<p>"She said she believed it was, and was going to pay him his week's
+account, which she had asked for, but he hurried out, saying, 'Another
+time, if you please, Ma'am; I'm rather late to-night;' and he was in his
+cart and away before I had time to give him some directions in regard to
+the bat.</p>
+
+<p>"'What a hurry he's in!' I said; 'and it wants almost twenty minutes to
+nine now.'</p>
+
+<p>"'I suppose he has a great many places to stop at,' said my mother; 'if
+he don't get all his parcels delivered before people are gone to bed, he
+gets into trouble sometimes. He's a very punctual fellow certainly.'</p>
+
+<p>"We returned to the drawing-room, and resumed our occupations; and about
+half-an-hour afterwards&mdash;happening to be all silent at the moment, we
+heard a pair of light wheels and a brisk trotting horse passing in the
+road.</p>
+
+<p>"'That's farmer Gould's mare, I'm sure,' said I. 'What a famous trotter
+she is!'</p>
+
+<p>"'Yes,' said my father; 'I wish he'd part with her. I made him an offer
+the other day. I should like her for my buggy.'</p>
+
+<p>"'And what did he say? Won't he sell her?'</p>
+
+<p>"'He said nothing&mdash;he only laughed, and shook his fat sides.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Money is no object to him,' said my mother, 'he won't part with her
+unless he gets another he likes better.'</p>
+
+<p>"We breakfasted at nine o'clock, and I was getting up, and about half
+dressed, when one of my sisters burst into my room, crying, 'La! Fred.,
+such a shocking thing has happened! poor Farmer Gould was found dead in
+the road this morning; they think his horse ran away, for it's not to
+be found; and the chaise was upset and lying on its side. How lucky,
+papa did not get the mare!'</p>
+
+<p>"'Who says so?' said I.</p>
+
+<p>"'The postman;' she answered, 'he saw some labourers standing round
+something in the road; and when he came up to them, he found it was the
+chaise, and poor farmer Gould quite dead beside it!'</p>
+
+<p>"When I got down stairs I found the whole house occupied with the
+subject of this sad accident, all lamenting the good man, who was a
+general favourite, and agreeing that, for so heavy a person, a
+two-wheeled carriage was very dangerous, as a fall was almost sure to be
+fatal.</p>
+
+<p>"My father said when he had finished his letters and papers he would
+walk up to the farm, and see if he could be of any use to poor Mrs.
+Gould; I, with the curiosity of fifteen, begged to go with him; and my
+mother improved the occasion by giving the governor a serious lecture
+about his love for high-trotting horses and buggies.</p>
+
+<p>"I expected Healy with my bat about eleven o'clock, as he had nothing
+else to bring, I knew he wouldn't come up the avenue, but leave it at a
+cottage near our gate; and wishing to learn if he'd heard any
+particulars about the accident, I walked down to meet him when the hour
+approached. Presently, I saw him coming, sitting in front of his cart.</p>
+
+<p>"'Well, Healy,' I said, 'isn't this a shocking thing about poor Farmer
+Gould? You've heard he was found dead in the road this morning?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Yes, Sir, the mare ran away, and pitched him out upon his head; I
+can't say as ever I liked her myself; but I've got your bat, Master
+Frederick; a nice un too; I wouldn't come away this morning till I'd got
+it.'</p>
+
+<p>"I thanked him, and he drove on, as if he had no time to lose in gossip,
+while I was untying the string of my parcel.</p>
+
+<p>"By the time my father and I reached Gould's farm, the doctor had
+arrived from B., and we heard he was examining the body in the parlour,
+where it had been laid by the labourers who found it. The chaise, too,
+was standing near the door, just as it had been wheeled up, and the
+mare, they told us, had been found in a neighbouring field, with the
+harness hanging about her, and unhurt, except on the forehead, where
+she appeared to have had a violent blow. The farm men, standing about,
+said, that she had no doubt taken her head, and ran foul of something,
+and so pitched out Mr. Gould, and overturned the chaise; which seemed
+likely enough.</p>
+
+<p>"My father said, he should like to see Mr. Wills, the surgeon; so we
+stood about outside till he came. When he did, he looked very grave, as,
+indeed, befitted the occasion; but in answer to my father's inquiries,
+he said, that he could give no decided opinion of the cause of death
+till he had investigated the case further; and then he proceeded to
+examine the chaise, and next the horse. He then walked with us down to
+the spot where the thing had happened, and narrowly surveyed the ground;
+but he was very uncommunicative, which, as we knew him well, rather
+surprised us. He hurried away, saying, that he must prepare for the
+inquest on the following day.</p>
+
+<p>"My father went to the inquest; and I should have liked to go, too, but
+I was engaged to play a match at cricket with a few of my young
+neighbours. However, I was home first, for the inquest lasted a long
+time, and took a very unexpected turn.</p>
+
+<p>"It appeared that Mr. Wills, who was by marriage a connexion of Gould's
+wife, had suspected on the first examination of the body that the farmer
+had not come fairly by his end. It so happened that Gould had dined with
+him the last day he was at B., and had mentioned to him that he had 'at
+last got that seventy pounds that he was afraid he should never see;'
+alluding to some money that had been long owing to him; and as he spoke,
+he drew from his pocket a bundle of notes, some of which appeared to be
+of the Bank of England, and some of country banks. As soon, therefore,
+as Wills had arrived at certain conclusions, he inquired of Mrs. Gould
+if she had found his money safe.</p>
+
+<p>"In her grief and surprise it had not occurred to her to search&mdash;and
+indeed she was not aware of his having any sum of importance about him.
+They proceeded immediately to examine his pockets, but no notes were
+there; a few shillings, a silver watch, and some unconsidered trifles,
+were all that was found about him. Mr. Wills made inquiries at the
+banker's and others, at B., and by the time the inquest sat he was
+prepared to say, that there was every reason to think that Mr. Gould had
+had this money in his waistcoat pocket, where he had seen him deposit
+it, at the time he left to return home.</p>
+
+<p>"This presented quite a new view of the case to the coroner, who had
+come there without the slightest suspicion of anything beyond an
+accident. The labourers were examined as to the attitude in which they
+had discovered the body, which, they all agreed, was lying on its face;
+and indeed there were some stains from the dirt of the road, which
+testified to this being the case; yet, according to Mr. Wills, death had
+been occasioned by a terrible blow on the back of the head which had
+fractured the skull; and which, in his opinion, was inflicted by a heavy
+bludgeon. The man's hair was very thick behind; but on dividing it a
+wound was visible, from which a small quantity of blood had oozed and
+dried up.</p>
+
+<p>"After a long investigation, the inquest was adjourned for a few days in
+order that further evidence might be collected. We were all much excited
+about this affair; it formed the staple of conversation at our dinner
+party, and various were the conjectures formed as to who was the
+criminal, if criminal there were; for some thought it possible that
+Gould had fallen on his back in the first instance, and then got upon
+his legs, and fallen a second time on his face; but Mr. Wills was
+confident the death wound was not the result of a fall; and besides,
+where was the money? Then all agreed, that if he had been robbed, it was
+by no ordinary thief; it must have been by some one who knew the sum he
+had in his pocket, and who did not care for the loose silver and the
+watch.</p>
+
+<p>"'No doubt,' said my father, 'they will find out if anybody was present
+when the money was paid to him, or he may have told somebody of it, as
+he told Wills.'</p>
+
+<p>"We had so many things provided for the party, that for two or three
+days we wanted nothing of Healy and did not see him; but the servants
+having mentioned that they wanted soap for the next week's washing, my
+mother sent a note to the cottage, where he always stopt to enquire for
+orders, desiring him to bring some on his return, and also a barrel of
+beer for the use of the kitchen.</p>
+
+<p>"When I heard the cart coming up the avenue, I went to the back door, to
+have a little gossip.</p>
+
+<p>"'Well Healy,' said I, as he rolled in the barrel of beer; have you
+heard any news?'</p>
+
+<p>"'No sir,' said he.</p>
+
+<p>"'Nothing about farmer Gould?' I asked.</p>
+
+<p>"'No sir, nothing. Shall I put the beer in the cellar?' he enquired.</p>
+
+<p>"This question being answered, I said, 'Did you meet anybody on the road
+that night?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Lord, sir, I meet loads of people as I never take any notice of. I've
+enough to do to mind my own business.'</p>
+
+<p>"'You couldn't have been far off when he was attacked&mdash;for you know Mr.
+Wills says he's been killed by a blow on the back of the head, don't
+you?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Well, sir, I've heard so; but how should he know? He wasn't there, I
+suppose. Anything else wanted, sir?'</p>
+
+<p>"'I believe not, Healy,' I said; and he got into his cart and drove away
+while I went back to the drawing-room.</p>
+
+<p>"'What does Healy say?' asked my father. 'Has he heard anything new
+about this affair?'</p>
+
+<p>"'No, he says he hasn't, but he said very little and seemed rather
+sulky, I thought.'</p>
+
+<p>"'By the bye, he couldn't have been far off when the thing happened; for
+he had only been gone half-an-hour when we recognized the step of poor
+Gould's mare I recollect, and she'd soon overtake him.'</p>
+
+<p>"'So I told him; and I asked him if he had met anybody on the road that
+night, but he said he'd plenty to do to mind his own business.'</p>
+
+<p>"My father who was reading the paper at the time, looked up at me over
+his spectacles; and then fell into a reverie that lasted some minutes,
+but he said nothing; my mother observed that she thought Healy ought to
+be summoned as a witness; and my father rejoined, that no doubt he'd be
+examined.</p>
+
+<p>"On the following day the inquest was resumed; my father went early and
+had some private conversation with Mr. Wills and I waited outside
+amongst the assembled crowd, listening to their speculations and
+conjectures. Presently, the coroner arrived, and I went in with him and
+heard the whole of the evidence. That of Mr. Wills, and the labourers
+who found the body was the same as before. Then, as my father had
+conjectured, Healy was called; his face was familiar to everybody in the
+room, and there was not one I should think who was not struck with the
+singularly sulky, dogged expression his features had assumed. There was
+no manifest reason for it, for he was only summoned like other
+witnesses, and no breath of suspicion had been cast upon him; at least,
+as far as we had heard. But he evidently came in a spirit of resistance
+and wound up for self-defence. He declared that he had not overtaken Mr.
+Gould on the night in question, and did not know he was on the road; nor
+did he hear anything of what had happened till the next morning. He
+believed he had met some tramps on the road that night&mdash;two men and a
+woman&mdash;but he had not particularly noticed them, and he did not
+recollect meeting anybody else. He had first heard of the accident at a
+shop where he had gone to buy a bat for Master C. When he said this, he
+looked up at me and our eyes met. I have often thought of that look
+since.</p>
+
+<p>"The next witness was Mr. F., who had paid Gould the seventy pounds in
+notes; and then a Mr. H. B., a solicitor, came forward and volunteered
+the following evidence, which, he said, he should have given before, but
+that he had left home on the afternoon preceding this unfortunate
+business, and had only returned yesterday. He was acquainted with Gould;
+and had met him at the door of the bank at B&mdash;&mdash;, as he himself was on
+his way to the coach that was starting for E. Gould spoke to him, and
+said he had just got that seventy pounds; and when he said so, he clapt
+his hand on his pocket, implying it was there. He said, 'I came to pay
+it in here, but I see they're shut, and it does not signify; I shall
+have to pay away a good deal of it next week;' this was all that passed,
+as I told him I must be off for I should lose the coach. Upon this, he
+was asked if anybody else had been present when Gould made this
+communication. He answered, that people had been passing to and fro, but
+he could not say whether they heard it. There was one person who he
+thought might, though he could not affirm that he did; and that was
+Healy, the carrier, who was standing at the door of the tanner's shop,
+which is next to the bank, and examining some cricket bats that he had
+in his hand. Gould had spoken loud, as was his wont.</p>
+
+<p>"I saw Mr. Wills and my father exchange looks when this evidence was
+given, and then for the first time the question occurred to me, could
+Healy be the murderer? I could hardly entertain the suspicion&mdash;it is so
+difficult to believe such a thing of a person one is having constant
+intercourse with. Healy was recalled and asked if he remembered seeing
+Mr. Gould and the lawyer together on that day. He declared he did not.</p>
+
+<p>"The harness was afterwards produced; and it appeared that the traces
+had been cut, which was a strong confirmation of the worst suspicions.</p>
+
+<p>"The inquest was once more adjourned; and Healy plied his trade as usual
+for the next two days, though everybody had a strange feeling towards
+him; and he retained his dogged, sulky look; on the third night we
+missed him. We had expected a parcel from B&mdash;&mdash;, but he did not come;
+and the next day we heard he had been arrested on suspicion of being the
+murderer of Mr. Gould. A gentleman's servant, who had been out without
+leave to some festivity at B&mdash;&mdash;, and had come home and got in at the
+pantry window without being discovered, at last came forward, and said,
+that as he was going to the rendezvous, he had seen a cart, which he
+believed to be Healy's, though it was very dark, drawn right across the
+road; the horse was out of the shafts and tied to a gate, for he nearly
+ran against him; he did not see any person with the cart, but the driver
+might be behind it. It was just where there are some large trees
+over-hanging the road, which made it darker than in other parts; and a
+person driving would not see the obstruction till he was on it. He
+himself, thinking it was Healy, slipt quietly by, for he did not want to
+be recognised, as the carrier often came to his master's, and might have
+betrayed him. He met a one-horse carriage about a couple of miles
+further on; the horse was trotting pretty fast. He thought it was Mr.
+Gould, but he could not positively say, as the night was so dark.</p>
+
+<p>"The spot described was precisely where Mr. Gould's body was found; and
+the man added, that it struck him when he met the gig, that if the cart
+had not moved out of the way, there would be an accident, and he should
+have warned the driver to look out, if he had not been upon a lark
+himself.</p>
+
+<p>"You may imagine the sensation created by this allegation in the
+neighbourhood, where the carrier was so well known. Till the spring
+assizes at E&mdash;&mdash;, where he was to be tried, it furnished the staple of
+conversation, and every fresh bit of evidence, for or against him, was
+eagerly repeated and canvassed. My father was summoned as a witness to
+the hour at which Healy had been at our house that night, and also to
+the recognising the foot of Mr. Gould's mare. The evidence was entirely
+circumstantial, as nobody had witnessed the murder, though murder there
+certainly had been; nor was there anybody else to whom suspicion could
+attach. As for the tramps Healy said he had met, no trace of them could
+be found, nor did anyone appear to have seen such a party.</p>
+
+<p>"When all the evidence had been heard, my father said he felt
+considerable doubt what the verdict would be, and he really believed the
+jury were greatly perplexed; but when Healy stood up, and in the most
+solemn manner said, 'I am innocent, my Lord! I call God to witness, I am
+innocent! May this right arm wither if I murdered the man!' So great an
+impression was made on the court, that, added to the prisoner's previous
+good character, every body saw he would be acquitted.</p>
+
+<p>"He was; Healy went forth a free man, and we were all too glad to
+believe in his innocence, to dispute the justice of the verdict; but lo!
+the hand of the Lord was on him. He had called upon God to bear witness
+to his words; and he did. In three days from that time, Richard Healy's
+stalwart right arm was withered! The muscles shrunk; the skin dried up;
+and it looked like the limb of a mummy!</p>
+
+<p>"Though a voice from Heaven testified against him, he could not be
+arraigned again for the same crime, and he remained at liberty. He
+attempted for a short time to carry on his business, but people ceased
+to employ him; and his feeble arm could no longer lift the boxes and
+hampers with which his cart was wont to be loaded. He went about,
+avoided by every one but his own immediate connexions. I often met him,
+but he never looked me in the face; indeed, he rarely, if ever, raised
+his eyes; his round shoulders grew rounder, till he came to stoop like
+an old man. He seemed to move under a heavy burthen that weighed him to
+the earth.</p>
+
+<p>"After an interval, however, he bought some property; and in his old
+age&mdash;for he survived his trial several years&mdash;he was in prosperous
+circumstances. But everybody said, 'Where did he get the money?'</p>
+
+<p>"We were all deeply interested in this singular story; and in reference
+to the withered arm, Colonel C. said, that he should certainly not have
+believed it had he not seen it himself.</p>
+
+<p>"I think, said I, that it was not so difficult to account for the
+phenomenon as at first appears. Had he been innocent, the solemn
+adjuration he uttered in court would have been justifiable in the eyes
+of God and man, and would have occasioned him no concern afterwards; but
+he was guilty; he had called upon God to bear witness to a lie, and,
+doubtless, the consciousness of this sacrilegious appeal filled him with
+horror and alarm. He would tremble lest his prayer should be heard and
+the curse fall upon him. These terrors would direct all his thoughts to
+his arm, and produce the very thing he feared; for Sir Henry Holland
+asserts that the mind is capable of acting upon the body to such a
+degree, as sometimes to create disease in a particular part on which the
+attention is too intently fixed."</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>ROUND THE FIRE.</h2>
+
+<h2><a name="FOURTH_EVENING" id="FOURTH_EVENING"></a>FOURTH EVENING.</h2>
+
+
+<p>"The circumstance I am going to mention," said Sir Charles L., "will
+appear very insignificant after these interesting narratives, but as it
+happened very lately, you'll perhaps think it worth hearing.</p>
+
+<p>"I was living a few months ago in an hotel, the owner of which died
+while I was there. He had an apoplectic seizure, and expired shortly
+afterwards. A week before this happened, at a time he was supposed to be
+in perfect health, an acquaintance of the family called, and without
+giving any reason, requested his daughter not to attend a ball she was
+engaged to go to. The young lady did not take her advice; but the
+visitor confided to another person that she had a particular reason for
+her request, which reason was as follows:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"The night before she called, she and her husband had retired to bed in
+a somewhat anxious state of mind respecting a near relative of theirs,
+who was very ill, and whom they had been visiting. The husband, however,
+soon fell asleep, but the wife lay thinking of the sick person, and the
+consequences that would ensue if she died, when her reflections were
+interrupted by seeing a bright spot of light suddenly appear upon the
+wall&mdash;that is, upon the wainscoat of her room. She looked about to see
+whence it proceeded; there was no light burning, nor could any be
+reflected from the window; as she looked it increased in size, till, at
+last, it was as large as the frame of a picture; then there began to
+appear in the frame a form, gradually developed, till there was a
+perfect head and face, hair and all, distinctly visible.</p>
+
+<p>"Whilst this development was proceeding, she lay, as it were,
+transfixed; she wanted to wake her husband, but she could neither speak
+nor move; at length she seemed to burst the bonds, and cried to him to
+look, but as she spoke, the vision faded, and by the time he was
+sufficiently aroused there was nothing to be seen.</p>
+
+<p>"Both he and she interpreted this occurrence into a bad omen for their
+sick relative, and augured very ill of her case; but the next morning,
+as she was standing in her shop, she saw the hotel keeper pass to
+market, and he nodded to her, whereupon she turned to her husband, and
+exclaimed&mdash;'That's the face I saw last night! Sure nothing can be going
+to happen to him!'</p>
+
+<p>"I heard these circumstances from my servant; and the unexpected seizure
+and death occurred within a few days."</p>
+
+<p>"When I was at Weimar, about two years ago," said Mademoiselle G., "an
+accident occurred that occupied the attention of the whole place, and
+which seems to belong to the same class of phenomena as the story just
+related. The palace, called the Ch&acirc;teau, in Weimar, is at one end of the
+park, and at the other end is another ch&acirc;teau, called the Belvedere;
+both are ducal residences, and an avenue runs from the one palace to the
+other. Opposite this avenue is the Russian chapel or Greek church&mdash;the
+present Dowager Duchess being a sister of the Emperor Nicholas&mdash;and in
+front of this chapel a sentinel is always posted.</p>
+
+<p>"The Grand Duke, Charles Frederick, father of the present sovereign,
+was, at the period I allude to, residing at the Belvedere not well in
+health, but by no means alarmingly ill, for had that been the case he
+would have been brought into Weimar, where etiquette requires that the
+sovereign should make his first and last appearance in this world&mdash;there
+he must be born, and there die, if possible.</p>
+
+<p>"One night the sentinel, who was standing at the entrance of the Russian
+chapel, was surprised to see, in the far distance, a long procession
+winding its way down the avenue from the Belvedere. As there was no stir
+in the town, for the night was far advanced, and as he had not heard of
+any solemnity in preparation, the man stared at it in mute wonder, but
+his amazement was redoubled when it approached near enough for him to
+distinguish the individual objects to perceive that it was a State
+funeral, accompanied by the royal mourners, and all the pomp usual at
+these ceremonies; the velvet pall bore the initials and arms of the
+duke, and following the bier was his favourite and well known horse, led
+by one of his attendants. Slowly and mournfully the procession moved on
+till it reached the chapel; the doors opened to admit the cortege; it
+passed in; and as the doors closed on this mysterious vision the soldier
+fell to the ground, where he was found in a state of insensibility when
+the guard was relieved.</p>
+
+<p>"Of course, nobody believed his story; he was placed under arrest,
+severely punished, and had a nervous fever that brought him to the brink
+of the grave.</p>
+
+<p>"I was there when this happened, said Mademoiselle G., and it was the
+talk of the town; almost everybody laughed at him; but five days
+afterwards the Duke fell suddenly ill, and was found to be in so
+dangerous a state, that the physicians forbade his being removed into
+the town. He finally died at the Belvedere, and was buried in the
+Russian chapel, exactly in the manner pourtrayed by the shadowy forms
+seen by the sentinel, and there buried."</p>
+
+<p>We all agreed that these rehearsals, if we may so call them, are amongst
+the most perplexing of these very perplexing phenomena; a very curious
+case of this description will be found in one of the letters inserted in
+the Appendix.</p>
+
+<p>"My sister-in-law, Lady S.," said Lady R., "Told me, the other day,
+that during her late residence in St. Petersburg, she was intimately
+acquainted with a Prussian lady of high rank, to whom the following
+strange events occurred, an account of which she herself gave to my
+sister. This Prussian lady was sitting one morning in her boudoir, when
+she heard a rustling sound in the ante-room, which was divided by a
+<i>porti&egrave;re</i> from the boudoir. The sound continuing, she rose and drew
+aside the curtain to ascertain the cause, when, to her surprise, she saw
+a very pale man, in a Chasseur's uniform, standing in the middle of the
+room. She was about to speak to him, and inquire what he was doing
+there, when he retreated towards the window and vanished. Greatly
+alarmed, she sought her husband, and related what had occurred; but he
+laughed at her, and desired her not to expose herself to ridicule by
+talking of it. Some days afterwards, whilst in the boudoir, she heard
+the same rustling noise near her, and on looking up, she saw the figure
+of the Chasseur suspended in the air between the ceiling and the floor,
+with his legs dangling in the air. A scream brought her husband, who was
+in the adjoining room, and he saw the figure as well as herself.
+Nevertheless, the fear of ridicule kept them silent; but some time
+afterwards, when they had a party, one of the company exclaimed, 'Good
+Heavens! This, I remember, is the very room that unfortunate Chasseurs
+hung himself in!' And then they learned that the house had been
+previously occupied by the Danish minister, and that a Chasseur in his
+service had, from some cause or other, committed suicide."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know whether dreams are admissible," said Miss M.; "but the
+sort of occurrences just related appear to me to be little removed from
+waking dreams. I know two cases of extraordinary dreaming, the
+authenticity of which I can answer for, if you would like to hear them."
+We accepted gladly, and the lady began as follows:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"My father was intimate with Mr. S.&mdash;whose name, perhaps, is known to
+you as the particular friend of Mr. Spencer Percival. This gentleman,
+Mr. S., when he was a young man, had one night a remarkable dream, that
+he could not in any way account for&mdash;the circumstances having no
+relation to any previous event, train of thought, or conversation
+whatever.</p>
+
+<p>"He found himself, in his dream, on horseback, in a very extensive
+forest; he was alone, evening was drawing on, and he sought some place
+where he could pass the night. After riding a little farther, he espied
+an inn; he rode up to it and alighted, asking if they could give him
+lodging for the night, and stabling for his horse. They said 'yes,' and
+conducted him to an upper chamber. He ordered some refreshments, when it
+occurred to him that he should like to see how his horse was faring; and
+he descended, in order to find his way to the stables; in doing so, he
+got a glimpse of some very ill-looking men in a side chamber, who seemed
+in close conference; moreover, he thought he saw weapons lying on the
+table, and there were other circumstances which I do not precisely
+remember, the effect of which was to create alarm, and lead him to
+suspect he had fallen into a <i>repaire de voleurs</i>.</p>
+
+<p>"He saw his horse rubbed down and fed, and then re-ascended to take his
+refreshment; betraying no suspicion of evil, but secretly resolved on
+flight. After his supper, he went down again, stood at the door, and
+pretended to stroll about. When he saw an opportunity, he went round to
+the stable, saddled his horse, and cautiously rode away. But he had not
+gone far, when he heard the tramp of horses' feet behind him, and from
+the pace they came, he felt sure he was pursued. He urged his horse
+forward, but the animal was not fresh&mdash;he had done his day's work
+already, and the pursuers were gaining on him, when he saw he was
+approaching a spot where two roads met. Which of the two should he
+follow? He had nothing to guide him in his choice, and his life probably
+depended on his decision! Suddenly, a voice whispered in his ear, 'Take
+the right!' He did so, and shortly reached a house where he obtained
+shelter and protection.</p>
+
+<p>"When he awoke, the circumstances of his dream were so vividly impressed
+on his mind, that he could hardly believe the thing had not actually
+happened. He related it to his friends; and, for some days, thought a
+good deal of it; but he was just entering into active life, and the
+impression soon faded before the varied interests that absorbed him; and
+the strange dream was entirely forgotten.</p>
+
+<p>"Many years afterwards, when he had reached middle age, he was
+travelling in Germany, and in the course of an excursion he was making
+to see the country, he had occasion to cross a part of the
+Schwarzwald&mdash;the Black Forest. He was on horseback and alone; he reached
+an inn, the aspect of which he fancied was familiar to him. Here he
+thought he might conveniently pass the night; so he alighted, ordered
+his supper, and then went to see his horse fed. On further acquaintance
+with the place, he did not like the look of it, and he saw
+suspicious-looking men hanging about. He resolved to seek another
+resting-place; and leaving some money on the table to pay for what he
+had had, he went down stairs, and after lounging about a little,
+strolled to the stable, saddled his horse, and rode off as quietly as he
+could. But he was missed and pursued, he heard the tramp of the horses
+as they gained upon him. At this critical moment, he saw he was
+approaching a place where the roads divided; his life depended on which
+of the two he should take; suddenly, and strange to say, though he had
+misty recollections of the scene, now for the first time, the dream of
+his youth clearly and vividly recurred to him. He remembered the voice
+that whispered, 'Take the right!' He obeyed the hint, and his pursuers
+soon gave up the chase. He found a ch&acirc;teau about half-a-mile from the
+turning; the owner of which hospitably received him. His host said there
+had been for some time unpleasant suspicions with regard to the inn in
+question; and that, if he had taken the left hand road, he would have
+been quite at their mercy."</p>
+
+<p>This very curious dream reminded us of that of Dr. W., which I have
+related in the "Night Side of Nature;" who in the same manner was saved
+from the attack of an infuriated bull, in his dream, having been shown
+where to fly for safety; but the case is less remarkable than that of
+Mr. S., as the dream occurred only the night before the danger presented
+itself.</p>
+
+<p>"The other dream I alluded to," said Miss M., "is less curious on that
+account. Some friends of mine, who reside in the country, had an old
+nurse who had lived in the family many years, and for whom they had a
+great regard. When her services ceased to be required, she was settled
+in a cottage on the estate, where she lived very comfortably with her
+only daughter. The daughter, however, married a man who kept a turnpike
+some miles distant; and one morning, just as the family were leaving
+home on some expedition, the old woman arrived in considerable
+agitation, saying that she had had a frightful dream about her daughter,
+and that she was going off immediately to the place where she lived. The
+ladies endeavoured to dissuade her from walking all that way, merely on
+account of a dream. But she said she could not rest, and must go. They
+even promised that if she would wait till the following day they would
+drive her there in the carriage, in which there was now no room; if
+there had been they would have taken her, as their road lay not far from
+the spot.</p>
+
+<p>"With this offer they left her and went their way; but her anxiety would
+not permit her to wait; and shortly afterwards she set off and walked
+all the distance to the turnpike. The moment she arrived she saw reason
+to rejoice in her determination; she found her daughter alone, her
+husband having been called away on business; and, said the young woman,
+I am dreadfully alarmed, for there is a quantity of money in the house.
+The farmers are accustomed to bring the money for their rent here twice
+a year, as it save them several miles, and the agent always comes to
+fetch it on the same day. But a letter to my husband has just arrived
+from the agent to say, he can't come till to-morrow. Knowing his hand, I
+opened it; and I am terrified, for the custom of leaving the money here
+is no secret; and if it should get wind that it has not been fetched
+away, heaven knows what may happen.</p>
+
+<p>"The old woman then told her daughter that she had dreamed on the
+preceding night that some thieves had broken into the turnpike house,
+and robbed and murdered the inhabitants.</p>
+
+<p>"But what were these two helpless women to do, mutually confirmed in
+their apprehensions as they naturally were? It was already late in the
+day; there was no help near at hand, and besides they did not dare to
+separate in search of any. They watched anxiously for a traveller,
+resolved to confide in the first respectable one that passed, and beg
+him to send assistance. But none came that they thought it safe to
+trust. Night approached; and it being a little frequented road, except
+on market days, every moment their hope of help declined. So they did
+the best they could in this extremity; they shut and barricaded the
+lower part of the house, stopping up the door and windows with every
+piece of furniture they had, and locked themselves up, with the money,
+in an upper chamber, put out the light, and with a chink of the window
+open, they set themselves down to listen for the marauders whom they
+confidently expected to arrive.</p>
+
+<p>"Nor were they disappointed; about eleven o'clock their anxious ears
+distinguished the sound of approaching footsteps. Presently, they heard
+voices and the door was attempted; the men said they had lost their way,
+and on receiving no answer they attempted to force an entrance. Then,
+the poor women knowing their poor defences would soon yield to violence,
+began to scream lustily from the window above; and luckily not in vain.</p>
+
+<p>"It happened, that the family, who had gone on some expedition of
+pleasure in the morning, was just then returning; their road lay within
+a quarter of a mile of the turnpike; and in the silence of the night,
+the women's shrill voice reached their ears. They immediately desired
+the coachman to turn his horses heads in the direction the cries came
+from, and before the thieves had effected an entrance into the little
+fortification, they were scared by the sound of approaching wheels and
+took to flight."</p>
+
+<p>"A dream of a very singular nature occurred to a young friend of mine,"
+said Mr. S. "She was about fifteen at the time, and a schoolfellow who
+was going to be married had promised her that she should be one of the
+bridesmaids. The intended wedding was near at hand; insomuch that the
+dresses and everything was prepared&mdash;in short, the fixing of the day was
+only delayed by some small matter of business that was not completed. My
+young friend, to whom the whole thing was an exciting novelty, while
+impatiently waiting for the affair to come off, dreamt, one night, that
+a person in a very unusual costume, presented himself at her bedside and
+informed her that he was Brutus; and that he would reveal to her
+anything that she particularly desired to know; whereupon she begged him
+to tell when Miss L. would be married. Brutus answered 'Paulo post
+Gr&aelig;cas Kalendas.' When she awoke in the morning, she perfectly
+remembered the words; but not having the most distant idea of their
+meaning she ran to her brother to enquire if he could explain them. He
+told her that they were equivalent to <i>never</i>. The prophecy was
+fulfilled; obstacles entirely unforseen arose, and the couple were never
+united."</p>
+
+<p>"Some years ago," said Dr. Forster, "two young friends of mine were
+staying at Naples, when one of them told the other that he had on the
+preceding night, seen in his sleep, the face of a beautiful woman; but
+the features were disfigured by a horrible expression&mdash;and that it was,
+somehow, impressed on his mind that he was in danger, and that he must
+be on his guard against her. The conviction was so strong as to create
+considerable uneasiness, and he never went out without scrutinizing
+every female face he saw; but some weeks past without any fulfilment of
+his dream or vision, and gradually the impression faded. However, he was
+one day on the Chiaja, surrounded by several people, who like himself,
+were observing a gang of convicts going to the Castle of St. Elmo; when
+something occasioned him suddenly to turn his head, and there, close
+behind him, he recognized the beautiful face of his dream. By an
+instinctive impulse, he sprang aside, and at the same moment felt
+himself wounded in the back. The woman was seized and did not attempt to
+deny the act, but alleged that she had mistaken the young Englishman for
+another person who had done her an irreparable injury, expressing great
+regret at having wounded an unoffending stranger, and also at having
+failed in the revenge she sought. He told me that the dream saved his
+life; for that, had he not sprung aside, the wound would in all
+probability have been mortal."</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>ROUND THE FIRE.</h2>
+
+<h2><a name="FIFTH_EVENING" id="FIFTH_EVENING"></a>FIFTH EVENING.</h2>
+
+
+<p>"I have but one experience to relate," said Miss D., the next speaker.
+"When I was a child, I and my elder sister slept in two beds, placed
+close beside each other. We were in the country, and one night my
+father, going to the door, perceived an unusual light in the sky, and
+learnt on inquiry that there was a great fire a mile or two off. He said
+he'd go to see it, and the night being fine, my mother accompanied him,
+having first seen us safe in bed. She locked the chamber door, and took
+the key, thinking that every body would be out looking at the fire, and
+we might take the opportunity of playing tricks, for we were quite young
+at the time&mdash;not more than six or seven years old.</p>
+
+<p>"After they were gone, we lay chattering, as children do, about our own
+little concerns, when our voices were suddenly arrested by terror. At
+the foot of my bed I perceived a figure, apparently kneeling, for I saw
+only the head&mdash;but that I saw distinctly&mdash;it looked dark and sad, and
+the eyes were intently fixed on me. I crept into my sister's bed, and
+neither of us dared to look up again till my mother returned, and came
+to see if we were asleep. We had not closed our eyes, and we told her
+what we had seen, agreeing perfectly in our account of it. The room was
+searched, but nothing unusual found. The incident made a lasting
+impression on my sister and myself, and we both remember the face as if
+we had seen it but yesterday."</p>
+
+<p>One of the ladies present mentioned a very similar circumstance
+occurring to herself, but as she was alone at the time, she had always
+endeavoured to believe it an illusion.</p>
+
+<p>"The first part of the story I am going to relate to you," said Dr. S.,
+"was told me by an eminent man in my own profession, who had every
+opportunity of testing the truth of it; the latter part I give you on my
+own word.</p>
+
+<p>"Some years ago there was a house in the suburbs of Dublin that had
+remained a long time unoccupied, in consequence, it was said, of its
+evil reputation&mdash;the report was, that it was haunted. People who had
+taken it got rid of it as soon as they could, and those who lived in the
+neighbourhood affirmed that they saw lights moving about the interior,
+and, sometimes, a lady in white standing at the window with a child in
+her arms, when they knew there was no living creature, except rats and
+mice, within the walls. The wise and learned laughed at these rumours;
+but still the house remained empty, and was getting into a very
+dilapidated state.</p>
+
+<p>"The former owner of the house was dead. He was a miser or a
+misanthrope, or both; at all events, for several years he had lived in
+it utterly alone, and scarcely ever seen by any body. It was rumoured
+that for a short time a young female had been occasionally observed by
+the neighbours, but she disappeared as suddenly as she had appeared, and
+nobody knew whence she came, nor whither she was gone. His life was a
+mystery, and whether merely on this account, or whether there were
+better grounds for it, there had certainly existed a prejudice against
+him. However, as I said, he had been dead some years, and the relative
+to whom the property had fallen on his decease was naturally very
+anxious to let the house, and offered it to any occupant at an extremely
+low rent.</p>
+
+<p>"At length, a gentleman who wanted to establish a manufactory, seeing
+that it would answer his purpose&mdash;for the premises were extensive, and
+there was some garden ground behind&mdash;took it, and erected buildings on
+this waste ground for his workmen to inhabit. Between the new part and
+the old there was a long vestibule, or covered passage, by which they
+might pass from one to the other without exposing themselves to the
+weather. A large door, which was open by day and closed at night,
+divided this passage in two, and on one side there was a small room or
+office, where a clerk sat and kept the books and memoranda, of various
+sorts, incident to a considerable business.</p>
+
+<p>"However, the thing was scarcely set going and established before it
+reached the ears of the master that the workmen objected to pass the
+night on the premises; the reason alleged being that they were disturbed
+and alarmed by various sounds, especially footsteps, and the banging of
+the heavy door in the vestibule which divided the sleeping places from
+the workrooms. At first, the objection being thought absurd, was not
+attended to; next, it was supposed to be a trick of some of the workmen
+to frighten the others; but when it became serious, and they began to
+act upon it, and steady, respectable men declared they heard these
+things, the master, still persuaded it was some practical jokers amongst
+them mystifying the more simple, took measures, first, to ascertain if
+such sounds as they described were audible; and next, to discover who
+made them. For this purpose he sat up himself, and his clerks sat up,
+and exactly as had been described, at one o'clock this clatter and
+banging of doors commenced&mdash;that is, there was the sound; for the doors
+remained immovable, and though they heard footsteps they could see
+nobody.</p>
+
+<p>"'Still,' said the manufacturer, who was not willing to be made the
+victim of this mischievous conspiracy, 'we must discover who it is; and
+we shall, when they are more off their guard,' and for this purpose it
+was arranged that a relation of his own, a young man in whose discretion
+and courage he had great confidence should sleep in the office.</p>
+
+<p>"Accordingly, a bed was prepared there; and he arranged himself for that
+night or as many future nights as it might be necessary; determined not
+to relinquish the investigation till he had unravelled the mystery.</p>
+
+<p>"At dawn of day, the next morning, there was a violent knocking at the
+outer door; an early passenger had found this young man in the street,
+with nothing on but his night dress, and in a state of delirium. He was
+taken home and Dr. W. was sent for. The result was a brain fever; but
+when he recovered, he said that he had gone to bed and to sleep, that he
+was wakened by a loud noise, and that just as he was about to rise to
+ascertain the cause, his door opened, and the apparition of a female
+dressed in white entered, and approached his bed side. He remembered no
+more, but being seized with horror, supposed he had got out of the
+window into the street, where he was found.</p>
+
+<p>"This was, certainly, very extraordinary and very serious; still the
+persuasion that it was some mystification prevailed; and Dr. W.'s offer
+to pass a night in the office himself, was gladly accepted. He had
+informed me of the young man's illness and the cause of it; and when I
+heard of his intention, I requested leave to bear him company.</p>
+
+<p>"The noise had not been interrupted by the catastrophe that had
+occurred, and nobody had slept in the office during the young man's
+confinement. The bed had been removed, but we declined having it
+re-placed, for we wished our intention to remain a secret; besides, we
+preferred watching through the night. It was not till the workmen had
+all retired that we took up our position, accompanied by a sharp little
+terrier of mine, and each armed with a pistol. We took care to go over
+the house, to make sure that nobody was concealed in it; and we examined
+every door and window to ascertain that it was secure. We had provided
+ourselves with refreshments also, to sustain our courage; and we entered
+upon our vigil with great hopes of detecting the imposition.</p>
+
+<p>"Dr. W. is a most enlightened and agreeable companion, and we soon fell
+into a lively discussion that carried us away so entirely, that, I
+believe, we had both ceased to think of the object of our watch, when we
+were recalled to it by the clock in the vestibule striking one; and the
+loud bang that immediately followed, accompanied by the barking of our
+little dog, who had been aroused from a tranquil sleep by the uproar. W.
+and I seized our pistols, and rushed into the passage, followed by the
+terrier. We saw nothing to account for the noise; but we distinctly
+heard receding footsteps, which we hastened to pursue, at the same time
+urging on the dog; but instead of running forward, he slunk behind, with
+his tail between his legs, and kept at our heels the whole way. On we
+went, distinctly hearing the footsteps preceding us along the vestibule,
+down some steps, and, finally, down some stairs that led to an unused
+cellar&mdash;in one corner of which lay a heap of rubbish. Here the sound
+ceased. We removed the rubbish, and under it lay some bones, which we
+recognised at once as parts of a human skeleton. On further examination,
+we ascertained that they were the remains of a female and a new-born
+infant.</p>
+
+<p>"They were buried, and the men were no more disturbed with these
+mysterious noises. Who the woman was, was never ascertained; nor was any
+further light thrown upon these strange circumstances."</p>
+
+<p>Some remarks on the terror displayed by animals, on these occasions,
+elicited a curious story from Mrs. L. "They not only seem to see
+sometimes," she said, "what we do not; but occasionally to be gifted
+with a singular foreknowledge.</p>
+
+<p>"Many years ago," she continued, "I and my husband went to pay a visit
+in the north. I am very fond of animals, and my attention was soon
+attracted by a dog that was not particularly handsome, but seemed gifted
+with extraordinary intelligence.</p>
+
+<p>"'I see,' said my hostess, 'you are struck with that dog. Well, he is
+the most mysterious creature; he not only opens and shuts the door, and
+rings the bell, and does all sorts of wonderful things, but I am sure he
+understands every word we say, and that he knows as well what I am
+saying now as you do. Moreover, we got him in a very unaccountable
+manner.</p>
+
+<p>"'One night, not long ago, we had been out to dinner; and on returning
+at a pretty late hour, we found the gentleman stretched out comfortably
+on the dining-room rug. Where in the world did this dog come from? I
+said to the servants. They couldn't tell; they declared the doors had
+been long shut, and that they had never set eyes on him till that
+minute.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Well,' I said, 'don't turn him out; he'll no doubt be claimed by some
+one in the neighbourhood&mdash;for he had quite the manners and air of a dog
+accustomed to good society; and I liked his large, expressive eyes. He
+made himself quite at home; and now we have discovered what a strangely
+intelligent creature he is, I hope no one will claim him, for I should
+be very sorry to part with him. But,' added she, 'poor Mrs. X. can't
+endure him.' Mrs. X., I must mention, was a widow lady, also on a visit
+there, with an only son.</p>
+
+<p>"'Why?' said I.</p>
+
+<p>"'It is rather singular, certainly,' said she; but whenever young X. is
+in the room, the dog never takes his eyes off his face&mdash;you see he has
+peculiar eyes&mdash;they're full of meaning; and out of doors he does the
+same.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Perhaps the dog has taken a fancy to him?' I suggested.</p>
+
+<p>"'It does not seem to be that; no, I think he likes me and Mrs. C. and
+my children a great deal better. I can't tell what it is; but if you
+watch, you'll see it.'</p>
+
+<p>"I did, and it was really remarkable, and evidently annoyed Mrs. X. very
+much. The young man affected to laugh at it, but I don't think he liked
+it altogether.</p>
+
+<p>"Suddenly, one evening, Mrs. X.&mdash;whose visit was to have extended to
+some weeks longer, announced that she should take her departure in a few
+days. I suspected this move was occasioned by her desire to get away
+from the dog, and so did my hostess&mdash;and we both thought it absurd.</p>
+
+<p>"Mr. L. being obliged to return to London, we took our leave the morning
+after this announcement was made; but we had scarcely arrived there,
+when a letter from my friend followed, informing me that young Mr. X.
+had been unfortunately drowned in the fish-pond, and that the dog had
+never been seen since the accident, though they had made inquiries and
+sought for him in every direction. Whence he came, or whither he went,
+they were never able to discover.</p>
+
+<p>"But," said Mrs. L., "as this is not a ghost story, I will tell you
+another anecdote that belongs more legitimately to the subjects you are
+treating of. Once, when we were travelling in the North, Mr. L. fell ill
+of a fever at Paisley. This detained us there, and the minister called
+on us. When Mr. L. recovered, we returned his visit; and, in the course
+of conversation, some of the old customs of the Scotch fell under
+discussion; amongst others the <i>cutty stool</i>, which we had heard still
+subsisted.</p>
+
+<p>"'Why don't you abolish it?' said Mr. L. 'It would be much better to
+amend people by other influences than exposure.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Well, sir,' said the good man, 'that was my opinion also; and I had
+determined to do it. Before taking the step, however, I thought it
+advisable to publish my reasons; and I was one day sitting at the table
+writing on the subject, when I looked up, and beheld my father, who was
+minister here before me, and died in this manse, sitting on the opposite
+side of the table.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Don't do any such thing, David,' said he; 'morality is loose enough;
+don't make it looser.'"</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>ROUND THE FIRE.</h2>
+
+<h2><a name="SIXTH_EVENING" id="SIXTH_EVENING"></a>SIXTH EVENING.</h2>
+
+
+<p>"The most interesting circumstance of the ghostly kind that I know, as
+really authentic," said Madame S., "is what happened to the late Lord
+C., when he was a young man&mdash;it is an old story, and you must have heard
+of the <i>Radiant Boy</i>; but as I had it from a member of the family,
+perhaps you will accept it as my contribution.</p>
+
+<p>"Captain S., who was afterwards Lord C., when he was a young man,
+happened to be quartered in Ireland. He was fond of sport; and one day
+the pursuit of game carried him so far that he lost his way. The
+weather, too, had become very rough, and in this strait he presented
+himself at the door of a gentleman's house, and sending in his card,
+requested shelter for the night. The hospitality of the Irish country
+gentry is proverbial; the master of the house received him warmly, said
+he feared he could not make him so comfortable as he could have wished,
+his house being full of visitors already&mdash;added to which, some
+strangers, driven by the inclemency of the night, had sought shelter
+before him, but that such accommodation as he could give he was heartily
+welcome to; whereupon he called his butler, and committing his guest to
+his good offices, told him he must put him up somewhere, and do the best
+he could for him. There was no lady, the gentleman being a widower.</p>
+
+<p>"Captain S. found the house crammed, and a very jolly party it was. His
+host invited him to stay, and promised him good shooting if he would
+prolong his visit a few days; and, in fine, he thought himself extremely
+fortunate to have fallen into such pleasant quarters.</p>
+
+<p>"At length, after an agreeable evening, they all retired to bed, and the
+butler conducted him to a large room, almost divested of furniture, but
+with a blazing peat fire in the grate, and a shake down on the floor,
+composed of cloaks and other heterogeneous materials.</p>
+
+<p>"Nevertheless, to the tired limbs of Captain S., who had had a hard
+day's shooting, it looked very inviting; but before he lay down, he
+thought it advisable to take off some of the fire, which was blazing up
+the chimney, in what he thought, an alarming manner. Having done this,
+he stretched himself upon the couch, and soon fell asleep.</p>
+
+<p>"He believed he had slept about a couple of hours when he awoke
+suddenly, and was startled by such a vivid light in the room, that he
+thought it was on fire, but on turning to look at the grate he saw the
+fire was out, though it was from the chimney the light proceeded. He sat
+up in bed, trying to discover what it was, when he perceived, gradually
+disclosing itself, the form of a beautiful naked boy, surrounded by a
+dazzling radiance. The boy looked at him earnestly, and then the vision
+faded, and all was dark. Captain S., so far from supposing what he had
+seen to be of a spiritual nature, had no doubt that the host, or the
+visitors, had been amusing themselves at his expense, and trying to
+frighten him. Accordingly he felt indignant at the liberty; and on the
+following morning, when he appeared at breakfast, he took care to evince
+his displeasure by the reserve of his demeanour, and by announcing his
+intention to depart immediately. The host expostulated, reminding him
+of his promise to stay and shoot. Captain S. coldly excused himself and,
+at length, the gentleman seeing something was wrong, took him aside, and
+pressed for an explanation; whereupon Captain S., without entering into
+particulars, said that he had been made the victim of a sort of
+practical joking that he thought quite unwarrantable with a stranger.</p>
+
+<p>"The gentleman considered this not impossible amongst a parcel of
+thoughtless young men, and appealed to them to make an apology; but one
+and all, on honour, denied the impeachment. Suddenly, a thought seemed
+to strike him; he clapt his hand to his forehead, uttered an
+exclamation, and rang the bell.</p>
+
+<p>"'Hamilton,' said he to the butler, 'where did Captain S. sleep last
+night?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Well, Sir,' replied the man, in an apologetic tone,' 'you know every
+place was full&mdash;the gentlemen were lying on the floor, three or four in
+a room&mdash;so I gave him the <i>Boy's Room</i>; but I lit a blazing fire to keep
+him from coming out.'</p>
+
+<p>"'You were very wrong,' said the host, 'you know I have positively
+forbidden you to put any one there, and have taken the furniture out of
+the room to ensure its not being occupied.' Then retiring with Captain
+S., he informed him very gravely of the nature of the phenomenon he had
+seen; and, at length, being pressed for further information, he
+confessed that there existed a tradition in his family, that whoever the
+<i>Radiant Boy</i> appeared to will rise to the summit of power; and when he
+had reached the climax, will die a violent death, and I must say, he
+added, that the records that have been kept of his appearance go to
+confirm this persuasion.</p>
+
+<p>"I need not remind you," said Madam S., "what a remarkable confirmation
+was afforded by the life and death of Lord C."</p>
+
+<p>"I had never heard these particulars before; but I had heard the story
+of Lord C.'s <i>Radiant Boy</i> alluded to, &aacute;propos of the case of the Rev.
+Mr. A., who saw a very similar apparition some years ago at C. Castle. I
+have related this case in the 'Night Side of Nature.' I received the
+particulars from a relation of Mr. A.'s, who was himself surviving at
+the time I published it."</p>
+
+<p>"It is curious," observed Mrs. E., "how many houses in the north of
+England where I have been lately residing have something of this sort
+attached to them. Some friends of mine not long ago heard of a very
+pretty place to let, and finding the rent unusually moderate they took
+it. They were delighted with their new residence; and often wondered
+that the proprietor, with whom they were slightly acquainted, did not
+either live there himself, or insist on more money for it.</p>
+
+<p>"After they had been there some time, his brother, that is, the brother
+of the proprietor, who did not live very far off, called one morning to
+see them; and asked them how they liked the place. They expressed their
+extreme satisfaction; adding, 'We wonder your brother does not live here
+himself.'</p>
+
+<p>"'There are reasons why it does not suit our family,' he answered.</p>
+
+<p>"When he was going away, my friends proposed to walk through the grounds
+with him; they had to cross a little brook not far from the house; and
+as they did so, a hare sprang past them and they all stopt and turned
+round to look at her, by which means they had a full view of the house.</p>
+
+<p>"'Good Heavens!' exclaimed the visitor, 'there she is!'</p>
+
+<p>"'Where?' enquired my friend, thinking he alluded to the hare.</p>
+
+<p>"'Is any of your family ill?' asked the stranger.</p>
+
+<p>"'No they answered;' and following the direction of his eyes, they
+observed at one of the upper windows of the house, a female figure in
+white, and enveloped in what looked like grave clothes.</p>
+
+<p>"The visitor appearing much agitated, my friend rushed back and ran up
+to the floor where the female had appeared; and not only was there no
+one there, but he found that the window was that of a vestibule and much
+too high from the ground for any one to reach.</p>
+
+<p>"On returning to their visitor, he said 'one of us will die before this
+year has expired; it is an unfailing omen in our family, and caused us
+so much distress, that that is the real reason why we do not live here.
+But it concerns nobody but ourselves; you will never be troubled by her
+visitations.' The destiny fell on the seer himself this time; he was
+dead before the year had expired.</p>
+
+<p>"There is another house in the same part of the county, where sometime
+ago a young friend of mine, one of three sisters, went on a visit for a
+short time. The first night, after she got into bed, she was startled by
+the most terrific screams she ever heard, which appeared close to her
+door. She jumped up and opened it, but there was nobody there. The next
+day she mentioned the circumstance, but the old lady she was visiting,
+said her ears must have deceived her, and turned the conversation; but
+she heard it again several times, and was quite sure there was no
+mistake. When she went home she told her sisters, who laughed at her;
+but each of them went to visit subsequently at the same house and heard
+precisely the same thing; but as it was evidently an unpleasant subject
+to their hostess, they could get no information on the subject."</p>
+
+<p>"A near relation of mine," said Lord N., "is living in a place at
+present, where there is very much the same annoyance, and three families
+successively, had left the house in consequence of it. The building is
+large, part of it very old, and it is surrounded by a fine park;
+nevertheless, it has been found difficult to get a tenant&mdash;or, at least,
+to keep one. My relation was warned of the inconvenience before he took
+it. It is said that a lady was murdered there by her husband; at all
+events, there is one room&mdash;one of the best in the house, shut up, and
+never allowed to be opened. Whoever sleeps in the room under this, is
+liable to be disturbed by extraordinary noises&mdash;footsteps and moving of
+furniture, &amp;c.; but the most strange thing is, that every now and then a
+dreadful piercing scream is heard through the house, that brings any
+strangers who happen to be there, out of their rooms, in terror, to
+enquire what has occurred. The family who resided there before, met the
+apparition of a lady occasionally, and left the place in consequence. My
+relations have never seen anything; but everybody who stays there any
+time hears the screams.</p>
+
+<p>"Another relation of mine, a very religious person, and as she belongs
+to the free church of Scotland, most opposed to the belief in ghosts,
+went some time since to pay a visit at an old place belonging to our
+family. On the morning after her arrival, she announced at breakfast
+that she was going away. She gave no reason, but went, to the
+consternation of her host. With much difficulty, he has since extracted
+from her, that in the night an apparition appeared at the foot of her
+bed&mdash;a man dressed in an old-fashioned brown suit. He spoke to her, and
+some conversation passed&mdash;the subject of which she declares she will
+never disclose; she says it was not a good spirit, and nothing would
+induce her to visit the place again. This house has always been said to
+be haunted, but this is the only instance I know of the family
+themselves seeing anything of the sort; but no better evidence could be
+adduced of such a phenomenon than that of the lady in question. Nobody
+ever doubted her word, and a more confirmed disbeliever in ghosts never
+existed.</p>
+
+<p>"A rather curious thing happened to myself lately," continued Lord N. "I
+went to visit some friends at the Lakes. As they had no vacant rooms, I
+engaged apartments near them for myself and servant. The house was
+small, quite modern, and as un-ghostly as possible. I always dined with
+my friends, and went to my lodgings about twelve o'clock, and I had been
+there five or six nights without anything unusual occurring. On the
+fourth or fifth evening, I had returned home rather earlier than usual,
+and instead of going to bed, I sat down to write a letter. While so
+engaged, I heard what I thought was a boy cracking a whip close to the
+drawing-room door. I paid no attention to it at first, though rather
+wondering at the hour chosen for the amusement. However, as it continued
+unintermittingly, and grew louder, I got up and opened the door, with
+the intention of desiring the child to go away. There was no one there.
+It then occurred to me that my ears must have deceived me, and that the
+sound might have proceeded from some explosive substance in my bedroom
+fire. The room was on the same floor, and the door shut; but when I
+opened it, I found the fire almost out&mdash;certainly not in a state to
+produce the noises I had heard. I went forward to stir it, and while
+doing so, the whip was cracked over my shoulder. I turned round quickly,
+but could see nothing, and I returned to the drawing-room, and had just
+seated myself again, when I was amazed to see the table rise about a
+foot perpendicularly into the air, and at the same moment, both the
+candles that were on it went out, without being upset or even moved.
+There was a fire, so that I was not quite in the dark, and I re-lighted
+them; after which the whip began cracking again vigorously, and cracked
+on till I went to bed and afterwards. I stayed in these apartments a
+fortnight or three weeks longer; and once, again, I heard the whip, but
+much fainter and for a shorter time; and one night there were distinct
+rappings on the mantel-piece, and afterwards on the dressing-table.</p>
+
+<p>"I could make no discovery in regard to these phenomena; and I leave it
+to the company to decide whether they were of a spiritual nature or not.
+The only other thing of the sort that ever happened to me was this:&mdash;I
+was travelling on the Continent, and not being very well, was lying in
+bed, when I suddenly saw the door open, and two of my brothers walk
+through the room, dressed in deep mourning. I rang the bell furiously,
+and the people came, but could in no way explain what had happened. I
+shortly received letters, announcing that another brother had died at
+that time.</p>
+
+<p>"I will mention another instance that occurred in our family a few years
+since. During my grandfather's last illness, all the family were
+assembled at K. Castle, except my brother John, with whom he was not on
+good terms. While we were living there, waiting to see what turn the
+illness would take, John died very unexpectedly, but we resolved not to
+mention the circumstance to Lord A., as it might affect him injuriously;
+it was therefore kept a profound secret.</p>
+
+<p>"One day, some little time afterwards, Lord A. had been asleep in his
+arm-chair, and on waking, he suddenly exclaimed, 'I shall see John on
+Thursday!' This was on a Monday, and he died on the Thursday following."</p>
+
+<p>"A relation of mine," said Mrs. L., "had a friend with whom a great
+intimacy had subsisted for many years, but a subject of difference arose
+that embittered her feelings towards this lady to such a degree, that
+she felt reconciliation impossible. They continued to live in the same
+town, but all intercourse was at an end.</p>
+
+<p>"One morning, lately, she was lying awake in her bed, when the door
+opened, and this lady came in; approaching the bed side, she spoke in a
+friendly manner, and entered into explanations with regard to the
+misunderstanding. My relation was not frightened during this interview;
+but when it was over, and she was gone, she suspected the nature of the
+visit. When her maid came to her room, she enquired if there had been
+any news of Miss &mdash;&mdash;. The servant answered, none; but presently
+afterwards, a person called to mention the lady's death, which had taken
+place that morning."</p>
+
+<p>"For my part," said Sir A. C., "I am acquainted with a circumstance that
+has settled entirely any doubts I might have entertained on the subject
+of ghosts. Not many miles from my place in S&mdash;shire, there is a seat
+belonging to some connexions of my own. At the time I am about to refer
+to, an old lady was in possession, and it so happened, that a matter of
+business arose regarding the heirs of the property, which made it
+necessary to refer to the title deeds. To the surprise and dismay of the
+family they could not be found. A vigorous search was instituted, in
+vain; and the circumstance so preyed on my old relation's mind that she
+at length committed suicide, under the impression that some one else
+would lay claim to the estate.</p>
+
+<p>"After her death people complained that they could not live there&mdash;the
+place they said was haunted by this old lady, who, with her grey hair
+dishevelled, and dressed exactly as she used to be in her life time,
+they described as walking about the house, looking into drawers and
+cupboards, and incessantly searching for her deeds. We, of course, did
+not believe in the story, and were not even altogether convinced when
+the house, after being let to several strangers in succession, who all
+gave it up on the same plea, seemed destined to remain without an
+inhabitant.</p>
+
+<p>"It had stood empty two or three years, though offered at a very low
+rent, when a lady and gentleman from the West Indies came into the
+neighbourhood to visit some acquaintance, and being in want of a
+residence, and hearing this was to be had on very reasonable terms, they
+proposed to take it. Their friends told them of the objection made by
+preceding tenants, but they laughed with scorn at the idea of losing so
+good a house on account of a ghost; so they closed the bargain, took
+possession of the place, and sent for their family to join them.</p>
+
+<p>"The children, the youngest of whom was between three and four, and the
+eldest about ten, were, as a temporary arrangement, placed on the first
+night of their arrival to sleep in one room; but the next morning, when
+their mother went at a very early hour to see how they were, to her
+surprise, she found them all wide awake. They were looking pale and
+weary, and began with one voice to complain that they had been kept
+awake all night by such a disagreeable old lady, who would keep coming
+into the room, and looking for something in the drawers. 'I told her I
+wished she'd go away,' said the eldest, 'and then she did go; but she
+came back; and we don't like her. Who is she, mamma? Is she to live with
+us?'</p>
+
+<p>"They then, on being questioned, described her appearance, which exactly
+coincided with the account given by the former tenants. I can vouch for
+the truth of these circumstances; and since these children had,
+certainly, never heard a word on the subject of the apparition, and had,
+indeed, no idea that it was one, 'I think the evidence,' said Sir A. C.,
+'is quite unexceptionable.'</p>
+
+<p>"I should say so, too, if it referred to any other question," said Mr.
+E., a barrister, who happened to be present when the story was related;
+"but on the subject of ghosts I cannot think any evidence sufficient."</p>
+
+<p>"A state of mind by no means uncommon," I said, "and which it is, of
+course, in vain to contend with. I can only wonder and admire the
+confidence that can venture to prejudge so interesting and important a
+subject of inquiry."</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>ROUND THE FIRE.</h2>
+
+<h2><a name="SEVENTH_EVENING" id="SEVENTH_EVENING"></a>SEVENTH EVENING.</h2>
+
+
+<p>"My story will be a very short one," said Mrs. M.; "for I must tell you
+that though, like every body else, I have heard a great many ghost
+stories, and have met people who assured me they had seen such things, I
+cannot, for my own part, bring myself to believe in them; but a
+circumstance occurred when I was abroad, that you may perhaps consider
+of a ghostly nature, though I cannot.</p>
+
+<p>"I was travelling through Germany, with no one but my maid&mdash;it was
+before the time of railways, and on my road from Leipsic to Dresden, I
+stopt at an inn that appeared to have been long ago part of an
+aristocratic residence&mdash;a castle in short; for there was a stone wall
+and battlements, and a tower at one side; while the other was a
+prosaic-looking, square building that had evidently been added in
+modern times. The inn stood at one end of a small village, in which some
+of the houses looked so antique that they might, I thought, be coeval
+with the castle itself. There were a good many travellers, but the host
+said he could accommodate me; and when I asked to see my room, he led me
+up to the towers, and showed me a tolerably comfortable one. There were
+only two apartments on each floor; so I asked him if I could have the
+other for my maid, and he said yes, if no other traveller arrived. None
+came, and she slept there.</p>
+
+<p>"I supped at the table d'h&ocirc;te, and retired to bed early, as I had an
+excursion to make on the following day; and I was sufficiently tired
+with my journey to fall asleep directly.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know how long I had slept&mdash;but I think some hours, when I awoke
+quite suddenly, almost with a start, and beheld near the foot of the
+bed, the most hideous, dreadful-looking old woman, in an antique dress,
+that imagination can conceive. She seemed to be approaching me&mdash;not as
+if walking, but gliding, with her left arm and hand extended towards me.</p>
+
+<p>"'Merciful God deliver me!' I exclaimed under my first impulse of
+amazement; and as I said the words she disappeared."</p>
+
+<p>"Then, though you don't believe in ghosts, you thought it was one when
+you saw it," said I.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know what I thought&mdash;I admit I was a good deal frightened, and
+it was a long time before I fell asleep again.</p>
+
+<p>"In the morning," continued Mrs. M., "my maid knocked, and I told her to
+come in; but the door was locked, and I had to get out of bed to admit
+her&mdash;I thought I might have forgotten to fasten it. As soon as I was up,
+I examined every part of the room, but I could find nothing to account
+for this intrusion. There was neither trap or moving panell, or door
+that I could see, except the one I had locked. However, I made up my
+mind not to speak of the circumstance, for I fancied I must have been
+deceived in supposing myself awake, and that it was only a dream; more
+particularly as there was no light in my room, and I could not
+comprehend how I could have seen this woman.</p>
+
+<p>"I went out early, and was away the greater part of the day. When I
+returned I found more travellers had arrived, and that they had given
+the room next mine to a German lady and her daughter, who were at the
+table d'h&ocirc;te. I therefore had a bed made up in my room for my maid; and
+before I lay down, I searched thoroughly, that I might be sure nobody
+was concealed there.</p>
+
+<p>"In the middle of the night&mdash;I suppose about the same time I had been
+disturbed on the preceding one&mdash;I and my maid were awakened by a
+piercing scream; and I heard the voice of the German girl in the
+adjoining room, exclaiming, 'Ach! meine mutter! meine mutter!'</p>
+
+<p>"For some time afterwards I heard them talking, and then I fell
+asleep&mdash;wondering, I confess, whether they had had a visit from the
+frightful old woman. They left me in no doubt the next morning. They
+came down to breakfast greatly excited&mdash;told everybody the
+cause&mdash;described the old woman exactly as I had seen her, and departed
+from the house incontinently, declaring they would not stay there
+another hour."</p>
+
+<p>"What did the host say to it?" we asked.</p>
+
+<p>"Nothing; he said we must have dreamed it&mdash;and I suppose we did."</p>
+
+<p>"Your story," said I, "reminds me of a very interesting letter which I
+received soon after the publication of 'The Night side of Nature.' It
+was from a clergyman who gave his name, and said he was chaplain to a
+nobleman. He related that in a house he inhabited, or had inhabited, a
+lady had one evening gone up stairs, and seen, to her amazement, in a
+room, the door of which was open, a lady in an antique dress, standing
+before a chest of drawers, and apparently examining their contents. She
+stood still, wondering who this stranger could be, when the figure
+turned her face towards her, and, to her horror, she saw there were no
+eyes. Other members of the family saw the same apparition also. I
+believe there were further particulars; but I unfortunately lost this
+letter, with some others, in the confusion of changing my residence.</p>
+
+<p>"The absence of eyes I take to be emblematical of moral blindness; for
+in the world of spirits there is no deceiving each other by false
+seemings; as we are, so we appear."</p>
+
+<p>"Then," said Mrs. W. C., "the apparition&mdash;if it was an apparition&mdash;that
+two of my servants saw lately, must be in a very degraded state.</p>
+
+<p>"There is a road, and on one side of it a path, just beyond my garden
+wall. Not long ago two of my servants were in the dusk of the evening
+walking up this path, when they saw a large, dark object coming towards
+them. At first, they thought it was an animal; and when it got close,
+one of them stretched out her hand to touch it; but she could feel
+nothing, and it passed on between her and the garden wall, although
+there was <i>no space</i>, the path being only wide enough for two; and on
+looking back, they saw it walking down the hill behind them. Three men
+were coming up on the path; and as the thing approached, they jumped off
+into the road.</p>
+
+<p>"'Good heavens, what is that!' cried the women.</p>
+
+<p>"'I don't know,' replied the men; 'I never saw such a thing as that
+before.'</p>
+
+<p>"The women came home greatly agitated; and we have since heard there is
+a tradition that the spot is haunted by the ghost of a man who was
+killed in a quarry close by."</p>
+
+<p>"I have travelled a great deal," said our next speaker, the Chevalier de
+La C. G.; and, certainly, I have never been in any country where
+instances of these spiritual appearances were not adduced on apparently
+credible authority. I have heard numerous stories of the sort, but the
+one that most readily occurs to me at present, was told to me not long
+ago, in Paris, by Count P.&mdash;the nephew of the celebrated Count P. whose
+name occurs in the history of the remarkable incidents connected with
+the death of the Emperor Paul.</p>
+
+<p>"Count P., my authority for the following story, was attached to the
+Russian embassy; and he told me, one evening, when the conversation
+turned on the inconveniences of travelling in the East of Europe, that,
+on one occasion, when in Poland, he found himself about seven o'clock in
+an autumn evening on a forest road, where there was no possibility of
+finding a house of public entertainment within many miles. There was a
+frightful storm; the road, not good at the best, was almost
+impracticable from the weather, and his horses were completely knocked
+up. On consulting his people what was best to be done, they said, that
+to go back was as impossible as to go forward; but that by turning a
+little out of the main road, they should soon reach a castle where
+possibly shelter might be procured for the night. The count gladly
+consented, and it was not long before they found themselves at the gate
+of what appeared a building on a very splendid scale. The courier
+quickly alighted and rang at the bell, and while waiting for admission,
+he enquired who the castle belonged to, and was told that it was Count
+X's.</p>
+
+<p>"It was some time before the bell was answered, but at length an elderly
+man appeared at a wicket, with a lantern, and peeped out. On perceiving
+the equipage, he came forward and stept up to the carriage, holding the
+light aloft to discover who was inside. Count P. handed him his card,
+and explained his distress.</p>
+
+<p>"'There is no one here, my lord,' replied the man, 'but myself and my
+family; the castle is not inhabited.'</p>
+
+<p>"'That's bad news,' said the count; 'but nevertheless, you can give me
+what I am most in need of, and that is&mdash;shelter for the night.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Willingly,' said the man, 'if your lordship will put up with such
+accommodation as we can hastily prepare.'</p>
+
+<p>"'So,' said the count, 'I alighted and walked in; and the old man
+unbarred the great gates to admit my carriages and people. We found
+ourselves in an immense <i>couer</i>, with the castle <i>en face</i>, and stables
+and offices on each side. As we had a <i>fourgon</i> with us, with provender
+for the cattle and provisions for ourselves, we wanted nothing but beds
+and a good fire; and as the only one lighted was in the old man's
+apartments, he first took us there. They consisted of a <i>suite</i> of small
+rooms in the left wing, that had probably been formerly occupied by the
+upper servants. They were comfortably furnished, and he and his large
+family appeared to be very well lodged. Besides the wife, there were
+three sons, with their wives and children, and two nieces; and in a part
+of the offices, where I saw a light, I was told there were labourers and
+women servants, for it was a valuable estate, with a fine forest, and
+the sons acted as <i>gardes chasse</i>.</p>
+
+<p>"'Is there much game in the forest?' I asked.</p>
+
+<p>"'A great deal of all sorts,' they answered.</p>
+
+<p>"'Then I suppose during the season the family live here?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Never,' they replied. 'None of the family ever reside here.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Indeed!' I said; how is that? It seems a very fine place.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Superb,' answered the wife of the custodian; 'but the castle is
+haunted.'</p>
+
+<p>"She said this with a simple gravity that made me laugh; upon which they
+all stared at me with the most edifying amazement.</p>
+
+<p>"'I beg your pardon,' I said; 'but you know, perhaps, in great cities,
+such as I usually inhabit, there are no ghosts.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Indeed!' said they. 'No ghosts!'</p>
+
+<p>"'At least,' I said, 'I never heard of any; and we don't believe in such
+things.'</p>
+
+<p>"They looked at each other with surprise, but said nothing; not
+appearing to have any desire to convince me. 'But do you mean to say,'
+said I, 'that that is the reason the family don't live here, and that
+the castle is abandoned on that account?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Yes,' they replied, 'that is the reason nobody has resided here for
+many years.'</p>
+
+<p>"'But how can you live here then?'</p>
+
+<p>"'We are never troubled in this part of the building,' said she. 'We
+hear noises, but we are used to that.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Well, if there is a ghost, I hope I shall see it,' said I.</p>
+
+<p>"'God forbid!' said the woman, crossing herself. 'But we shall guard
+against that; your seigneurie will sleep not far from this, where you
+will be quite safe.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Oh! but,' said I, 'I am quite serious, if there is a ghost, I should
+particularly like to see him, and I should be much obliged to you to put
+me in the apartments he most frequents.'</p>
+
+<p>"They opposed this proposition earnestly, and begged me not to think of
+if; besides, they said if any thing was to happen to my lord, how should
+they answer for it; but as I insisted, the women went to call the
+members of the family who were lighting fires and preparing beds in some
+rooms on the same floor as they occupied themselves. When they came they
+were as earnest against the indulgence of my wishes as the women had
+been. Still I insisted.</p>
+
+<p>"'Are you afraid,' I said, 'to go yourselves in the haunted chambers?'</p>
+
+<p>"'No,' they answered. 'We are the custodians of the castle and have to
+keep the rooms clean and well aired lest the furniture be spoiled&mdash;my
+lord talks always of removing it, but it has never been removed
+yet&mdash;but we would not sleep up there for all the world.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Then it is the upper floors that are haunted?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Yes, especially the long room, no one could pass a night there; the
+last that did is in a lunatic asylum now at Warsaw,' said the custodian.</p>
+
+<p>"'What happened to him?'</p>
+
+<p>"'I don't know,' said the man; 'he was never able to tell.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Who was he?' I asked.</p>
+
+<p>"'He was a lawyer. My lord did business with him; and one day he was
+speaking of this place, and saying that it was a pity he was not at
+liberty to pull it down and sell the materials; but he cannot, because
+it is family property and goes with the title; and the lawyer said he
+wished it was his, and that no ghost should keep him out of it. My lord
+said that it was easy for any one to say that who knew nothing about it,
+and that he must suppose the family had not abandoned such a fine place
+without good reasons. But the lawyer said it was some trick, and that it
+was coiners, or robbers, who had got a footing in the castle, and
+contrived to frighten people away that they might keep it to themselves;
+so my lord said if he could prove that he should be very much obliged to
+him, and more than that, he would give him a great sum&mdash;I don't know how
+much. So the lawyer said, he would; and my lord wrote to me that he was
+coming to inspect the property, and I was to let him do any thing he
+liked.</p>
+
+<p>"'Well, he came, and with him his son, a fine young man and a soldier.
+They asked me all sorts of questions, and went over the castle and
+examined every part of it. From what they said, I could see that they
+thought the ghost was all nonsense, and that I and my family were in
+collusion with the robbers or coiners. However, I did not care for that,
+my lord knew that the castle had been haunted before I was born.</p>
+
+<p>"'I had prepared rooms on this floor for them&mdash;the same I am preparing
+for your lordship, and they slept there, keeping the keys of the upper
+rooms to themselves, so I did not interfere with them. But one morning,
+very early, we were awakened by some one knocking at our bedroom door,
+and when we opened it, we saw Mr. Thaddeus&mdash;that was the lawyer's
+son&mdash;standing there half-drest and as pale as a ghost; and he said his
+father was very ill and he begged us to go to him; to our surprise he
+led us up stairs to the haunted chamber, and there we found the poor
+gentleman speechless, and we thought they had gone up there early and
+that he had had a stroke. But it was not so; Mr. Thaddeus said, that
+after we were all in bed, they had gone up there to pass the night. I
+know they thought that there was no ghost but us, and that's why they
+would not let us know their intention. They laid down upon some sofas,
+wrapt up in their fur cloaks, and resolved to keep awake, and they did
+so for some time, but at last the young man was overcome by drowsiness,
+he struggled against it, but could not conquer it, and the last thing he
+recollects was his father shaking him and saying 'Thaddeus, Thaddeus,
+for God's sake keep awake!' But he could not, and he knew no more till
+he woke and saw that day was breaking, and found his father sitting in a
+corner of the room speechless, and looking like a corpse; and there he
+was when we went up. The young man thought he'd been taken ill or had a
+stroke, as we supposed at first; but when we found they had passed the
+night in the haunted chambers, we had no doubt what had happened&mdash;he had
+seen some terrible sight and so lost his senses.'</p>
+
+<p>"'He lost his senses, I should say, from terror when his son fell
+asleep,' said I, 'and he felt himself alone. He could have been a man of
+no nerve. At all events, what you tell me raises my curiosity. Will you
+take me up stairs and shew me those rooms?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Willingly,' said the man, and fetching a bunch of keys and a light,
+and calling one of his sons to follow him with another, he led the way
+up the great staircase to a suite of apartments on the first floor. The
+rooms were lofty and large, and the man said the furniture was very
+handsome, but old. Being all covered with canvas cases, I could not
+judge of it. 'Which is the long room?' I said.</p>
+
+<p>"Upon which he led me into a long narrow room that might rather have
+been called a gallery. There were sofas along each side, something like
+a dais at the upper end; and several large pictures hanging on the
+walls.</p>
+
+<p>"I had with me a bull dog, of a very fine breed, that had been given me
+in England by Lord F. She had followed me up stairs&mdash;indeed, she
+followed me every where&mdash;and I watched her narrowly as she went smelling
+about, but there were no indications of her perceiving any thing
+extraordinary. Beyond this gallery there was only a small octagon room,
+with a door that led out upon another staircase. When I had examined it
+all thoroughly, I returned to the long room and told the man, as that
+was the place especially frequented by the ghost, I should feel much
+obliged if he would allow me to pass the night there. I could take upon
+myself to say that Count X., would have no objection.</p>
+
+<p>"'It is not that,' replied the man; 'but the danger to your lordship,'
+and he conjured me not to insist on such a perilous experiment.</p>
+
+<p>"When he found I was resolved, he gave way, but on condition that I
+signed a paper, stating that in spite of his representations I had
+determined to sleep in the long room.</p>
+
+<p>"I confess, the more anxious these people seemed to prevent my sleeping
+there, the more curious I was; not that I believed in the ghost the
+least in the world. I thought that the lawyer had been right in his
+conjecture, but that he hadn't nerve enough to investigate whatever he
+saw or heard; and that they had succeeded in frightening him out of his
+senses. I saw what an excellent place these people had got, and how much
+it was their interest to maintain the idea that the castle was
+uninhabitable. Now, I have pretty good nerves&mdash;I have been in situations
+that have tried them severely&mdash;and I did not believe that any ghost, if
+there was such a thing, or any jugglery by which a semblance of one
+might be contrived, would shake them. As for any real danger, I did not
+apprehend it; the people knew who I was, and any mischief happening to
+me would have led to consequences they well understood. So they lighted
+fires in both the grates of the gallery, and as they had abundance of
+dry wood, they soon blazed up. I was determined not to leave the room
+after I was once in it, lest, if my suspicions were correct, they might
+have time to make their arrangements; so I desired my people to bring up
+my supper, and I ate it there.</p>
+
+<p>"My courier said he had always heard the castle was haunted, but he
+dare say there was no ghost but the people below, who had a very
+comfortable berth of it; and he offered to pass the night with me, but I
+declined any companion and preferred trusting to myself and my dog. My
+valet, on the contrary, strongly advised me against the enterprize,
+assuring me that he had lived with a family in France whose ch&acirc;teau was
+haunted, and had left his place in consequence.</p>
+
+<p>"By the time I had finished my supper it was ten o'clock, and every
+thing was prepared for the night. My bed, though an impromptu, was very
+comfortable, made of amply stuffed cushions and thick coverlets, placed
+in front of the fire. I was provided with light and plenty of wood; and
+I had my regimental cutlass, and a case of excellent pistols, which I
+carefully primed and loaded in presence of the custodian, saying, you
+see I am determined to fire at the ghost, so if he cannot stand a
+bullet, he had better not pay me a visit.</p>
+
+<p>"The old man shook his head calmly, but made no answer. Having desired
+the courier, who said he should not go to bed, to come up stairs
+immediately if he heard the report of fire-arms, I dismissed my people
+and locked the doors, barricading each with a heavy ottoman besides.
+There was no arras or hangings of any sort behind which a door could be
+concealed; and I went round the room, the walls of which were pannelled
+with white and gold, knocking every part, but neither the sound, nor
+Dido, the dog, gave any indications of there being anything unusual.
+Then I undressed and lay down with my sword and my pistols beside me;
+and Dido at the foot of my bed, where she always slept.</p>
+
+<p>"I confess I was in a state of pleasing excitement; my curiosity and my
+love of adventure were roused; and whether it was ghost, or robber, or
+coiner, I was to have a visit from, the interview was likely to be
+equally interesting. It was half-past ten when I lay down; my
+expectations were too vivid to admit of sleep; and after an attempt at a
+French novel, I was obliged to give it up; I could not fix my attention
+to it. Besides, my chief care was not to be surprised. I could not help
+thinking the custodian and his family had some secret way of getting
+into the room, and I hoped to detect them in the fact; so I lay with my
+eyes and ears open in a position that gave me a view of every part of
+it, till my travelling clock struck twelve, which being pre-eminently
+the ghostly hour, I thought the critical moment was arrived. But no, no
+sound, no interruption of any sort to the silence and solitude of the
+night occurred. When half-past twelve, and one struck, I pretty well
+made up my mind that I should be disappointed in my expectations, and
+that the ghost, whoever he was, knew better than to encounter Dido and a
+brace of well charged pistols; but just as I arrived at this conclusion,
+an unaccountable <i>frisson</i> came over me, and I saw Dido, who tired with
+her day's journey, had lain till now quietly curled up asleep, begin to
+move, and slowly get upon her feet. I thought she was only going to
+turn, but, instead of lying down, she stood still with her ears erect
+and her head towards the dais, uttering a low growl.</p>
+
+<p>"The dais, I should mention, was but the skeleton of a dais, for the
+draperies were taken off. There was only remaining a canopy covered with
+crimson velvet, and an arm chair covered with velvet too, but cased in
+canvas like the rest of the furniture. I had examined this part of the
+room thoroughly, and had moved the chair aside to ascertain that there
+was nothing under it.</p>
+
+<p>"Well, I sat up in bed and looked steadily in the same direction as the
+dog, but I could see nothing at first, though it appeared that she did;
+but as I looked, I began to perceive something like a cloud in the
+chair, while at the same time a chill which seemed to pervade the very
+marrow in my bones crept through me, yet the fire was good; and it was
+not the chill of fear, for I cocked my pistols with perfect self
+possession and abstained from giving Dido the signal to advance, because
+I wished eagerly to see the denouement of the adventure.</p>
+
+<p>"Gradually, this cloud took a form, and assumed the shape of a tall
+white figure that reached from the ceiling to the floor of the dais,
+which was raised by two steps. At him, Dido! At him! I said, and away
+she dashed to the steps, but instantly turned and crept back completely
+cowed. As her courage was undoubted, I own this astonished me, and I
+should have fired, but that I was perfectly satisfied that what I saw
+was not a substantial human form, for I had seen it grow into its
+present shape and height from the undefined cloud that first appeared
+in the chair. I laid my hand on the dog who had crept up to my side, and
+I felt her shaking in her skin. I was about to rise myself and approach
+the figure, though I confess I was a good deal awe struck, when it
+stepped majestically from the dais, and seemed to be advancing. 'At
+him!' I said, 'At him, Dido!' and I gave the dog every encouragement to
+go forward; she made a sorry attempt, but returned when she had got half
+way and crouched beside me whining with terror. The figure advanced upon
+me; the cold became icy; the dog crouched and trembled; and I, as it
+approached, honestly confess, said Count P., that I hid my head under
+the bed clothes and did not venture to look up till morning. I know not
+what it was&mdash;as it passed over me I felt a sensation of undefinable
+horror, that no words can describe&mdash;and I can only say that nothing on
+earth would tempt me to pass another night in that room, and I am sure
+if Dido could speak, you'd find her of the same opinion.</p>
+
+<p>"I had desired to be called at seven o'clock, and when the custodian,
+who accompanied my valet, found me safe and in my perfect senses, I
+must say the poor man appeared greatly relieved; and when I descended
+the whole family seemed to look upon me as a hero. I thought it only
+just to them to admit that something had happened in the night that I
+felt impossible to account for, and that I should not recommend any body
+who was not very sure of their nerves to repeat the experiment."</p>
+
+<p>When the Chevalier had concluded this extraordinary story, I suggested
+that the apparition of the castle very much resembled that mentioned by
+the late professor Gregory, in his letters on mesmerism, as having
+appeared in the Tower of London some years ago, and from the alarm it
+created, having occasioned the death of a lady, the wife of an officer
+quartered there, and one of the sentries. Every one who had read that
+very interesting publication was struck by the resemblance.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>ROUND THE FIRE.</h2>
+
+<h2><a name="EIGHTH_EVENING" id="EIGHTH_EVENING"></a>EIGHTH EVENING.</h2>
+
+
+<p>"As this was our last evening, I was called upon for a story; but I
+pleaded that I had told all mine in the 'Night Side of Nature,' and of
+personal experience I had very little to tell; but I said I will give
+you the history of a visit I made several years ago to a haunted house
+although it resulted in almost nothing.</p>
+
+<p>"After the publication of the 'Night Side,' I received many valuable
+communications&mdash;I wish I had kept a note of them all, but I never
+expected to publish again on the same subject. Amongst others, I
+received a letter from a gentleman called Mc. N., and as it contained
+several interesting particulars, I requested him to call on me. I
+remember, in the letter, he told me that a few years previously, he had
+been on an excursion from home, and that while stopping at an inn, one
+morning, about five o'clock, the door opened and his father entered; he
+came to the bedside, looked at him, and then went out again. The young
+man sprang from his bed, and followed him down stairs, where he lost
+sight of him. He returned home, and found his father had died on that
+morning.</p>
+
+<p>"He was in a lawyer's office, and, amongst other things, he mentioned to
+me that there was not very far off a house said to be haunted, of which
+they had the charge, but that it was impossible to do anything with it.
+'We offer it at a mere nominal rent, but no one will stay there.'</p>
+
+<p>"I was often absent from home at this time, but for the next two or
+three years I sometimes met him and inquired about the house. The report
+was always the same; till, at length, no one would go into it; it was
+shut up&mdash;the shutters were closed, and the boys of the neighbourhood
+threw stones at the windows and broke the glass. Yet it was situated in
+a street where every other house was inhabited, and which had not been
+built many years.</p>
+
+<p>"It was as much as six or seven years after I had first heard of this
+house, that I happened to mention the circumstance to some gentlemen of
+my acquaintance&mdash;very eminent men, with honest, inquiring minds; truth
+seekers, who, if she were in the bottom of a well, would have thought it
+right to go after her. As they had humility enough to feel that they
+could not pronounce upon a question that they had never studied or
+investigated, they expressed a wish to visit the house. Accordingly, I
+applied to Mr. Mc. N., who had the keys in his office, and he obligingly
+consented to accompany us. Our expedition was to be kept a profound
+secret; and it was so, till some time afterwards, when, like most other
+secrets, it got wind and it spread abroad.</p>
+
+<p>"We started in a carriage, between eleven and twelve o'clock at night,
+taking with us a young girl who was easily mesmerised, and when in that
+state a good clairvoyante. She was not told the object of our journey,
+and had no means whatever of learning it. We said we were going to look
+at a house, and that that was the most convenient time for the gentleman
+to show it us. We did not drive to the door, but Mr. Mc. N. met us in
+the next street, where we alighted, lest we should attract observation.
+We walked to our destination, and Mr. Mc. N. explained to the policeman
+on duty who he was and where we were going, lest he should suspect
+mischief, and interrupt us. He then unlocked the door with the aid of
+the policeman's lantern, for it was a dark winter's night; and on
+entering, we found ourselves in a narrow passage.</p>
+
+<p>"It was a small house, in no respect different from the others in the
+street. They seemed all of the same description. A narrow frontage, with
+one window and the door, on the ground floor; two windows above; two
+rooms on a floor, three stories in height, and a kitchen, scullery, and
+cellars underground.</p>
+
+<p>"As soon as the door closed on us, we were in utter darkness, but we had
+provided ourselves with candles and matches, and when we had lighted
+them, we entered the back parlour, which Mr. Mc. N. had heard from the
+different inhabitants was the room in which they had met with most
+annoyance.</p>
+
+<p>"The clairvoyante was then put to sleep, and asked if she liked the
+house, and would recommend us to take it. She shuddered and said 'No;
+that two people had been murdered there, and we should be <i>troubled</i>.'
+We asked in which room; she answered, 'it was before this house was
+built&mdash;that another house stood there then&mdash;a very old house.' This was
+not exactly on the same ground, but the room we were in was on part of
+it. She said that it was these murdered people who would trouble us. We
+asked if she could see them, and she answered 'no.'</p>
+
+<p>"We then waited in silence to see if anything occurred; but nothing did,
+except a metallic sound at the door, which was ajar, like the striking
+of two pieces of iron. We all heard it, but could not say what
+occasioned it.</p>
+
+<p>"After a little time, some one suggested that we should extinguish the
+lights. We did so, and were then in absolute darkness. There was but one
+window in the room, and that was coated with dust, and the shutter was
+shut; besides, as I have said, it was a very dark night, and this room,
+being at the back, looked into a yard, I believe; at all events, not
+into a street.</p>
+
+<p>"Presently, the clairvoyante started, and exclaimed, 'Look there!' We
+saw nothing, and asked what it was.</p>
+
+<p>"'There!' she said. 'There again! don't you see it?'</p>
+
+<p>"'What?' we asked. 'The lights!' she said. 'There! Now!' These
+exclamations were made at intervals of two or three seconds.</p>
+
+<p>"We all said we saw nothing whatever.</p>
+
+<p>"'If Mrs. Crowe would take hold of my hand, I think she would see them,'
+she suggested.</p>
+
+<p>"I did so; and then at intervals of a few seconds, I saw thrown up,
+apparently from the floor, waves of white light, faint, but perfectly
+distinct and visible. In order that I might know whether our perceptions
+of this phenomenon were simultaneous, I desired her, without speaking,
+to press my hand each time she saw it, which she did; and each time I
+distinctly saw the wave of white light. I saw it, at these intervals, as
+long as I held her hand and we were in the dark. Nobody saw it but she
+and myself; and we did not follow up the experiment by the others taking
+her hand, which we should have done.</p>
+
+<p>"During this interval, another light suddenly appeared in the middle of
+the room, away from where we were standing, I saw a bright diamond of
+light, like an extremely vivid spark&mdash;only not the colour of fire; it
+was white, brilliant, and quiescent, but shed no rays. I did not mention
+this, because I wished to learn if it was visible to any body else&mdash;but
+nobody spoke of it; not even the clairvoyante. Whether she saw it or
+not, I cannot say. When the candles were re-lighted these lights were no
+longer visible. I and one of the gentlemen went over the house above and
+below, but saw nothing but the dust and desolation of a long uninhabited
+dwelling.</p>
+
+<p>"When we came away, and Mr. Mc. N. had locked the door, we walked to the
+carriage. I said, 'then you none of you saw the waves of light.'</p>
+
+<p>"'No,' said they.</p>
+
+<p>"'Well,' said I, 'I certainly did, and I never saw anything like it
+before. Moreover, I saw another sort of light.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Did you,' said Mr. Mc. N., interrupting me; 'was it a bright spark of
+light like the oxy-hydrogen light.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Exactly,' said I. 'I could not think what to compare it to; but that
+was it.'</p>
+
+<p>"I thus was certain that he had seen the same thing as myself; he had
+not spoken of it from a similar motive; he waited to have his impression
+confirmed by further testimony.</p>
+
+<p>"You see our results were not great, but the visit was not wholly barren
+to me. Of course, many wise people will say, I did not see the lights,
+but that they were the offspring of my excited imagination. But I beg to
+say that my imagination was by no means excited. If I had been there
+<i>alone</i>, it would have been a different affair; for though I never saw a
+ghost nor ever fancied I did, I am afraid I should have been very
+nervous. But I was in exceedingly good company, with two very clever
+men, besides the lawyer, a lady, and the clairvoyante; so that my nerves
+were perfectly composed, as I should not object to seeing any ghost in
+such agreeable society. Moreover, I did not <i>expect</i> any result;
+because, there is very seldom any on these occasions, as ghosts appear
+we know not why; but certainly not because people wish to see them. They
+generally come when least expected and least thought of.</p>
+
+<p>"Mr. Mc. N., on inquiry, learnt that unaccountable lights were amongst
+the things complained of. What occasioned them and the other phenomena,
+it had certainly been the proprietor's interest for many years to
+discover; it had also been the interest of numerous tenants, who having
+taken the house for a term, found themselves obliged to leave it at a
+sacrifice. Yet, for all those years, no explanation could be found for
+the annonyances but that the house was haunted. No tradition seems
+extant to account for its evil reputation. If what the clairvoyante said
+was true, the murders must have occurred long ago.</p>
+
+<p>"A gentleman, an inhabitant of the same city, once mentioned to me that
+a friend of his, many years previously, when quite a young man, had one
+Sunday evening been walking alone in the fields outside this town; and
+that he met a young woman, a perfect stranger, who, on some pretence
+asked him to see her safe home. He did so; she led him to a lone farm
+house, and then inviting him to walk in, shewed him into a room and left
+him. Whilst waiting for her return, idly looking about, he found hidden
+under the table, which was covered with a cloth, a dead body. On this
+discovery, he rushed to the door; it was locked; but the window was not
+very high from the ground, and by it he escaped; terrified to such a
+degree, that he not only left the city that very evening, but hastened
+out of the country, apprehensive that he had been enticed to the house
+and shut up with the murdered man, for the purpose of throwing the guilt
+on him; and as justice was not so clear sighted, and much more
+inexorable than in these days, he feared the circumstantial evidence
+might go against him. He settled in a foreign country and finally died
+there.</p>
+
+<p>"Where this locality was, I don't know, except that it was in the
+environs of the city&mdash;environs which have since been covered with
+buildings; what if the house that we visited should have been erected on
+the site of that lone farm!</p>
+
+<p>"It may be so; at all events, this story shews how possible it is that
+some similar event might have occurred on the spot where the haunted
+house stands."</p>
+
+<p>In conclusion, let me once more recall to my readers that one, whose
+insight none will dispute, reminds us, in relation to this very subject,
+that "our philosophy," does not comprehend all wisdom and all truth.
+Philosophy is a good guide when she opens her eyes, but where she
+obstinately shuts them to one class of facts because she has previously
+made up her mind they cannot be genuine, she is a bad one.</p>
+
+<p>Professor A. told me that when he was at G&ouml;ttingen, as a great favour,
+and through the interest of an influential professor there, he was
+allowed to see a book that had belonged to Faust, or Faustus, as we call
+him. It was a large volume, and the leaves were stiff and hard like
+wood. They contained his magic rites and formulas, but on the last page
+was inscribed a solemn injunction to all men, as they loved their own
+souls, not to follow in his path or practice the teaching that volume
+contained.</p>
+
+<p>There appears to be a mystery out of the domain&mdash;I mean the present
+domain of science; within the region of the hyper-psychical, regarding
+our relations, while in this world, with those who have past the gates,
+a belief in which is, I think, innate in human nature. This belief, in
+certain periods and places, grows rank and mischievous; at others, it is
+almost extinguished by reaction and education; but it never wholly dies;
+because, every where and in all times, circumstances have occurred to
+keep it alive, amongst individuals, which never reach the public ear.
+Now, the truth is always worth ascertaining on any subject; even this
+despised subject of ghosts, and those who have an inherent conviction
+that they themselves are spirits, temporarily clothed in flesh, feel
+that they have an especial interest in the question. We are fully aware
+that the investigation presents all sorts of difficulties, and that the
+belief is opposed to all sorts of accepted opinions; but we desire to
+ascertain the grounds of a persuasion, so nearly concerning ourselves
+which in all ages and all countries has prevailed in a greater or less
+degree, and which appears to be sustained by a vast amount of facts,
+which, however, we admit are not in a condition to be received as any
+thing beyond presumptive evidence. These facts are chiefly valuable, as
+furnishing cumulative testimony of the frequent recurrence of phenomena
+explicable by no known theory, and therefore as open to the spiritual
+hypothesis as any other. When a better is offered, supported by
+something more convincing than pointless ridicule and dogmatic
+assertion, I for one, shall be ready to entertain it. In the meanwhile,
+hoping that time may, at length, in some degree, rend the veil that
+encompasses this department of psychology, we record such experiences as
+come under our observation and are content to await their
+interpretation.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="APPENDIX" id="APPENDIX"></a>APPENDIX.</h2>
+
+
+<p>I have referred in the preceding pages to the loss of several letters,
+which I should have been glad to insert here.</p>
+
+<p>The following very interesting ones I have fortunately retained. I give
+them verbatim, only suppressing the names of the writers, as requested.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<h3>LETTER I.</h3>
+
+
+<p class="right"><i>Aug. 18, 1854.</i></p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Madam</span>,</p>
+
+<p>I have received your kind favor of the 15th, and I really feel that I
+must now apologize to you, for venturing so quickly to call in question
+the accuracy of your details. Being unaware, however, of the marvellous
+coincidence of the <i>two dreams</i>, I feel assured you at once appreciated
+the motives which alone impelled me to write.</p>
+
+<p>Allow me, then, to attempt a narration of the particulars referred to in
+my last, as having come under my own observation.</p>
+
+<p>Two intimate friends of mine (clergymen of the Church of England) and
+one of whom is unmarried, have for the last three years occupied a large
+old-fashioned house in the country. It is a very pretty place&mdash;stands
+within its own grounds&mdash;and is quite aloof from any other dwellings. It
+has long had the reputation in the neighbourhood of being haunted, in
+consequence, it is said, of a former proprietor having committed suicide
+there. The story goes thus, he was <i>laid out</i> in a chamber which is now
+called the spare room, and is the scene of what I am about to relate. I
+may as well tell you that it was only on my last visit, some six weeks
+since, that I became at all aware of the <i>character</i> of the mansion, for
+my friends felt so annoyed at what has taken place, that they purposely
+avoided communicating to their visitors what they thought might make
+them anything but comfortable.</p>
+
+<p>On that occasion there happened to be on a visit to my friend's wife, a
+lady very nearly related to him. She had the spare room assigned to her
+as a chamber, and on the very first night of her arrival was so
+terrified by what took place that she would not again sleep there
+without company.</p>
+
+<p>She stated that in the middle of the night she was alarmed by the most
+unearthly groanings and lamentations&mdash;the voice seemed close to her
+bedside. It was afterwards attended by a rustling noise, and she
+distinctly felt the curtains at the foot of the bed removed. Now, as my
+knowledge of what was going on could not be disputed, my friends
+admitted that it was not the <i>first</i> time these noises had been heard,
+nay, that in two instances the apparition of a form in grave-clothes had
+been seen; the one occurring to a young gentleman of about twenty years
+of age, who happened to be visiting them, and the other to one of their
+own servants. In the former case, it appears that the young man was
+sitting rather late at night in the study reading&mdash;all the family being
+in bed&mdash;when the form emerged, apparently, from the wall dividing the
+study from the haunted chamber. It remained a short time only and then
+melted away. So great was the young man's terror that he has never been
+near the place since. The servant also described a similar appearance,
+and no one in the house who saw her terror could believe it acted.
+Independently of all this, no less than four gentlemen, two of them from
+the University, have experienced all the unearthly groanings and
+be-wailings before mentioned, and in nearly every instance the parties
+were, like myself, ignorant of the character attributed to the house.
+But I now come to my own experience.</p>
+
+<p>I was on a visit to my friends about twelve months since, when I met a
+gentleman who had just left the army for the church. He appeared about
+21 years of age, and there was that indescribable <i>something</i> in his
+manner which charmed me immediately. Without any pretence to being set
+up&mdash;so to speak&mdash;in piety, there was yet <i>that</i> in his sunny countenance
+and air of cheerfulness, which made you feel that he had been called to
+a brighter path of usefulness. I certainly very much admired him, and I
+have since learnt that he is a general favourite. On retiring to rest I
+found that he was to occupy the next room&mdash;not the study side.</p>
+
+<p>From a variety of causes I could not sleep&mdash;but the imaginative powers
+were not particularly aroused&mdash;my thoughts were of very prosy and
+worldly things. As near as I could recollect, about an hour after I had
+been in bed, I heard the most dreadful groans followed by exclamations
+of the most horrible kind. The voice certainly <i>seemed</i> in the room, and
+was continued for at <i>least two hours</i>, at intervals of about ten
+minutes. It was that of a man who had committed a deadly sin which could
+never be pardoned! The agony seemed to me to be intense.</p>
+
+<p>Will you believe it, Madam, in spite of what I thought of my
+acquaintance of the next chamber, I ascribed it to him. I believed
+little in the supernatural, and concluded it to be some dreadful dream.
+It is astonishing the thought never struck me that a <i>continuous</i> dream
+of such a character was scarcely possible. It did not, however, and
+despite of its unearthly character, and the apparent woe of the
+unfortunate one&mdash;the despair, as I said before, of a lost soul&mdash;I
+continued to associate it all with my neighbour next door, until the
+events which occurred at my last visit entirely upset my conviction, and
+I became at once assured I had been doing him a great injustice.</p>
+
+<p>Like some of the cases in the "Night Side of Nature," you will perceive
+here a great difference in the manifestations&mdash;to some it was given to
+<i>hear</i>, to others to <i>see</i>. Are you still of opinion that this results
+from what you term comparative freedom of <i>rapport</i>! Do you not think
+there <i>are</i> times when the material may give place to the supernatural?
+I admit freely the truth of spectral illusions&mdash;I have myself
+experienced one&mdash;but knew it to be nothing more. Still, notwithstanding
+this, and my further belief in a <i>certain</i> connection of mind and
+matter, I cannot altogether cast from me the persuasion that the
+Almighty One may <i>at times</i> think fit to exercise a power independent of
+all rule, for the attainment of certain ends to us, perhaps, unknown.</p>
+
+<p>I cannot conclude without telling you that with regard to what I have
+mentioned above, nothing in the shape of <i>trick</i> could possibly have
+been practised. Trusting I may not have trespassed too much on your
+patience, I will now remain, Madam, yours very respectfully,</p>
+
+<p class="right">J. H. H.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<h3>LETTER II.</h3>
+
+
+<p class="right"><i>Gloucestershire, June 10, 1854.</i></p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Madam</span>,</p>
+
+<p>Being not long ago on a visit of some days at the house of a friend, I
+happened to meet with your work, entitled "The Night side of Nature."</p>
+
+<p>The title struck my imagination, and opening the book I was delighted to
+find that it treated of subjects which had long engaged my serious
+thoughts. I was much pleased to see in you such an able and earnest
+protester against the cold scepticism of the age in reference to truths
+of the highest order, and those too sustained by a body of evidence
+which in any other case would be esteemed irresistible. I must also say
+that I never met with so great a number of well authenticated facts in
+any other work as you have given us, whilst the truly catholic spirit of
+your theological reflections, was to me pecularly refreshing. I once had
+a thought of making a similar collection, that design I have however
+abandoned, the state of my health not admitting of much literary labour.
+I could relate to you many things as remarkable as any you have
+described, for the truth of which I can vouch. I will mention one of a
+most singular nature, and should you be inclined to read anything more
+from me on these matters, I shall feel a pleasure in the communication.
+Writing letters I find to be a relief from a melancholy, induced some
+two years ago by a variety of heavy afflictions, and this must be my
+apology for addressing you. But to my narrative:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>Shortly after I entered the ministry, I was introduced to a gentleman of
+very superior mind who belonged to the same profession, and whom I had
+never seen equalled for the genius and eloquence which his conversation
+displayed.</p>
+
+<p>I became at once attached to him, and for some reason or other he
+evinced a desire to cultivate my friendship. After some months of most
+agreeable intercourse had elapsed, he was taken seriously ill, and one
+evening I was hastily summoned to his house. On my entering his chamber
+he requested that we might be left alone, and he then told me that it
+was his impression that his disease was mortal&mdash;that many supernatural
+occurrances had marked his life, which he desired might be given to the
+world when he was gone, and that he wished me to perform this office.
+Having expressed my willingness to gratify him, he commenced the chapter
+of extraordinaries. Here is one event in his remarkable history. Prior
+to his becoming a minister and when in humble circumstances, he lodged
+at the house of a tradesman at a certain sea-port town in W&mdash;s. He was
+then in perfect health. One night he retired to rest in peculiarly good
+spirits, and as his custom was (for it was then summer) he sat near the
+window and gazed for some time on the beauties of nature. He then amused
+himself for a while by humming a tune, when presently on looking towards
+the door, he saw the figure of a man enter&mdash;his dress was a blood red
+night cap, flannel jacket, and breeches. The man approached the bed (his
+countenance and walk indicating extreme illness), threw himself upon it,
+gave several groans and apparantly expired. My friend was so filled with
+horror that he lost all power of speech and motion, and remained fixed
+on his seat till morning, when he told his landlord the occurrence of
+the night, and declared that unless they could find him other apartments
+he would leave them that very day. The honest people were disinclined to
+part with him and agreed to accommodate him on the ground-floor. About
+<i>twelve months after this</i>, he went out on a market day for the purpose
+of purchasing some provisions, and when he returned, he heard that his
+old room was taken; but what was his surprise to find in the new lodger
+the very form, with the very same dress that had so terrified him a year
+before!</p>
+
+<p>The man was then very ill: he died in a few weeks, and the circumstances
+were without <i>any exception</i> the same as those which my friend had
+witnessed. This is one of those cases in which it is extremely difficult
+to ascertain the design of the appearance.</p>
+
+<p>I should much like to know what conjecture you would form, as to the
+<i>modus</i> and end of such a singular incident.</p>
+
+<p>Of the veracity of the narrator it was impossible for me to doubt. As
+this minister is still <i>living</i> I am not at liberty to mention his
+name.</p>
+
+<p>Pray excuse the freedom of thus addressing you, and believe me to be</p>
+
+<p><span style="margin-left: 25em;">Madam, with every sentiment</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 30em;">of respect and esteem,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 35em;">Yours, very truly,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 25em;">Mrs. C. Crowe.  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   R. I. O.</span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<h3>LETTER III.</h3>
+
+
+<p class="right"><i>Gloucestershire, June 21, 1854.</i></p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Madam</span>,</p>
+
+<p>As I find that another communication will not be unacceptable, I proceed
+to detail a few cases. My first relates to the minister, a part of whose
+history I have given you, and belongs to the class of prophetic dreams.
+When he had resolved to study for the ministry and through the influence
+of friends, had obtained admission to a Dissenting College; as the day
+affixed for his departure drew near, he was filled with anxiety, from
+the fact that he had not even money to pay his travelling expenses.</p>
+
+<p>He did not like to borrow, and he had no reason to conclude that any
+one suspected the miserable state of his finances. The evening before
+his expected removal, he laid down to rest with a troubled heart. This
+was in the very same seaport where the circumstance happened which I
+have already told you. After some hours of great mental suffering sleep
+came to his relief, and in his dream there seemed to approach him one of
+a most pleasing form, who told him that he not only saw that he was in
+distress, but that he well knew the cause of it, and that if he would
+walk down on the beach to a certain place which he pointed out as in a
+picture, he would find under some loose stones enough for his present
+necessities. In the morning, accordingly, almost as soon as it was light
+he hastened to the indicated spot and to his great surprise and delight
+found a sum amounting to a trifle more than was absolutely necessary for
+his journey. I would just, in passing, remark that he said that on
+another occasion, his father who died many years before appeared to him
+with an angry countenance, and assured him that he would suffer much
+from something he had done in reference to his family, but as this was
+evidently an unpleasant and even painful topic I did not wish him to
+enlarge upon it. The other fact I shall mention, happened to my
+grandfather who was also a minister. I am well aware that it is of such
+a nature that the relation of it would in most companies excite a burst
+of laughter or at least a contemptuous and sceptical smile, but I know I
+am addressing one who has studied in a very different school of
+philosophy. It was in the large town of B&mdash;m where my grandfather
+resided for many years, that the event took place. He himself my
+grandfather, my aunts, and my mother used often to tell it to their
+friends when the conversation turned on the supernatural. I have
+probably heard it a hundred times and I am not ashamed to say that on
+the testimony of such a man as my grandfather I cannot but yield to it
+my belief.</p>
+
+<p>One morning when <i>breakfast had just commenced</i>, my grandfather went
+from the table, at which my grandmother also was sitting, into the
+passage, for what purpose I have now forgotten, and there he found (for
+the front door had been standing open,) a strange looking man in black,
+with a shuffling gait and a club foot. He declared that he had an
+instantaneous conviction that this was a supernatural appearance, and
+that a spirit of evil stood before him. The man in black exclaimed,
+moving towards the breakfast room, "I am come to take breakfast with you
+this morning." My grandfather convulsively seizing the handle of the
+door, said, with a stern look, "you are too late sir," to which the
+other instantly replied, "I am not too late for the remnant," and then
+rushed into the street. My grandfather followed, and to his amazement
+saw this creature at the top of the street, which was of great length,
+and in a moment or two he vanished. My grandmother heard a loud talking,
+and when my grandfather returned to the table in considerable agitation,
+she naturally wished to know what had occurred, but as she was near her
+confinement he of course concealed the matter from her. The mysterious
+words of the stranger followed him continually, and he puzzled himself
+in seeking to explain their meaning. In a few days my grandmother was
+confined. The child was dead-born and her life for some time hung in
+jeopardy. He now believed he had arrived at the solution of the
+difficulty&mdash;the infant was the "remnant" referred to.</p>
+
+<p>I am not the subject of remarkable dreams. I had one, however, lately,
+and I give it you because it stands connected in my mind with the
+knowledge of a singular psychical fact which I am confident will greatly
+interest you, if you have not yet fallen upon it in the course of your
+reading. About a fortnight ago I thought I saw in my sleep, a young man,
+who is assistant to our principal surgeon, come into my room, looking
+exceedingly unwell. He laid himself on the other bed in my chamber, and
+I thought that he had come there to linger out his last illness, at
+which I felt not the least surprise or objection. He seemed to be
+perfectly resigned, and presently he began to converse with me, and
+after we had talked for some time, whilst he was replying to something I
+had said, I distinctly saw his spirit rise up out of his body. He gazed
+at the corpse with the deepest interest and pleasure. One moment he
+would stand by the head and survey the face, and the next move to the
+feet, and then gaze at the entire body. He called me to come and stand
+by his side and view this lifeless frame, which I did with as much
+placidity as he seemed himself to possess, and without the slightest
+idea of their being anything absurd in what I saw. I could not,
+however, help saying "O, that I could leave my body and have such a view
+of it as you have now of yours!" I remember no more. In the morning I
+had occasion to call on a friend, who has a large library containing
+many rare books. Not being in the humour for close reading (for I spend
+many hours at a time there) I took up from a centre table a volume of a
+lighter kind. It happened to be Mrs. Child's "Letters from New York."
+Turning the leaves over carelessly, my eye lighted on a chapter headed
+"The spirit surveying its own body!" She there says that she was told by
+a pious lady, that when once in a swoon, she felt that she left the body
+and was <i>standing by it</i> during the whole time it lasted; that she
+distinctly heard every word spoken by the doctor and her family, and saw
+every movement of their countenances, and all that was done with her
+body. I may observe that I have not heard that anything has occurred to
+the young man I saw. If I have not already tired your patience you may
+draw on my memory for something more. A line to that effect will oblige,</p>
+
+<p><span style="margin-left: 30em;">Yours, very truly,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 25em;">Mrs. C. Crowe.  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   R. I. O.</span></p>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<h3>LETTER IV.</h3>
+
+
+<p class="right"><i>Edinburgh, Aug. 10th.</i></p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap">Madam</span>,</p>
+
+<p>In consequence of a long absence abroad, I never had, till recently, an
+opportunity of reading your agreeable work, "The Night side of Nature,"
+which contains a mass of evidence in favour of your theories, to which I
+take the liberty of adding a few cases from my own experience.</p>
+
+<p>Many years ago I lived in a house in Edinburgh, which belonged to my
+mother's relatives, and in which my maternal grandfather had died,
+several years antecedent to my own birth. The room in which I slept was
+that (but at the time unknown to me) in which my relative had expired.
+There were two beds in the room&mdash;one a large four-poster and the other a
+sort of couch. The latter was next the door, and both lay between it and
+the window, which was barred and bolted, and opposite to them was the
+fireplace, with rather a high mantlepiece. Being summer, the "board" was
+on the chimney. It was about eleven o'clock at night; the rest of the
+family had retired to rest. As there were only about two inches of
+candle left, I placed the candlestick on the mantlepiece, intending to
+allow it to burn out, and went to my bed, which was on the couch. I had
+just lain down, and was looking towards the candle, when, to my extreme
+horror, I perceived a tall old man in his night dress, standing by the
+mantlepiece. His sight seemed impaired, for he put forth his hand <i>and
+felt for something</i>, and then moved across the fireplace, in doing
+which, <i>he obscured the light on passing it</i>. My gaze was riveted on
+him. He then turned towards the large bed on my left, and stretching out
+his hands attempted with a feeble effort to lay himself down, and in
+doing so I heard him <i>sigh</i> distinctly. He disappeared almost at the
+same moment. He did not appear to have noticed me. I immediately sprang
+out of bed and opening the door on my right hand, called out loudly, but
+<i>never left the doorway</i>, as I was resolved that if the figure were that
+of a living person there should be no means of egress. On the assembling
+of the family in my room, a search was made; but there was nothing to be
+seen, and there had been no possibility of a human being having been in
+the room; the affair was put down to an <i>illusion</i>. Yet so strong an
+impression did it leave on my mind, that a few years since (1851 or 52),
+when in India, I published in "Saunder's Magazine," printed at the Delhi
+Gazette press, an account of this apparition, in a narrative, which I
+wrote called "Idone, or Incidents in the life of a dreamer," and which
+with the exception of this introductory vision, was, in reality, a
+series of actual dreams of which I had kept a record, and this I
+endeavoured to weave into a vague story, with the view of illustrating
+how a person might live <i>two distinct lives</i>!</p>
+
+<p>Sometime after the above were published, I read with much interest,
+"Swedenborg's Theory of the Spiritual World;" and lately when reading
+your work, I was struck with some peculiar resemblances between my own
+experience and the cases you cite.</p>
+
+<p>But to return to the family and house in Edinburgh, of my grandfather.
+Other members of the family have seen unaccountable figures in the same
+house. An aunt of mine and a cousin, one night, met an old woman on the
+stairs with a large bunch of keys, and were in the greatest alarm. On
+another occasion, on going to open a room which had been locked up for
+some time, in order to prepare it for the reception of my eldest uncle,
+who had just returned that night from abroad, two members of the family
+started back and locked the door again, for on entering they had both
+seen the <i>mattrass &amp;c. violently heaved up</i>. On returning with the
+servants, nothing was visible of an unusual description. Again, two
+relatives occupied the same room, and one night, as the fire was burning
+low, after they had gone to bed (the door being locked) they were
+alarmed by a sound like wings, over their beds, and by a <i>dusky form</i>
+moving about the room. It walked up to the fireplace and seemed
+restless. When it had disappeared, they both rose and <i>unlocked</i> the
+door, called for assistance, but, as usual, nothing of their visitor was
+to be seen. A still more remarkable incident occurred in the same house.
+As two of my aunts were sitting opposite the window, at night, they were
+startled by the apparition of an absent brother-in-law looking in, and
+with a pen in his hand. A few days afterwards the intelligence of his
+death arrived. He had been <i>signing his will</i> at the exact time they
+had seen his apparation. My eldest uncle shortly after his return from
+abroad went to Musselburgh to visit an old school-master, and as he
+entered the yard he observed him limping into the school. He tried to
+overtake him, and on reaching the door he met one of the tutors, who
+informed him that the Dr. had been confined to his bed for some time
+with a broken leg.</p>
+
+<p>The same uncle, who was an officer in the army, dreamt that he had
+obtained his captaincy by the retirement of an officer of the name of
+Patterson (so far as I remember.) There was no such officer then in the
+regiment, and he mentioned it as strange that he should have dreamt of a
+<i>particular</i> name. A few Gazettes afterwards my uncle obtained his
+promotion by an officer of <i>this</i> name being <i>brought in from the
+half-pay to sell out in the same Gazette</i>.</p>
+
+<p>I have myself heard the most remarkable and unaccountable noises in my
+grandfather's house. The servants were often in the greatest terror. I
+have heard, seemingly, the whole of the furniture, in a particular room,
+thrown violently about, accompanied with the noise of something rolling
+on the floor. At other times I have distinctly heard, as it were, a
+boy's marble falling step by step down the stairs and striking against
+my door, which was at the foot of them, and yet this was at night, and
+there were no children in the house. This annoyance, with that of steps
+heard round my bed, was so common as to cease to make any impression on
+me.</p>
+
+<p>I may mention that my grandfather was not happy in his family relations,
+and died in an uneasy frame of mind, on Christmas eve, 1820. Since my
+family sold his house, I have never heard that its new occupants were
+disturbed.</p>
+
+<p>I have at different periods of my life had <i>groups</i>, as it were, of very
+remarkable allegorical dreams.</p>
+
+<p>It is somewhat singular that involuntary efforts may be made during
+sleep, which are I believe beyond the bounds of possibility during
+waking moments. Indeed the curious phenomena which you have so ably
+criticised, are without limit.</p>
+
+<p>Though you do not approve of the concealment of names, I hope you will
+excuse my asking you to do so in the present instance as many of the
+parties concerned might be displeased.</p>
+
+<p><span style="margin-left: 25em;">I have the honour to remain,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 30em;">Madam,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 27em;">Your obedient servant,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 20em;">Mrs. Catherine Crowe.  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;   H. A.</span></p>
+
+
+<p>"P.S. I know two remarkable instances of prophetic denunciation or the
+power of will, under, of course, the control of Providence. In one
+instance, the death of the party denounced, followed on the week
+predicted, although at the time he was well. Moreover, the denunciation
+was never mentioned to him.</p>
+
+<p>"In the other instance, the accomplishment of the denunciation was
+accomplished to the exact day, and under very remarkable circumstances.
+I believe this power to be <i>involuntary</i>, and more of the nature of
+inspiration."</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>SECOND PART.</h2>
+
+<h3>LEGENDS OF THE EARTHBOUND.</h3>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_ITALIANS_STORY" id="THE_ITALIANS_STORY"></a>THE ITALIAN'S STORY.</h2>
+
+
+<p>"How well your friend speaks English!" I remarked one day to an
+acquaintance when I was abroad, alluding to a gentleman who had just
+quitted the room. "What is his name?"</p>
+
+<p>"Count Francesco Ferraldi."</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose he has been in England?"</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, yes; he was exiled and taught Italian there. His history is very
+curious and would interest you, who like wonderful things."</p>
+
+<p>"Can you tell it me."</p>
+
+<p>"Not correctly, as I never heard it from himself. But I believe he has
+no objection to tell it&mdash;with the exception of the political
+transactions in which he was concerned, and which caused his being sent
+out of the Austrian dominions; that part of it I believe he thinks it
+prudent not to allude to. We'll ask him to dinner, if you'll meet him,
+and perhaps we may persuade him to tell the story."</p>
+
+<p>Accordingly, the meeting took place; we dined <i>en petit comit&eacute;</i>,&mdash;and
+the Count very good-naturedly yielded to our request; "but you must
+excuse me," he said, "beginning a long way back for my story commences
+three hundred years ago.</p>
+
+<p>"Our family claims to be of great antiquity, but we were not very
+wealthy till about the latter half of the 16th century, when Count
+Jacopo Ferraldi made very considerable additions to the property; not
+only by getting, but also by saving&mdash;he was in fact a miser. Before that
+period the Ferraldis had been warriors, and we could boast of many
+distinguished deeds of arms recorded in our annals; but Jacopo, although
+by the death of his brother, he ultimately inherited the title and the
+estates, had begun life as a younger son, and being dissatisfied with
+his portion, had resolved to increase it by commerce.</p>
+
+<p>"Florence then was a very different city to what it is now; trade
+flourished, and its merchants had correspondence and large dealings with
+all the chief cities of Europe. My ancestor invested his little fortune
+so judiciously, or so fortunately, that he trebled it in his first
+venture; and as people grow rapidly rich who gain and don't spend, he
+soon had wealth to his heart's content&mdash;but I am wrong in using that
+term as applied to him&mdash;he was never content with his gains but still
+worked on to add to them, for he grew to love the money for itself, and
+not for what it might purchase.</p>
+
+<p>"At length, his two elder brothers died, and as they left no issue he
+succeeded to their inheritance, and dwelt in the palace of his
+ancestors; but instead of circulating his riches he hoarded them; and
+being too miserly to entertain his friends and neighbours, he lived like
+an anchorite in his splendid halls, exulting in his possessions but
+never enjoying them. His great pleasure and chief occupation seems to
+have been counting his money, which he kept either hidden in strange
+out-of-the-way places, or in strong iron chests, clamped to the floors
+and walls. But notwithstanding those precautions and that he guarded it
+like a watch dog, to his great dismay he one day missed a sum of two
+thousand pounds which he had concealed in an ingeniously contrived
+receptacle under the floor of his dining-room, the existence of which
+was only known to the man who made it; at least, so he believed. Small
+as was this sum in proportion to what he possessed, the shock was
+tremendous; he rushed out of his house like a madman with the intention
+of dragging the criminal to justice, but when he arrived at the man's
+shop he found him in bed and at the point of death. His friends and the
+doctor swore that he had not quitted it for a fortnight; in short,
+according to their shewing, he was taken ill on his return from working
+at the Count's, the very day he finished the job.</p>
+
+<p>"If this were true, he could not be the thief, as the money was not
+deposited there till some days afterwards, and although the Count had
+his doubts, it was not easy to disprove what everybody swore, more
+especially as the man died on the following day, and was buried. Baffled
+and furious, he next fell foul of his two servants&mdash;he kept but two, for
+he only inhabited a small part of the palace. There was not the smallest
+reason to suspect them, nor to suppose they knew anything of the hiding
+place, for every precaution had been used to conceal it; moreover, he
+had found it locked as he himself had locked it after depositing the
+money, and he was quite sure the key had never been absent from his own
+person. Nevertheless, he discharged them and took no others. The thief,
+whoever he was, had evinced so much ingenuity, that he trembled to think
+what such skill might compass with opportunity. So he resolved to afford
+none; and henceforth to have his meals sent in from a neighbouring
+eating-house, and to have a person once a week to sweep and clean his
+rooms, whom he could keep an eye on while it was doing. As he had no
+clue to the perpetrators of the robbery, and the man whom he had most
+reason to suspect was dead, he took no further steps in the business,
+but kept it quiet lest he should draw too much attention towards his
+secret hoards; nevertheless, though externally calm, the loss preyed
+upon his mind and caused him great anguish.</p>
+
+<p>"Shortly after this occurrence, he received a letter from a sister of
+his who had several years before married an Englishman, saying that her
+husband was dead, and it being advisable that her dear and only son
+should enter into commerce, that she was going to send him to Florence,
+feeling assured that her brother would advise him for the best, and
+enable him to employ the funds he brought with him advantageously.</p>
+
+<p>"This was not pleasing intelligence; he did not want to promote any
+body's interest but his own, and he felt that the young man would be a
+spy on his actions, an intruder in his house, and no doubt an expectant
+and greedy heir, counting the hours till he died; for this sister and
+her family were his nearest of kin, and would inherit if he left no will
+to the contrary. However, his arrival could not be prevented; letters
+travelled slowly in those days, and ere his could reach England his
+nephew would have quitted it, so he resolved to give him a cold
+reception and send him back as soon as he could.</p>
+
+<p>"In the mean time, the young man had started on his journey, full of
+hope and confidence, and immediately on his arrival hastened to present
+himself to this rich uncle who was to shew him the path he had himself
+followed to fortune. It was not for his own sake alone he coveted
+riches, but his mother and sister were but poorly provided for, and they
+had collected the whole of their little fortune and risked it upon this
+venture, hoping, with the aid of their relative, to be amply repaid for
+the present sacrifice.</p>
+
+<p>"A fine open countenanced lad was Arthur Allen, just twenty years of
+age; such a face and figure had not beamed upon those old halls for many
+a day. Well brought up and well instructed too; he spoke Italian as well
+as English, his mother having accustomed him to it from infancy.</p>
+
+<p>"Though he had heard his uncle was a miser, he had no conception of the
+amount to which the mania had arisen; and his joyous anticipations were
+somewhat damped when he found himself so coldly received, and when he
+looked into those hard grey eyes and contracted features that had never
+expanded with a genial smile; so fearing the old man might be
+apprehensive that he had come as an applicant for assistance to set him
+up in trade, he hastened to inform him of the true state of the case,
+saying that they had got together two thousand pounds.</p>
+
+<p>"'Of course, my mother,' he said, 'would not have entrusted my
+inexperience with such a sum; but she desired me to place it in your
+hands, and to act entirely under your direction.</p>
+
+<p>"To use the miser's own expression&mdash;for we have learnt all these
+particulars from a memoir left by himself&mdash;'When I heard these words the
+devil entered into me, and I bade the youth bring the money and dine
+with me on the following day.'</p>
+
+<p>"I daresay you will think the devil had entered into him long before;
+however, now he recognized his presence, but that did not deter him from
+following his counsel.</p>
+
+<p>"Pleased that he had so far thawed his uncle's frigidity, Arthur arrived
+the next day with his money bags at the appointed hour, and was received
+in an inner chamber; their contents were inspected and counted, and then
+placed in one of the old man's iron chests. Soon afterwards the tinkle
+of a bell announced that the waiter from the neighbouring traiteur's had
+brought the dinner, and the host left the room to see that all was
+ready. Presently he re-entered, and led his guest to the table. The
+repast was not sumptuous, but there was a bottle of old Lacryma Christi
+which he much recommended, and which the youth tasted with great
+satisfaction. But strange! He had no sooner swallowed the first glass,
+than his eyes began to stare&mdash;there was a gurgle in his throat&mdash;a
+convulsion passed over his face&mdash;and his body stiffened.</p>
+
+<p>"'I did not look up,' says the old man in his memoir, 'for I did not
+like to see the face of the boy that had sat down so hearty to his
+dinner, so I kept on eating mine&mdash;but I heard the gurgle, and I knew
+what had happened; and presently lest the servant should come to fetch
+the dinner things, I pushed the table aside and opened the receptacle
+from which my two thousand pounds had been stolen&mdash;curses on the thief!
+and I laid the body in it, and the wine therewith. I locked it and drove
+in two strong nails. Then I put back the table&mdash;moved away the lad's
+chair and plate, unlocked the door which was fast, and sat down to
+finish my dinner. I could not help chuckling as I ate, to think how his
+had been spoilt.</p>
+
+<p>"'I closed up that apartment, as I thought there might be a smell that
+would raise observation, and I selected one on the opposite side of the
+gallery for my dining-room. All went well till the following day. I
+counted my two thousand pounds again and again, and I kept gloating
+over the recovery of it&mdash;for I felt as if it was my own money, and that
+I had a right to seize it where I could. I wrote also to my sister,
+saying, that her son had not arrived; but that when he did, I would do
+my best to forward his views. My heart was light that day&mdash;they say
+that's a bad sign.</p>
+
+<p>"'Yes, all was so far well; but the next day we were two of us at
+dinner! And yet I had invited no guest; and the next and the next, and
+so on always! As I was about to sit down, he entered and took a chair
+opposite me, an unbidden guest. I ceased dining at home, but it made no
+difference; he came, dine where I would. This preyed upon me; I tried
+not to mind, but I could not help it. Argument was vain. I lost my
+appetite, and was reduced nearly to death's door. At last, driven to
+desperation, I consulted Fra Guiseppe. He had been a fast fellow in his
+time, and it was said had been too impatient for his father's
+succession; howbeit, the old man died suddenly; Guiseppe spent the money
+and then took to religion. I thought he was a proper person to consult,
+so I told him my case. He recommended repentance and restitution. I
+tried, but I could not repent, for I had got the money; but I thought,
+perhaps, if I parted with it to another, I might be released; so I
+looked about for an advantageous purchase, and hearing that Bartolomeo
+Malfi was in difficulties, I offered him two thousand pounds, money
+down, for his land&mdash;I knew it was worth three times the sum. We signed
+the agreement, and then I went home and opened the door of the room
+where it was; but lo! he sat there upon the chest where the money was
+fast locked, and I could not get it. I peeped in two or three times, but
+he was always there; so I was obliged to expend other moneys in this
+purchase, which vexed me, albeit the bargain was a good one. Then I
+consulted friend Guiseppe again, and he said nothing would do but
+restitution&mdash;but that was hard, so I waited; and I said to myself, I'll
+eat and care not whether he sit there or no. But woe be to him! he
+chilled the marrow of my bones, and I could not away with him; so I said
+one day, "What if I go to England with the money?" and he bowed his
+head.'</p>
+
+<p>"The old man accordingly took the moneybags from the chest and started
+for England. His sister and her daughter were still living in the house
+they had inhabited during the husband's lifetime; in short, it was their
+own; and being attached to the place they hoped, if the young man
+succeeded in his undertakings, to be able to keep it. It was a small
+house with a garden full of flowers, which the ladies cultivated
+themselves. The village church was close at hand, and the churchyard
+adjoined the garden. The poor ladies had become very uneasy at not
+hearing of Arthur's arrival; and when the old man presented himself and
+declared he had never seen anything of him, great was their affliction
+and dismay; for it was clear that either some misfortune had happened to
+the boy, or he had appropriated the money and gone off in some other
+direction. They scarcely admitted the possibility of the last
+contingency, although it was the one their little world universally
+adopted, in spite of his being a very well conducted and affectionate
+youth; but people said it was too great a temptation for his years, and
+blamed his mother for entrusting him with so much money. Whichever it
+was, the blow fell very heavy on them in all ways, for Arthur was their
+sole stay and support, and they loved him dearly.</p>
+
+<p>"Since he had set out on this journey, the old man had been relieved
+from the company of his terrible guest, and was beginning to recover
+himself a little, but it occasioned him a severe pang when he remembered
+that this immunity was to be purchased with the sacrifice of two
+thousand pounds, and he set himself to think how he could jockey the
+ghost. But while he was deliberating on this subject, an event happened
+that alarmed him for the immediate safety of the money.</p>
+
+<p>"He had found on the road, that the great weight of a certain chest he
+brought with him, had excited observation whenever his luggage had to be
+moved; on his arrival two labouring men had been called in to carry it
+into the house, and he had overheard some remarks that induced him to
+think they had drawn a right conclusion with regard to its contents.
+Subsequently, he saw these two men hovering about the house in a
+suspicious manner, and he was afraid to leave it or to go to sleep at
+night, lest he should be robbed.</p>
+
+<p>"So far we learn from Jocopo Ferraldi himself; but there the memoir
+stops. Tradition says that he was found one morning murdered in his bed
+and his chest rifled. All the family, that is the mother and daughter
+and their one servant, were accused of the murder; and notwithstanding
+their protestation of innocence were declared guilty and executed.</p>
+
+<p>"The memoir I have quoted was found on his dressing table, and he
+appears to have been writing it when he was surprised by the assassins;
+for the last words were&mdash;'I think I've baulked them, and nobody will
+understand the&mdash;' then comes a large blot and a mark, as if the pen had
+fallen out of his hand. It seems wonderful that this man, so suspicious
+and secretive, should thus have entrusted to paper what it was needful
+he should conceal; but the case is not singular; it has been remarked in
+similar instances, when some dark mystery is pressing on a human soul,
+that there exists an irresistible desire to communicate it,
+notwithstanding the peril of betrayal; and when no other confident can
+be found, the miserable wretch has often had recourse to paper.</p>
+
+<p>"The family of Arthur Allen being now extinct, a cousin of Jacopo's,
+who was a penniless soldier, succeeded to the title and estate, and the
+memoir, with a full account of what had happened, being forwarded to
+Italy, enquiries were made about the missing two thousand pounds; but it
+was not forthcoming; and it was at first supposed that the ladies had
+had some accomplice who had carried it off. Subsequently, however, one
+of the two men who had borne the money chest into the house, at the
+period of the old man's arrival, was detected in endeavouring to dispose
+of some Italian gold coin and a diamond ring, which Jacopo was in the
+habit of wearing. This led to investigation, and he ultimately confessed
+to the murder committed by himself and his companion, thus exonerating
+the unfortunate woman. He nevertheless declared that they had not rifled
+the strong box, as they could not open it, and were disturbed by the
+barking of a dog before they could search for the keys. The box itself
+they were afraid to carry away, it being a remarkable one and liable to
+attract notice; and that therefore their only booty was some loose coin
+and some jewels that were found on the old man's person. But this was
+not believed, especially as his accomplice was not to be found, and
+appeared, on enquiry, to have left that part of the country immediately
+after the catastrophe.</p>
+
+<p>"There the matter rested for nearly two centuries and a half. Nobody
+sorrowed for Jacopo Ferraldi, and the fate of the Allens was a matter of
+indifference to the public, who was glad to see the estate fall into the
+hands of his successor, who appears to have made a much better use of
+his riches. The family in the long period that elapsed, had many
+vicissitudes; but at the period of my birth my father inhabited the same
+old palace, and we were in tolerably affluent circumstances. I was born
+there, and I remember as a child the curiosity I used to feel about the
+room with the secret receptacle under the floor where Jacopo had buried
+the body of his guest. It had been found there and received Christian
+burial; but the receptacle still remained, and the room was shut up
+being said to be haunted. I never <i>saw</i> anything extraordinary, but I
+can bear witness to the frightful groans and moans that issued from it
+sometimes at night, when, if I could persuade anybody to accompany me, I
+used to stand in the gallery and listen with wonder and awe. But I
+never passed the door alone, nor would any of the servants do so after
+dark. There had been an attempt made to exclude the sounds by walling up
+the door; but so far from this succeeding they became twenty times
+worse, and as the wall was a disfigurement as well as a failure, the
+unquiet spirit was placated by taking it down again.</p>
+
+<p>"The old man's memoir is always preserved amongst the family papers, and
+his picture still hangs in the gallery. Many strangers who have heard
+something of this extraordinary story, have asked to see it. The palace
+is now inhabited by an Austrian nobleman,&mdash;whether the ghost continues
+to annoy the inmates by his lamentations I do not know.</p>
+
+<p>"'I now,' said Count Francesco, 'come to my personal history. Political
+reasons a few years since obliged me to quit Italy with my family. I had
+no resources except a little ready money that I had brought with me, and
+I had resolved to utilise some musical talent which I had cultivated for
+my amusement. I had not voice enough to sing in public, but I was
+capable of giving lessons and was considered, when in Italy, a
+successful amateur. I will not weary you with the sad details of my
+early residence in England; you can imagine the difficulties that an
+unfortunate foreigner must encounter before he can establish a
+connexion. Suffice it to say that my small means were wholly exhausted,
+and that very often I, and what was worse, my wife and child were in
+want of bread, and indebted to one of my more prosperous countrymen for
+the very necessaries of life. I was almost in despair, and I do not know
+what rash thing I might have done if I had been a single man; but I had
+my family depending on me, and it was my duty not to sink under my
+difficulties however great they were.</p>
+
+<p>"One night I had been singing at the house of a nobleman, in St. James's
+Square, and had received some flattering compliments from a young man
+who appeared to be very fond of Italian music, and to understand it. My
+getting to this party was a stroke of good luck in the first instance,
+for I was quite unknown to the host, but Signor A. an acquaintance of
+mine, who had been engaged for the occasion, was taken ill at the last
+moment, and had sent me with a note of introduction to supply his
+place.</p>
+
+<p>"I knew, of course, that I should be well paid for my services, but I
+would have gladly accepted half the sum I expected if I could have had
+it that night, for our little treasury was wholly exhausted, and we had
+not sixpence to purchase a breakfast for the following day. When the
+great hall door shut upon me, and I found myself upon the pavement, with
+all that luxury and splendour on one side, and I and my desolation on
+the other, the contrast struck me cruelly, for I too had been rich, and
+dwelt in illuminated palaces, and had a train of liveried servants at my
+command, and sweet music had echoed through my halls. I felt desperate,
+and drawing my hat over my eyes I began pacing the square, forming wild
+plans for the relief or escape from my misery. No doubt I looked
+frantic; for you know we Italians have such a habit of gesticulating,
+that I believe my thoughts were accompanied by movements that must have
+excited notice; but I was too much absorbed to observe anything, till I
+was roused by a voice saying, 'Signor Ferraldi, still here this damp
+chilly night! Are you not afraid for your voice&mdash;it is worth taking care
+of.'</p>
+
+<p>"'To what purpose,' I said savagely, 'It will not give me bread!'</p>
+
+<p>"If the interruption had not been so sudden, I should not have made such
+an answer, but I was surprised into it before I knew who had addressed
+me. When I looked up I saw it was the young man I had met at Lord L.'s,
+who had complimented me on my singing. I took off my hat and begged his
+pardon, and was about to move away, when he took my arm.</p>
+
+<p>"'Excuse me,' he said, 'let us walk together,' and then after a little
+pause, he added, with an apology, 'I think you are an exile.'</p>
+
+<p>"'I am,' I said.</p>
+
+<p>"'And I think,' he continued, 'I have surprised you out of a secret that
+you would not voluntarily have told me. I know well the hardships that
+beset many of your countrymen&mdash;as good gentlemen as we are
+ourselves&mdash;when you are obliged to leave your country; and I beg
+therefore you will not think me impertinent or intrusive, if I beg you
+to be frank with me and tell me how you are situated!'</p>
+
+<p>"This offer of sympathy was evidently so sincere, and it was so welcome,
+at such a moment, that I did not hesitate to comply with my new friend's
+request&mdash;I told him everything&mdash;adding that in time I hoped to get
+known, and that then I did not fear being able to make my way; but that
+meanwhile we were in danger of starving.</p>
+
+<p>"During this conversation we were walking round and round the square,
+where in fact he lived. Before we parted at his own door, he had
+persuaded me to accept of a gift, I call it, for he had then no reason
+to suppose I should ever be able to repay him, but he called it an
+advance of ten guineas upon some lessons I was to give him; the first
+instalment of which was to be paid the following day.</p>
+
+<p>"I went home with a comparitively light heart, and the next morning
+waited on my friendly pupil, whom I found, as I expected, a very
+promising scholar. He told me with a charming frankness, that he had not
+much influence in fashionable society, for his family, though rich, was
+<i>parvenue</i>, but he said he had two sisters, as fond of music as himself,
+who would be shortly in London, and would be delighted to take lessons,
+as I had just the voice they liked to sing with them.</p>
+
+<p>"This was the first auspicious incident that had occurred to me, nor did
+the omen fail in its fulfilment. I received great kindness from the
+family when they came to London. I gave them lessons, sung at their
+parties, and they took every opportunity of recommending me to their
+friends.</p>
+
+<p>"When the end of the season approached, however, I felt somewhat anxious
+about the future&mdash;there would be no parties to sing at, and my pupils
+would all be leaving town; but my new friends, whose name, by the way,
+was Greathead, had a plan for me in their heads, which they strongly
+recommended me to follow. They said they had a house in the country with
+a large neighbourhood&mdash;in fact, near a large watering-place; and that if
+I went there during the summer months, they did not doubt my getting
+plenty of teaching; adding, 'We are much greater people there than we
+are here, you see; and our recommendation will go a great way.'</p>
+
+<p>"I followed my friend's advice, and soon after they left London, I
+joined them at Salton, which was the name of their place. As I had left
+my wife and children in town, with very little money, I was anxious that
+they should join me as soon as possible; and therefore the morning after
+my arrival, I proceeded to look for a lodging at S., and to take
+measures to make my object known to the residents and visitors there.
+My business done, I sent my family directions for their journey, and
+then returned to Salton to spend a few days, as I had promised my kind
+patrons.</p>
+
+<p>"The house was modern, in fact it had been built by Mr. Greathead's
+grandfather, who was the architect of their fortunes; the grounds were
+extensive, and the windows looked on a fine lawn, a picturesque ruin, a
+sparkling rivulet, and a charming flower-garden; there could not be a
+prettier view than that we enjoyed while sitting at breakfast. It was my
+first experience of the lovely and graceful English homes, and it fully
+realised all my expectations, both within doors and without. After
+breakfast Mr. Greathead and his son asked me to accompany them round the
+grounds, as they were contemplating some alterations.</p>
+
+<p>"'Among other things,' said Mr. G., 'we want to turn this rivulet; but
+my wife has a particular fancy for that old hedge, which is exactly in
+the way, and she won't let me root it up.'</p>
+
+<p>"The hedge alluded to enclosed two sides of the flower-garden, but
+seemed rather out of place, I thought.</p>
+
+<p>"'Why?' said I. 'What is Mrs. Greathead's attachment to the hedge?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Why? it's very old; it formerly bordered the churchyard, for that old
+ruin you see there, is all that remains of the parish church; and this
+flower-garden, I fancy, is all the more brilliant for the rich soil of
+the burial-ground. But what is remarkable is, that the hedge and that
+side of the garden are full of Italian flowers, and always have been so
+as long as anybody can remember. Nobody knows how it happens, but they
+must spring up from some old seeds that have been long in the ground.
+Look at this cyclamen growing wild in the hedge.'</p>
+
+<p>"The subject of the alterations was renewed at dinner, and Mrs.
+Greathead, still objecting to the removal of the hedge, her younger son,
+whose name was Harry, said, 'It is very well for mamma to pretend it is
+for the sake of the flowers, but I am quite sure that the real reason is
+that she is afraid of offending the ghost.'</p>
+
+<p>"'What nonsence, Harry,' she said. 'You must not believe him, Mr.
+Ferraldi.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Well mamma,' said the boy, 'you know you will never be convinced that
+that was not a ghost you saw.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Never mind what it was,' she said; 'I won't have the hedge removed.
+Presently,' she added, 'I suppose you would laugh at the idea of anybody
+believing in a ghost, Mr. Ferraldi.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Quite the contrary,' I answered; 'I believe in them myself, and upon
+very good grounds, for we have a celebrated ghost in our family.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Well,' she said, 'Mr. Greathead and the boys laugh at me; but when I
+came to live here, upon the death of Mr. Greathead's grandfather,&mdash;for
+his father never inhabited the place, having died by an accident before
+the old gentleman,&mdash;I had never heard a word of the place being haunted;
+and, perhaps, I should not have believed it if I had. But, one evening,
+when the younger children were gone to bed, and Mr. Greathead and George
+were sitting with some friends in the dining-room, I, and my sister, who
+was staying with me, strolled into the garden. It was in the month of
+August, and a bright starlight night. We were talking on a very
+interesting matter, for my sister had that day, received an offer from
+the gentleman she afterwards married. I mention that, to show you that
+we were not thinking of anything supernatural, but, on the contrary,
+that our minds were quite absorbed with the subject we were discussing.
+I was looking on the ground, as one often does, when listening intently
+to what another person is saying; my sister was speaking, when she
+suddenly stopped, and laid her hand on my arm, saying, 'Who's that?'</p>
+
+<p>"'I raised my eyes and saw, not many yards from us, an old man, withered
+and thin, dressed in a curious antique fashion, with a high peaked hat
+on his head. I could not conceive who he could be, or what he could be
+doing there, for it was close to the flower-garden; so we stood still to
+observe him. I don't know whether you saw the remains of an old
+tombstone in a corner of the garden? It is said to be that of a former
+rector of the parish; the date, 1550, is still legible upon it. The old
+man walked from one side of the hedge to that stone, and seemed to be
+counting his steps. He walked like a person pacing the ground, to
+measure it; then he stopped, and appeared to be noting the result of
+his measurement with a pencil and paper he held in his hand; then he did
+the same thing, the other side of the hedge, pacing up to the tombstone
+and back.</p>
+
+<p>"'There was a talk, at that time, of removing the hedge, and digging up
+the old tombstone; and it occurred to me, that my husband might have
+been speaking to somebody about it, and that this man might be concerned
+in the business, though, still, his dress and appearance puzzled me. It
+seemed odd, too, that he took no notice of us; and I might have
+remarked, that we heard no footsteps, though we were quite close enough
+to do so; but these circumstances did not strike me then. However, I was
+just going to advance, and ask him what he was doing? when I felt my
+sister's hand relax the hold she had of my arm, and she sank to the
+ground; at the same instant I lost sight of the mysterious old man, who
+suddenly disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>"'My sister had not fainted; but she said her knees had bent under her,
+and she had slipt down, collapsed by terror. I did not feel very
+comfortable myself, I assure you; but I lifted her up, and we hastened
+back to the house and told what we had seen. The gentlemen went out,
+and, of course, saw nothing, and laughed at us; but shortly afterwards,
+when Harry was born, I had a nurse from the village, and she asked me
+one day, if I had ever happened to see "the old gentleman that walks!" I
+had ceased to think of the circumstance, and inquired what old gentleman
+she meant? and then she told me that, long ago, a foreign gentleman had
+been murdered here; that is, in the old house that Mr. Greathead's
+grandfather pulled down when he built this; and that, ever since, the
+place has been haunted, and that nobody will pass by the hedge, and the
+old tombstone after dark; for that is the spot to which the ghost
+confines himself.'</p>
+
+<p>"'But I should think,' said I, 'that so far from desiring to preserve
+these objects, you would rather wish them removed, since the ghost
+would, probably, cease to visit the spot at all.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Quite the contrary,' answered Mrs. G. 'The people of the neighbourhood
+say, that the former possessor of the place entertained the same idea,
+and had resolved to remove them; but that then, the old man became very
+troublesome, and was even seen in the house; the nurse positively
+assured me, that her mother had told her, old Mr. Greathead had also
+intended to remove them; but that he quite suddenly counter-ordered the
+directions he had given, and, though he did not confess to anything of
+the sort, the people all believed that he had seen the ghost. Certain,
+it is, that this hedge has always been maintained by the proprietors of
+the place.'</p>
+
+<p>"The young men laughed and quizzed their mother for indulging in such
+superstitions; but the lady was quite firm in her opposition, alledging,
+that independently of all considerations connected with the ghost, she
+liked the hedge on account of the wild Italian flowers; and she liked
+the old tombstone on account of its antiquity.</p>
+
+<p>"Consequently, some other plan was devised for Mr. Greathead's
+alterations, which led the course of the rivulet quite clear of the
+hedge and the tombstone.</p>
+
+<p>"In a few days, my family arrived, and I established myself at S., for
+the summer. The speculation answered very well, and through the
+recommendations of Mr. and Mrs. Greathead, and their personal kindness
+to myself and my wife, we passed the time very pleasantly. When the
+period for our returning to London approached, they invited us to spend
+a fortnight with them before our departure, and, accordingly, the day we
+gave up our lodgings, we removed to Salton.</p>
+
+<p>"Preparations for turning the rivulet had then commenced; and soon after
+my arrival, I walked out with Mr. Greathead to see the works. There was
+a boy, about fourteen, amongst the labourers; and while we were standing
+close to him, he picked up something, and handed it to Mr. G., saying,
+'Is this yours, sir?' which, on examination, proved to be a gold coin of
+the sixteenth century,&mdash;the date on it was 1545. Presently, the boy who
+was digging, picked up another, and then several more.</p>
+
+<p>"'This becomes interesting,' said Mr. Greathead, 'I think we are coming
+upon some buried treasure;' and he whispered to me, that he had better
+not leave the spot.</p>
+
+<p>"Accordingly, he did stay, till it was time to dress for dinner; and,
+feeling interested, I remained also. In the interval, many more coins
+were found; and when he went in, he dismissed the workmen, and sent a
+servant to watch the place,&mdash;for he saw by their faces, that if he had
+not happened to be present he would, probably, never have heard of the
+circumstance. A few more turned up the following day, and then the store
+seemed exhausted. When the villagers heard of this money being
+discovered, they all looked upon it as the explanation of the old
+gentleman haunting that particular spot. No doubt he had buried the
+money, and it remained to be seen, whether now, that it was found, his
+spirit would be at rest.</p>
+
+<p>"My two children were with me at Salton on this occasion. They slept in
+a room on the third floor, and one morning, my wife having told me that
+the younger of the two seemed unwell, I went up stairs to look at her.
+It was a cheerful room, with two little white beds in it, and several
+old prints and samplers, and bits of work such as you see in nurseries,
+framed and hung against the wall. After I had spoken to the child, and
+while my wife was talking to the maid, I stood with my hands in my
+pockets, idly looking at these things. Amongst them was one that
+arrested my attention, because at first I could not understand it, nor
+see why this discoloured parchment, with a few lines and dots on it,
+should have been framed and glazed. There were some words here and there
+which I could not decipher; so I lifted the frame off the nail and
+carried it to the window. Then I saw that the words were Italian,
+written in a crabbed, old-fashioned hand, and the whole seemed to be a
+plan, or sketch, rudely drawn, of what I at first thought was a
+camp&mdash;but, on closer examination, I saw was part of a churchyard, with
+tomb stones, from one of which lines were drawn to various dots, and
+along these lines were numbers, and here and there a word as <i>right</i>,
+<i>left</i>, &amp;c. There were also two lines forming a right angle, which
+intersected the whole, and after contemplating the thing for some time,
+it struck me that it was a rude sort of map of the old churchyard and
+the hedge, which had formed the subject of conversation some days
+before.</p>
+
+<p>"At breakfast, I mentioned what I had observed to Mr. and Mrs.
+Greathead, and they said they believed it was; it had been found when
+the old house was pulled down, and was kept on account of its
+antiquity.</p>
+
+<p>"'Of what period is it,' I asked, 'and how happens it to have been made
+by an Italian?'</p>
+
+<p>"'The last question I can't answer,' said Mr. Greathead; 'but the date
+is on it, I believe.'</p>
+
+<p>"'No,' said I, 'I examined it particularly&mdash;there is no date.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Oh, there is a date and name, I think&mdash;but I never examined it
+myself;' and to settle the question he desired his son Harry to run up
+and fetch it, adding, 'you know Italian architects and designers of
+various kinds, were not rare in this country a few centuries ago.'</p>
+
+<p>"Harry brought the frame, and we were confirmed in our conjectures of
+what it represented, but we could find no date or name.</p>
+
+<p>"'And yet I think I've heard there was one,' said Mr. Greathead. 'Let us
+take it out of the frame?'</p>
+
+<p>"This was easily done, and we found the date and the name; the count
+paused, and then added, 'I dare say you can guess it?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Jacopo Ferraldi?' I said.</p>
+
+<p>"'It was,' he answered; and it immediately occurred to me that he had
+buried the money supposed to have been stolen on the night he was
+murdered, and that this was a plan to guide him in finding it again. So
+I told Mr. Greathead the story I have now told you, and mentioned my
+reasons for supposing that if I was correct in my surmise, more gold
+would be found.</p>
+
+<p>"With the old man's map as our guide, we immediately set to work&mdash;the
+whole family vigorously joining in the search; and, as I expected, we
+found that the tombstone in the garden was the point from which all the
+lines were drawn, and that the dots indicated where the money lay. It
+was in different heaps, and appeared to have been enclosed in bags,
+which had rotted away with time. We found the whole sum mentioned in the
+memoir, and Mr. Greathead being lord of the manor, was generous enough
+to make it all over to me, as being the lawful heir, which, however, I
+certainly was not, for it was the spoil of a murderer and a thief, and
+it properly belonged to the Allens. But that family had become extinct;
+at least, so we believed, when the two unfortunate ladies were executed,
+and I accepted the gift with much gratitude and a quiet conscience. It
+relieved us from our pressing difficulties, and enabled me to wait for
+better times.</p>
+
+<p>"'And,' said I, 'how of the ghost? was he pleased or otherwise, by the
+<i>denouement</i>?'</p>
+
+<p>"'I cannot say,' replied the count; 'I have not heard of his being seen
+since; I understand, however, that the villagers, who understand these
+things better than we do, say, that they should not be surprised if he
+allowed the hedge and tombstone to be removed now without opposition;
+but Mr. Greathead, on the contrary, wished to retain them as mementoes
+of these curious circumstances.'"</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_DUTCH_OFFICERS_STORY" id="THE_DUTCH_OFFICERS_STORY"></a>THE DUTCH OFFICER'S STORY.</h2>
+
+
+<p>"Well, I think nothing can be so cowardly as to be afraid to own the
+truth?" said the pretty Madame de B., an Englishwoman, who had married a
+Dutch officer of distinction.</p>
+
+<p>"Are you really venturing to accuse the General of cowardice?" said
+Madame L.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes," said Madame de B., "I want him to tell Mrs. Crowe a ghost
+story&mdash;a thing that he saw himself&mdash;and he pooh, poohs it, though he
+owned it to me before we were married, and since too, saying that he
+never could have believed such a thing if he had not seen it himself."</p>
+
+<p>While the wife was making this little <i>tirade</i>, the husband looked as if
+she was accusing him of picking somebody's pocket&mdash;<i>il perdait
+contenance</i> quite. "Now, look at him," she said, "don't you see guilt in
+his face, Mrs. Crowe?"</p>
+
+<p>"Decidedly," I answered; "so experienced a seeker of ghost stories as
+myself cannot fail to recognise the symptoms. I always find that when
+the circumstances is mere hearsay, and happened to nobody knows who,
+people are very ready to tell it; when it has happened to one of their
+own family, they are considerably less communicative, and will only tell
+it under protest; but when they are themselves the parties concerned, it
+is the most difficult thing imaginable to induce them to relate the
+thing seriously, and with its details; they say they have forgotten it,
+and don't believe it; and as an evidence of their incredulity, they
+affect to laugh at the whole affair. If the General will tell me the
+story, I shall think it quite as decisive a proof of courage as he ever
+gave in the field."</p>
+
+<p>Betwixt bantering and persuasion, we succeeded in our object, and the
+General began as follows:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"You know the Belgian Rebellion (he always called it so) took place in
+1830. It broke out at Brussels on the 28th of August, and we immediately
+advanced with a considerable force to attack that city; but as the
+Prince of Orange hoped to bring the people to reason, without bloodshed,
+we encamped at Vilvorde, whilst he entered Brussels alone, to hold a
+conference with the armed people. I was a Lieutenant-Colonel then, and
+commanded the 20th foot, to which regiment I had been lately appointed.</p>
+
+<p>"We had been three or four days in cantonment, when I heard two of the
+men, who were digging a little drain at the back of my tent, talking of
+Jokel Falck, a private in my regiment, who was noted for his
+extraordinary disposition to somnolence, one of them remarked that he
+would certainly have got into trouble for being asleep on his post the
+previous night, if it had not been for Mungo. 'I don't know how many
+times he has saved him,' added he.</p>
+
+<p>"To which the other answered, that Mungo was a very valuable friend, and
+had saved many a man from punishment.</p>
+
+<p>"This was the first time I had ever heard of Mungo, and I rather
+wondered who it was they alluded to; but the conversation slipt from my
+mind and I never thought of asking any body.</p>
+
+<p>"Shortly after this I was going my rounds, being field-officer of the
+day, when I saw by the moonlight, the sentry at one of the outposts
+stretched upon the ground. I was some way off when I first perceived
+him; and I only knew what the object was from the situation, and because
+I saw the glitter of his accoutrements; but almost at the same moment
+that I discovered him, I observed a large black Newfoundland dog
+trotting towards him. The man rose as the dog approached, and had got
+upon his legs before I reached the spot. This occupied the space of
+about two minutes&mdash;perhaps, not so much.</p>
+
+<p>"'You were asleep on your post,' I said; and turning to the mounted
+orderly that attended me, I told him to go back and bring a file of the
+guard to take him prisoner, and to send a sentry to relieve him.</p>
+
+<p>"'Non, mon colonel,' said he, and from the way he spoke I perceived he
+was intoxicated, 'it's all the fault of that <i>damn&eacute;</i> Mungo. Il m'a
+manqu&eacute;.'</p>
+
+<p>"But I paid no attention to what he said and rode on, concluding <i>Mungo</i>
+was some slang term of the men for drink.</p>
+
+<p>"Some evenings after this, I was riding back from my brother's
+quarter&mdash;he was in the 15th, and was stationed about a mile from
+us&mdash;when I remarked the same dog I had seen before, trot up to a sentry
+who, with his legs crossed, was leaning against a wall. The man started,
+and began walking backwards and forwards on his beat. I recognised the
+dog by a large white streak on his side&mdash;all the rest of his coat being
+black.</p>
+
+<p>"When I came up to the man, I saw it was Jokel Falck, and although I
+could not have said he was asleep, I strongly suspected that that was
+the fact.</p>
+
+<p>"'You had better take care of yourself, my man,' said I. 'I have half a
+mind to have you relieved, and make a prisoner of you. I believe I
+should have found you asleep on your post, if that dog had not roused
+you.'</p>
+
+<p>"Instead of looking penitent, as was usual on these occasions, I saw a
+half smile on the man's face, as he saluted me.</p>
+
+<p>"'Whose dog is that?' I asked my servant, as I rode away.</p>
+
+<p>"'Je ne sais pas mon, Colonel,' he answered, smiling too.</p>
+
+<p>"On the same evening at mess, I heard one of the subalterns say to the
+officer who sat next him, 'It's a fact, I assure you, and they call him
+Mungo.'</p>
+
+<p>"'That's a new name they've got for Schnapps, isn't it?' I said.</p>
+
+<p>"'No, sir; it's the name of a dog,' replied the young man, laughing.</p>
+
+<p>"'A black Newfoundland, with a large white streak on his flank?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Yes, sir, I believe that is the description,' replied he, tittering
+still.</p>
+
+<p>"'I have seen that dog two or three times,' said I. 'I saw him this
+evening&mdash;who does he belong to?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Well, sir, that is a difficult question,' answered the lad; and I
+heard his companion say, 'To Old Nick, I should think.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Do you mean to say you've really seen Mungo?' said somebody at the
+table.</p>
+
+<p>"'If Mungo is a large Newfoundland&mdash;black, with a white streak on its
+side&mdash;I saw him just now. Who does he belong to?'</p>
+
+<p>"By this time, the whole mess table was in a titter, with the exception
+of one old captain, a man who had been years in the regiment. He was of
+very humble extraction, and had risen by merit to his present position.</p>
+
+<p>"'I believe Captain T. is better acquainted with Mungo than anybody
+present,' answered Major R., with a sneer. 'Perhaps he can tell you who
+he belongs to.'</p>
+
+<p>"The laughter increased, and I saw there was some joke, but not
+understanding what it meant, I said to Captain G., 'Does the dog belong
+to Jokel Falck?'</p>
+
+<p>"'No, sir,' he replied, 'the dog belongs to nobody now. He once belonged
+to an officer called Joseph Atveld.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Belonging to this regiment?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Yes, sir.'</p>
+
+<p>"'He is dead, I suppose?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Yes, sir, he is.'</p>
+
+<p>"'And the dog has attached himself to the regiment?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Yes, sir.'</p>
+
+<p>"During this conversation, the suppressed laughter continued, and every
+eye was fixed on Captain T., who answered me shortly, but with the
+utmost gravity.</p>
+
+<p>"'In fact,' said the major, contemptuously, 'according to Captain T.,
+Mungo is the ghost of a deceased dog.'</p>
+
+<p>"This announcement was received with shouts of laughter, in which I
+confess I joined, whilst Captain T. still retained an unmoved gravity.</p>
+
+<p>"'It is easier to laugh at such a thing than to believe it, sir,' said
+he. '<i>I</i> believe it, because I know it.'</p>
+
+<p>"I smiled, and turned the conversation.</p>
+
+<p>"If anybody at the table except Captain T. had made such an assertion as
+this, I should have ridiculed them without mercy; but he was an old man,
+and from the circumstances I have mentioned regarding his origin, we
+were careful not to offend him; so no more was said about Mungo, and in
+the hurry of events that followed. I never thought of it again. We
+marched on to Brussels the next day; and after that, had enough to do
+till we went to Antwerp, where we were besieged by the French the
+following year.</p>
+
+<p>"During the siege, I sometimes heard the name of Mungo again; and, one
+night, when I was visiting the guards and sentries as grand rounds, I
+caught a glimpse of him, and I felt sure that the man he was approaching
+when I observed him, had been asleep; but he was screened by an angle of
+the bastion, and by the time I turned the corner, he was moving about.</p>
+
+<p>"This brought to my mind all I had heard about the dog; and as the
+circumstance was curious, in any point of view, I mentioned what I had
+seen to Captain T. the next day, saying, 'I saw your friend Mungo, last
+night.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Did you, sir?' said he. 'It's a strange thing! No doubt, the man was
+asleep!'</p>
+
+<p>"'But do you seriously mean to say, that you believe this to be a
+visionary dog, and not a dog of flesh and blood?'</p>
+
+<p>"'I do, sir; I have been quizzed enough about it; and, once or twice,
+have nearly got into a quarrel, because people will persist in laughing
+at what they know nothing about; but as sure as that is a sword you hold
+in your hand, so sure is that dog a spectre, or ghost&mdash;if such a word is
+applicable to a fourfooted beast!'</p>
+
+<p>"'But, it's impossible!' I said. 'What reason have you for such an
+extraordinary belief?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Why, you know, sir, man-and-boy, I have been in the regiment all my
+life. I was born in it. My father was pay-serjeant of No. 3 company,
+when he died; and I have seen Mungo myself, perhaps twenty times, and
+known, positively, of others seeing him twice as many more.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Very possibly; but that is no proof, that it is not some dog that has
+attached himself to the regiment.'</p>
+
+<p>"'But I have seen and heard of the dog for fifty years, sir; and my
+father before me, had seen and heard of him as long!'</p>
+
+<p>"'Well, certainly, that is extraordinary,&mdash;if you are sure of it, and
+that it's the same dog!'</p>
+
+<p>"'It's a remarkable dog, sir. You won't see another like it with that
+large white streak on his flank. He won't let one of our sentries be
+found asleep, if he can help; unless, indeed, the fellow is drunk. He
+seems to have less care of drunkards, but Mungo has saved many a man
+from punishment. I was once, not a little indebted to him myself. My
+sister was married out of the regiment, and we had had a bit of a
+festivity, and drank rather too freely at the wedding, so that when I
+mounted guard that night&mdash;I wasn't to say, drunk, but my head was a
+little gone, or so; and I should have been caught nodding; but Mungo,
+knowing, I suppose, that I was not an habitual drunkard, woke me just
+in time.'</p>
+
+<p>"'How did he wake you?' I asked.</p>
+
+<p>"'I was roused by a short, sharp bark, that sounded close to my ears. I
+started up, and had just time to catch a glimpse of Mungo before he
+vanished!'</p>
+
+<p>"'Is that the way he always wakes the men?'</p>
+
+<p>"'So they say; and, as they wake, he disappears.'</p>
+
+<p>"I recollected now, that on each occasion when I had observed the dog, I
+had, somehow, lost sight of him in an instant; and, my curiosity being
+awakened, I asked Captain T., if ours were the only men he took charge
+of, or, whether he showed the same attention to those of other
+regiments?</p>
+
+<p>"'Only the 20th, sir; the tradition is, that after the battle of
+Fontenoy, a large black mastiff was found lying beside a dead officer.
+Although he had a dreadful wound from a sabre cut on his flank, and was
+much exhausted from loss of blood, he would not leave the body; and even
+after we buried it, he could not be enticed from the spot. The men,
+interested by the fidelity and attachment of the animal, bound up his
+wounds, and fed and tended him; and he became the dog of the regiment.
+It is said, that they had taught him to go his rounds before the guards
+and sentries were visited, and to wake any men that slept. How this may
+be, I cannot say; but he remained with the regiment till his death, and
+was buried with all the respect they could show him. Since that, he has
+shown his gratitude in the way I tell you, and of which you have seen
+some instances.'</p>
+
+<p>"'I suppose the white streak is the mark of the sabre cut. I wonder you
+never fired at him.'</p>
+
+<p>"'God forbid sir, I should do such a thing,' said Captain T., looking
+sharp round at me. 'It's said that a man did so once, and that he never
+had any luck afterwards; that may be a superstition, but I confess I
+wouldn't take a good deal to do it.'</p>
+
+<p>"'If, as you believe, it's a spectre, it could not be hurt, you know; I
+imagine ghostly dogs are impervious to bullets.'</p>
+
+<p>"'No doubt, sir; but I shouldn't like to try the experiment. Besides,
+it would be useless, as I am convinced already.'</p>
+
+<p>"I pondered a good deal upon this conversation with the old captain. I
+had never for a moment entertained the idea that such a thing was
+possible. I should have as much expected to meet the minotaur or a
+flying dragon as a ghost of any sort, especially the ghost of a dog; but
+the evidence here was certainly startling. I had never observed anything
+like weakness and credulity about T.; moreover, he was a man of known
+courage, and very much respected in the regiment. In short, so much had
+his earnestness on the subject staggered me, that I resolved whenever it
+was my turn to visit the guards and sentries, that I would carry a
+pistol with me ready primed and loaded, in order to settle the question.
+If T. was right, there would be an interesting fact established, and no
+harm done; if, as I could not help suspecting, it was a cunning trick of
+the men, who had trained this dog to wake them, while they kept up the
+farce of the spectre, the animal would be well out of the way; since
+their reliance on him no doubt led them to give way to drowsiness when
+they would otherwise have struggled against it; indeed, though none of
+our men had been detected&mdash;thanks, perhaps, to Mungo&mdash;there had been so
+much negligence lately in the garrison that the general had issued very
+severe orders on the subject.</p>
+
+<p>"However, I carried my pistol in vain; I did not happen to fall in with
+Mungo; and some time afterwards, on hearing the thing alluded to at the
+mess-table, I mentioned what I had done, adding, 'Mungo is too knowing,
+I fancy, to run the risk of getting a bullet in him.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Well,' said Major R., 'I should like to have a shot at him, I confess.
+If I thought I had any chance of seeing him, I'd certainly try it; but
+I've never seen him at all.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Your best chance,' said another, 'is when Jokel Falck is on duty. He
+is such a sleepy scoundrel, that the men say if it was not for Mungo
+he'd pass half his time in the guard house.'</p>
+
+<p>"'If I could catch him I'd put an ounce of lead into him; that he may
+rely on.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Into Jokel Falck, sir?' said one of the subs, laughing.</p>
+
+<p>"'No, sir,' replied Major R.; 'into Mungo&mdash;and I'll do it, too.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Better not, sir,' said Captain T., gravely; provoking thereby a
+general titter round the table.</p>
+
+<p>"Shortly after this, as I was one night going to my quarter, I saw a
+mounted orderly ride in and call out a file of the guard to take a
+prisoner.</p>
+
+<p>"'What's the matter?' I asked.</p>
+
+<p>"'One of the sentries asleep on his post, sir; I believe it's Jokel
+Falck.'</p>
+
+<p>"'It will be the last time, whoever it is,' I said; 'for the general is
+determined to shoot the next man that's caught.'</p>
+
+<p>"'I should have thought Mungo had stood Jokel Falck's friend, so often
+that he'd never have allowed him to be caught,' said the adjutant.
+'Mungo has neglected his duty.'</p>
+
+<p>"'No, sir,' said the orderly, gravely. 'Mungo would have waked him, but
+Major R. shot at him.'</p>
+
+<p>"'And killed him,' I said.</p>
+
+<p>"The man made no answer, but touched his cap and rode away.</p>
+
+<p>"I heard no more of the affair that night; but the next morning, at a
+very early hour, my servant woke me, saying that Major R. wished to
+speak to me. I desired he should be admitted, and the moment he entered
+the room, I saw by his countenance that something serious had occurred;
+of course, I thought the enemy had gained some unexpected advantage
+during the night, and sat up in bed inquiring eagerly what had happened.</p>
+
+<p>"To my surprise he pulled out his pocket-handkerchief and burst into
+tears. He had married a native of Antwerp, and his wife was in the city
+at this time. The first thing that occurred to me was, that she had met
+with some accident, and I mentioned her name.</p>
+
+<p>"'No, no,' he said; 'my son, my boy, my poor Fritz!'</p>
+
+<p>"'You know that in our service, every officer first enters his regiment
+as a private soldier, and for a certain space of time does all the
+duties of that position. The major's son, Fritz, was thus in his
+noviciate. I concluded he had been killed by a stray shot, and for a
+minute or two I remained in this persuasion, the major's speech being
+choked by his sobs. The first words he uttered were&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"'Would to God I had taken Captain T.'s advice!'</p>
+
+<p>"'About what?' I said. 'What has happened to Fritz?'</p>
+
+<p>"'You know,' said he, 'yesterday I was field officer of the day; and
+when I was going my rounds last night, I happened to ask my orderly, who
+was assisting to put on my sash, what men we had told off for the guard.
+Amongst others, he named Jokel Falck, and remembering the conversation
+the other day at the mess table, I took one of my pistols out of the
+holster, and, after loading, put it in my pocket. I did not expect to
+see the dog, for I had never seen him; but as I had no doubt that the
+story of the spectre was some dodge of the men, I determined if ever I
+did, to have a shot at him. As I was going through the Place de Meyer, I
+fell in with the general, who joined me, and we rode on together,
+talking of the siege. I had forgotten all about the dog, but when we
+came to the rampart, above the Bastion du Matte, I suddenly saw exactly
+such an animal as the one described, trotting beneath us. I knew there
+must be a sentry immediately below where we rode, though I could not see
+him, and I had no doubt that the animal was making towards him; so
+without saying a word, I drew out my pistol and fired, at the same
+moment jumping off my horse, in order to look over the bastion, and get
+a sight of the man. Without comprehending what I was about, the general
+did the same, and there we saw the sentry lying on his face, fast
+asleep.'</p>
+
+<p>"'And the body of the dog?' said I.</p>
+
+<p>"'Nowhere to be seen,' he answered, 'and yet I must have hit him&mdash;I
+fired bang into him. The general says it must have been a delusion, for
+he was looking exactly in the same direction, and saw no dog at all&mdash;but
+I am certain I saw him, so did the orderly.'</p>
+
+<p>"'But Fritz?' I said.</p>
+
+<p>"'It was Fritz&mdash;Fritz was the sentry,' said the major, with a fresh
+burst of grief. The court-martial sits this morning, and my boy will be
+shot, unless interest can be made with the general to grant him a
+pardon.'</p>
+
+<p>"I rose and drest myself immediately, but with little hope of success.
+Poor Fritz being the son of an officer, was against him rather than
+otherwise&mdash;it would have been considered an act of favouritism to spare
+him. He was shot; his poor mother died of a broken heart, and the major
+left the service immediately after the surrender of the city."</p>
+
+<p>"And have you ever seen Mungo again?" said I.</p>
+
+<p>"No," he replied; "but I have heard of others seeing him."</p>
+
+<p>"And are you convinced that it was a spectre, and not a dog of flesh and
+blood?"</p>
+
+<p>"I fancy I was then&mdash;but, of course, one can't believe&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, no;" I rejoined; "Oh, no; never mind facts, if they don't fit into
+our theories."</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_OLD_FRENCH_GENTLEMANS_STORY" id="THE_OLD_FRENCH_GENTLEMANS_STORY"></a>THE OLD FRENCH GENTLEMAN'S STORY.</h2>
+
+
+<p>I spent the summer of fifty-six at Dieppe&mdash;a charming watering-place for
+those who can bear an exciting air, and are not very particular about
+what they eat. Dieppe, as travellers see it who are hurrying through to
+Paris, has a most unpromising aspect, with its muddy basins and third
+and fourth rate inns on the quays, but if you are not hastening from the
+packet to the train, which the great proportion of people do; you have
+only to pass up one of the short streets you will see <i>en face</i>, when
+you issue from the Custom-house, into which you have been introduced on
+landing, and you will find yourself on an esplanade of considerable
+extent, with a wide expanse of clear salt water before you, a fine
+terrace walk along the shore, and several newly erected hotels opposite
+the sea. Of course, there is an <i>etablissement</i> where the usual
+amusements are provided; the bathing is excellent, and the company
+numerous, for Dieppe is the favourite watering place of the fashionable
+world of Paris. The beauty of the place is greatly increased by a
+judicious suggestion of the Emperor's. I was told that when he and the
+Empress were there in '55, they complained of the absence of flowers on
+the esplanade; it was objected that none would grow there; however, he
+recommended them to try hollyhocks, china-asters, and poppies, the
+latter are the finest I ever saw, and the brilliant and varied masses of
+colour produce a very good effect. But they do not feed you well here;
+'<i>La Viande est longue &agrave; Dieppe</i>' as the Gar&ccedil;on of the H&ocirc;tel Royal urged
+when I objected to the meat which, on application of the knife fell into
+strips of pack-thread; the poultry is lean and bad; fish scarce, because
+it all goes to London or Paris, by contract, and everything dear.
+Nevertheless, Dieppe is a very nice place and the surrounding country is
+exceedingly pretty and picturesque.</p>
+
+<p>Some members of the Jockey Club were in the H&ocirc;tel Royal, living very
+fast indeed. They all bore very aristocratic names and titles, but not
+the impress of high blood. How should they? Judging from what I saw,
+such a course of profligate self-indulgence, unredeemed, even by good
+breeding, must have effaced the stamp, if it ever was there. They
+inhabited a pavilion in the cour, and the luxurious repasts that we
+constantly saw served to them gave us an awful idea of the amount of
+their bill. They played at cards all day&mdash;the live long summer day! And
+only suspended this amusement when the gar&ccedil;ons appeared with their trays
+loaded with expensive wines and high-seasoned dishes. One other
+amusement they had, which was no less an amusement to us&mdash;they had a
+drag&mdash;a regular English four-in-hand. The cour of the hotel was divided
+from the road by iron rails, with a large gate at each extremity for
+carriages, so that to an English whip, nothing would have been easier
+than to drive in at one of these gates, and round the sweep, and out at
+the other; but this the jockey club could never accomplish; when the
+gentlemen took the reins from the coachman, if they were in, they could
+not get out; and if they were out, they could not get in; so after a few
+ambitious attempts and ignominious failures, they submitted to the
+inglorious expediency of mounting and dismounting outside the gates.
+The French have certainly a remarkable incapacity for riding or driving,
+which is strange, as they are active men and have generally light
+figures. The Emperor is almost the only Frenchman I ever saw ride well;
+but he rides like an English gentleman.</p>
+
+<p>There were many elegantly drest women, of all nations, at Dieppe, but
+there was one who particularly attracted my attention, and for whom,
+when I afterwards heard her story, I felt an extraordinary interest.
+This was the Countess Adeline de-Givry-Monjerac, at least so I will call
+her here. When I first saw her she was going down to bathe, attended by
+her maid, a grave elderly person, and I was so much struck by her
+appearance, that I took the first opportunity of enquiring her name. She
+was tall and very pale, with fine, straight features, and an expression
+of countenance at once noble and melancholy. Her figure was so good, and
+her bearing at once so graceful and dignified, that her unusual height
+did not strike you till you saw her standing beside other women. She was
+leaning on her maid's arm, and stooped a little, apparently from
+feebleness. Her attire was a peignoir of grey taffetas, lined with
+blue, and on her head she wore a simple capote of the same. Her age, I
+judged to be about forty.</p>
+
+<p>She lodged in the H&ocirc;tel Royal, as I did also, but lived entirely in
+private; and we only saw her there as she went in and out. Later in the
+season, the Duchesse de B., and other persons, arrived from Paris, with
+whom she was acquainted, and I often observed her in conversation with
+them on the promenade; but her countenance never lost its expression of
+melancholy. However, I should have left Dieppe, ignorant of the singular
+circumstances I am about to relate, but for an accident.</p>
+
+<p>There was a verandah in the court of the hotel, in which many of us
+preferred to breakfast, rather than in the salon; and the verandah not
+being very extensive, and the candidates numerous, there was often a
+little difficulty in securing a table. One morning, I had just laid my
+parasol on the only one I saw vacant, when the gar&ccedil;on warned me that it
+was already engaged by <i>ce monsieur</i>, indicating an old gentleman, who
+was standing with his back to me, in conversation with one of a
+sisterhood called <i>Soeurs de la Providence</i>, who was soliciting him to
+buy some of the lottery tickets she held in her hand; they were for the
+<i>Loterie de Bienfaisance</i>, the proceeds of which are devoted to
+charitable purposes. There are innumerable lotteries of this sort in
+France, authorized by the government; and they seem to me to be the
+substitute for our magnificent private charities in England, for very
+large sums are collected. The tickets only cost a franc. I believe the
+<i>tirage</i> is conducted with perfect fairness; and people thus subscribe a
+franc for the poor, with the agreeable, but very remote, chance of being
+repaid, <i>m&ecirc;me ici bas</i>, a hundred thousand-fold.</p>
+
+<p>The old gentleman turned his head on hearing my conversation with the
+waiter; and, begging I would not derange myself on his account, desired
+that I might have the table. Grateful for such an unusual exertion of
+politeness&mdash;for the politeness of the modern French gentleman does not
+include the smallest modicum of self-sacrifice&mdash;I modestly declined, and
+said, "I would wait." He answered, "by no means." And while we were
+engaged in this amicable contest, the waiter brought his breakfast, and
+placed it on the table; seeing which, he proposed, that as he was denied
+the pleasure of making way for me, I should have my coffee placed on the
+other side, and we should breakfast together; an offer which I gladly
+accepted.</p>
+
+<p>He was a pleasant, garrulous, old gentleman. Monsieur de Vennacour was
+his name, <i>proprietaire &agrave; Paris</i>, and he told me how he had lost his
+fortune by the revolutions, and how he lived now in a <i>petit apartment</i>
+in the <i>Rue des Ecuries d'Anjou</i>, and belonged to a coterie of old
+ladies and gentlemen like himself, who had a <i>petit whisk</i> every night
+during the winter. While we were talking, the Countess passed us on her
+way to the bath; and, happening to catch her eye as she crossed the
+court, he bowed to her; whereupon I asked him if he knew her?</p>
+
+<p>"A little," he said; "but I knew her husband well; and her mother's
+hotel was next to that my family formerly inhabited. She was a beautiful
+woman, Madame de Lignerolles."</p>
+
+<p>"Then, she is dead?" said I.</p>
+
+<p>"No," he replied. "She has retired from the world,&mdash;she is in a convent.
+C'est une histoire bien triste celle de Madame de Lignerolles et sa
+fille, et aussi bien etrange!"</p>
+
+<p>"If it is not a secret, perhaps you will tell it to me?" said I; for I
+saw that my new acquaintance desired nothing better. He was a famous
+raconteur; and I wish I could tell the story in English as well, and as
+dramatically, as he told it to me in French; however, I'll repeat it as
+faithfully as I can.</p>
+
+<p>"Madame de Lignerolles n&eacute;e Hermione de Givry, was married early to the
+Marquis de Lignerolles, without any particular <i>penchant</i> for or against
+the union. The Marquis was a great deal older than herself, but it was
+considered a good match, for he was very rich, and his genealogy was
+unexceptionable. Not more so, however, than the young lady's; for the de
+Givry's heraldic tree had apparently sprung from an acorn floated to the
+west by Deucalion himself. At the period of Hermione's marriage her
+father, mother, and two brothers, older than herself, still lived. Her
+father, the Comte de Givry had been a younger son, and had inherited the
+fortune on the death of his elder brother who was killed in a duel the
+day before he was to have been married to a woman he passionately
+loved. He died by the hand of one of his most intimate friends, with
+whom he had never had a word of difference before, and the subject of
+quarrel was a peacock! But it was always remarked by the world, that the
+eldest scions of the house of Givry were singularly unfortunate; they
+seldom prospered in their loves, and if they did, they were sure to die
+before their hopes were realised. People in general called it <i>a
+destiny</i>; others whispered that it was a curse; but the family laughed
+contemptuously if any one presumed to hint such a thing in their
+presence, and asserted that it was merely <i>le hazard</i>; and as the world
+in these days is very much disposed to believe in <i>le hazard</i>, few
+persons sought to penetrate further into the cause of these
+misadventures. However, Hermione's elder brother, Etienne, did not
+escape his <i>mauvais destin</i>; the lady he was engaged to marry was seized
+with the smallpox, and, from being a pretty person, became a very ugly
+one. During her illness, he had sworn nothing should break his
+engagement, and accordingly, disfigured as she was, he married her; but
+he had better, for both their sakes, have left it alone. He was
+disgusted and she was jealous; they parted within a month after the
+wedding, and he was soon after killed by a fall from his horse in the
+Bois de Boulogne, and died, leaving no issue. Upon his decease, the
+second son, Armande, now the heir, was recalled from Prussia, whither he
+had gone with his regiment, but they were on the eve of a battle, and it
+was not consistent with his honour to leave till it was over. He was the
+first officer that fell in the fight, and thus the hopes of the ancient
+family of Givry became centered in the offspring of Hermione. But,
+Adeline, the fair object of my admiration, was the sole fruit of the
+marriage, and great were the lamentations of the old Count and Countess
+that the continuation of this noble stock rested on so frail a tenure,
+for the child was exceedingly delicate; she outgrew her strength, and
+for some years was supposed to be <i>poitrinaire</i>. But, either, thanks to
+the wonderful care that was bestowed upon her, or to an inherent good
+constitution, she survived this trying period and grew up to
+marriageable years, rewarding all the solicitude of her family by her
+charms and amiability. She was not so beautiful as her mother had
+been&mdash;and even was still&mdash;but she was quite sufficiently handsome; and
+there was so much grace in her movements and her manners, and she had
+such a noble and pure expression of countenance&mdash;a true indication of
+her character&mdash;that Adeline de Lignerolle's perfections were universally
+admitted by the men, and scarcely denied by the women, insomuch, that
+these attractions, added to her lineage and fortune, caused her to be
+looked upon as one of the most desirable matches in the kingdom.</p>
+
+<p>"Her father, the old Marquis de Lignerolles-Givry&mdash;for he was
+constrained to adopt the latter name&mdash;had died previous to this period;
+and as her grandfather Monsieur de Givry undertook the affair of her
+marriage, numerous were the propositions he privately received, and
+frequent the closettings and consultations on the subject. In these
+cases, the more people have, the more they require; and as Adeline had
+better blood, and more money, than most people, the family exigence in
+these respects was considerable, and the difficulties that lay in the
+way of procuring a suitable alliance, manifold.</p>
+
+<p>"She had reached the age of seventeen, and this important point was
+still unsettled, when she and her mother went to visit a relative of
+Madame de Lignerolles, who was united to a Portuguese nobleman. On her
+marriage, she had followed her husband to his own country; but he was
+now on a mission to the French court; and the Paris season being over,
+they had taken a ch&acirc;teau on the Loire, for the summer months. There were
+other young people in the house, and all sorts of amusements going on,
+which no one seemed to enjoy, at first, more than Adeline de Givry; but,
+at the end of a fortnight, a change began to be observable in her
+spirits and demeanour, which did not escape the observation of her young
+companions; and by their means awakened the attention of Madame de
+Saldanha, their hostess; who hinted to her cousin, Madame de
+Lignerolles, that Adeline was falling in love with the young Count de la
+Cruz; at least, such was the opinion of her own daughter, Isabella;
+adding, that if so abnormal a circumstance, as a young lady choosing her
+own husband <i>was</i> to happen, she could not have fixed on a more
+desirable individual than Rodriguez de la Cruz,&mdash;a man unexceptionable
+in person, mind, and manners whose genealogy might vie with that of the
+De Givry's themselves; and whose name was associated with distinguished
+deeds of arms during the Holy Wars.</p>
+
+<p>"But this indulgent view of the case was not shared by Madame de
+Lignerolles. She seemed exceedingly surprised and incredulous; but when
+the other insisted on the probability of such a result, since the two
+young people had been residing for six weeks under the same roof; and
+pointed out to the lady that the assiduous attentions paid by De la Cruz
+to herself were, doubtless, not without an object, suggesting that that
+object was to gain her interest in his favour, she evinced so much
+displeasure and indignation, that Madame de Saldanha apologized and gave
+up the point, saying, she was very likely mistaken, and that it was a
+mere fancy of Isabella's.</p>
+
+<p>"Nevertheless, these suspicions were perfectly well founded. De la Cruz
+was waiting for his father's consent to make his proposals in form; and
+this consent was only delayed till the old gentleman had time to come to
+Paris and make the needful inquiries regarding fortune and family; about
+which, he considered himself entitled to be quite as particular as the
+De Givry's.</p>
+
+<p>"It was remarked that, from this time, Madame de Lignerolles observed
+her daughter with a jealous eye, and sought every means of keeping her
+away from the young Portuguese; added to which, as it afterwards
+appeared, she severely reproved Adeline for what she called the levity
+of her conduct.</p>
+
+<p>"Moreover, she hastened her departure; and in a few days after the
+conversation with Madama de Saldanha, took her leave; alleging, that her
+presence was required by her father, in Paris. To Paris, however, she
+did not immediately go. There was in Brittany an ancient ch&acirc;teau
+belonging to the family, which, for some reason or other, they very
+rarely visited; it was supposed, because they possessed others more
+agreeable. At all events, whatever might be the cause, it was known that
+the old count had a mortal aversion to this residence, insomuch, that
+his daughter had never been there since her infancy; when something very
+unpleasant was reported to have happened to her mother's eldest brother
+shortly before his death. Thither, however, they now travelled with all
+speed, accompanied only by two maids and a man.</p>
+
+<p>"Madame de Lignerolles was a person, in whom the maternal instinct had
+never been largely developed. She was even, still, at eight-and-thirty,
+a beautiful woman; and it was generally suspected, that she did not feel
+at all delighted at having this tall, handsome daughter, to proclaim her
+age; and, perhaps shortly, make her a grandmother. But, her manner to
+Adeline&mdash;usually, more indifferent than harsh&mdash;now assumed a new
+character; she seemed engrossed with her own thoughts; was cold and
+constrained; spoke little; and when she did, it was with a gravity truly
+portentous.</p>
+
+<p>"They were not unexpected at Ch&acirc;teau Noir&mdash;for such was the ominous name
+of the old castle, which frowned upon them in the gloom of a dusky
+November evening; but instead of the liveried servants, by whom they
+were accustomed to be greeted, an elderly housekeeper, a concierge, and
+a few rustic menials, appeared to be its only inhabitants. However, they
+had done their best to make ready for this visit; fires were lighted,
+and dinner was prepared and served, accompanied by plenty of apologies
+for its not being better.</p>
+
+<p>"The evening passed in silence; they were tired, and went early to bed.
+The next two days, Mdme. de Lignerolles kept her room, and Adeline
+strolled about the neglected grounds, occupied with her own thoughts of
+the future, not without wondering a little at her mother's mysterious
+behaviour. On the third day, she was summoned to the presence of Mdme.
+de Lignerolles, who received and bade her be seated, with the same
+significant solemnity, and then proceeded to inform her that she had a
+most painful secret to communicate&mdash;a secret that had long prest upon
+her conscience, but which she could never find resolution to disclose;
+that lately, however, her confessor had so strongly urged her to perform
+this act of duty, that, with the greatest reluctance, she had resolved
+to obey his injunctions&mdash;her doing so having become more imperative from
+the fact of Adeline's having arrived at marriageable years, as in the
+event of any alliance presenting itself, honour would constrain her to
+speak. The dreadful secret was, that Adeline was not her child; that the
+nurse who had had the charge of her infancy, confessed on her
+death-bed, that she had substituted her own infant for the countess's,
+that the latter had subsequently died, but that she could not leave the
+world in peace without avowing her crime.</p>
+
+<p>"'I did not believe her,' said Mdme. de Lignerolles, 'but she reminded
+me that my child had a mole under the left breast, which you, Adeline,
+have not. This cruel change was effected during our absence from France.
+Shortly after my confinement, I was ordered to spend the winter in
+Italy, and the child was left to the care of my father and mother, who
+by that time had nearly lost her eye-sight. To this circumstance, and
+the little notice men usually take of infants, the woman trusted to
+escape detection. Of course, I could not discern the difference between
+the child I had left and the one I found. I had no suspicion; and
+whatever alterations I remarked, I attributed to the lapse of
+time&mdash;though I must own that maternal instinct offered a strong
+confirmation of the nurse's confession. While I believed you my own
+offspring, I had none of those tender yearnings which I have heard other
+women speak of, and I often reproached myself for the want of them.
+However, I endeavoured to do my duty by you, and no pains or expense
+were spared on your education, which was already nearly completed, when
+I became acquainted with this dreadful secret, of which, when the nurse
+died, I was the sole possessor. But, aware of the intense grief such a
+disclosure would occasion my husband, who was then in exceedingly bad
+health, I determined during his lifetime to preserve silence. After his
+death, I ought to have exerted courage to speak; but my mother adored
+you&mdash;it would have killed her. She is now gone, and there is only your
+grandfather left. I well know the suffering it will cause him, and,
+believe me, I feel for <i>you</i>&mdash;but my duty is plain. You will be amply
+provided for&mdash;' but ere the sentence could be finished, Adeline, who had
+sat like a statue, listening to this harangue, with wondering eyes and
+open lips, suddenly rose and rushed out of the room. That she was not
+Mdme. de Lignerolles' daughter caused her little grief, nor was she of
+an age very highly to appreciate the position and splendours she was
+losing; but she thought of her grandfather, whom she really loved; she
+thought of De la Cruz, and her heart filled with anguish.</p>
+
+<p>"She was not pursued to her retreat; the whole day she kept her chamber,
+and Mdme. de Lignerolles kept hers. On the following morning, a note was
+handed to her from Mdme. de L., announcing that she was starting for
+Paris to communicate this distressing intelligence to M. de Givry; and
+desiring Adeline to remain where she was, under the care of Mdme.
+Vertot, the housekeeper, till she received further directions; assuring
+her, at the same time, that everything should be done for her happiness
+and welfare, and, in due time, a suitable <i>parti</i> be provided for her."</p>
+
+<p>Just as Monsieur de Venacour reached this point of his story, Madame de
+Montjerac returned from bathing, and if I looked at her with interest
+before, it may be well imagined how much more she inspired now.</p>
+
+<p>"How extraordinary!" I said, as my eyes rested on her noble countenance
+and majestic figure, "that that distinguished-looking woman is really
+the daughter of a good-for-nothing servant; and yet I should have said,
+if ever there was a person who bore the unmistakeable impress of
+aristocracy, it is she."</p>
+
+<p>He nodded his head, and significantly lifting his fore-finger to the
+side of his nose, said "Ecoutez!" and forthwith proceeded with his
+narration as follows.</p>
+
+<p>"On Madam de Lignerolle's arrival in Paris, she sent for her father,
+threw herself at his feet, and with tears and lamentations, disclosed
+this dreadful secret, which, she said, had been making the misery of her
+life for the last two years; but whatever distress it occasioned her, it
+was quite evident that that of Monsieur de Givry was much more severe.
+He was wounded on all sides; his pride, his love of lineage, his
+personal affection for Adeline, and his horror of the notoriety such an
+extraordinary event must naturally acquire. So powerful were the two
+last sentiments, that for a moment he even entertained the idea of
+accepting Adeline as the heiress of Givry, and concealing the whole
+affair from her and every body else; but to this proposition his
+daughter objected that the poor girl was already in possession of the
+truth, and that it was impossible to make her a party to such a
+deception.</p>
+
+<p>"'Then,' said Monsieur de Givry, 'she must die! There is no other
+expedient.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Mais, non, mon pere!' cried Hermione, starting from her seat,
+evidently taken quite aback by this unexpected proposition.</p>
+
+<p>"De Givry waved his hand with a melancholy smile; 'Enfant!' he said. 'Do
+you think I intend to become an assassin? God forbid!' And then he
+explained that he did not mean a real but a fictitious death, for which
+purpose she must be removed to a foreign country, under the pretence of
+the re-appearance of pulmonary symptoms; that a husband must be found
+for her who would bind himself to leave France for ever, and to keep
+this secret, under pain of forfeiting the very handsome allowance he
+proposed to make them; for the safe conduct of which part of the
+business, it would be necessary to confide their unhappy circumstances
+to the family physician and lawyer. In the meantime, as these
+arrangements could not be made in a day, it was decided that Adeline
+should remain where she was till all was ready for their completion.</p>
+
+<p>"'I shall take her out of the country myself,' he said, 'and you must
+accompany us. Every consideration must be shown her; she is the victim,
+and not the criminal.'</p>
+
+<p>"In the course of this conversation, as may be imagined, Monsieur de
+Givry more than once lamented the extinction of his race; his daughter,
+however, on that point, offered him some consolation, by suggesting that
+she was still a young woman, and that for her father's sake, although
+she had never intended to marry again, she would consent to do so
+provided she could meet with an unobjectionable <i>parti</i>.</p>
+
+<p>"Shortly after this melancholy disclosure, De la Cruz arrived with his
+father in Paris; where they were so well received by Madame de
+Lignerolles, that the old gentleman, fascinated by her beauty and
+manners, expressed his surprise that his son had not fallen in love with
+the mother, instead of the daughter. However, at his son's desire, he
+made formal propositions for the young lady's hand; which, to the
+surprise of the young man, Monsieur de Livry said, was already promised;
+adding, however, that his granddaughter's state of health would,
+probably, retard the union; the physicians having discovered that the
+seeds of consumption were beginning to develope themselves in her
+constitution, and, consequently, recommended her removal to a warmer
+climate.</p>
+
+<p>"In the meanwhile, the poor young girl was pining alone in the dreary,
+old ch&acirc;teau, with no companion but her own maid,&mdash;receiving no
+intelligence, and ignorant of her future fate. All she knew was, that
+she never could be the wife of Rodriguez de la Cruz. She supposed, that
+when he made his proposals, he would be informed of the circumstances
+above related, and that she should never hear more of him. But, in this,
+she was mistaken. About three weeks after her mother had left her, a
+letter from him arrived, saying, that he had succeeded in discovering
+where she was, and that he had lost no time in writing to inform her of
+the ill fortune that had attended his proposals; adding, that if her
+sentiments continued unchanged, he would come to Ch&acirc;teau Noir,
+accompanied by his own chaplain, who would unite them; after which, he
+had no doubt, it would be easy to obtain her grandfather's forgiveness;
+he, probably, having only refused his consent because he was trammelled
+by a prior engagement.</p>
+
+<p>"But this letter was addressed to Mademoiselle de Lignerolles; and it
+was evident, from the whole tenour of it, that the writer knew nothing
+of the change in her fortunes. Honour forbad her to take advantage of
+this ignorance; but the struggle threw her into agonies of grief. She
+passed a miserable day, and retired early to bed; where she might
+indulge her tears, and avoid the curious eyes of her maid, who was
+greatly perplexed at these unusual proceedings. Sleep was far from her
+eyes, and her mind was busy, framing the answer she had to write on the
+following day to De la Cruz, when she heard a knock at her chamber door.
+'Come in,' she said; not doubting that it was her maid, or Madame
+Vertot. Immediately, she heard the handle turned, and she saw in a
+mirror that was opposite, the door open, and a miserable,
+haggard-looking woman enter. She was attired in rags, and she led by the
+hand two naked children. They approached the foot of the bed, and the
+woman held out a letter, as if she wished Adeline to take it, which she
+made an effort to do; but a sudden horror seized her, and she uttered a
+scream which roused her maid who slept in the adjoining apartment. She
+was found insensible; but the usual applications restored her; and,
+without telling what had happened, she requested the servant to pass the
+rest of the night in her room. The next day, she felt very poorly in
+consequence of this horrid vision; but she wrote to De la Cruz such a
+letter, as she felt her altered circumstances demanded. She could not
+bring herself to avow that she was the daughter of Robertine Collet; but
+sent him, simply, a cold, haughty refusal, which precluded all
+possibility of any further advances. The next day, she changed her room,
+and she saw no more of the frightful apparition.</p>
+
+<p>"She had done her duty to De la Cruz, but she was miserable; and when,
+shortly afterwards, her grandfather arrived, accompanied by Dr. Pecher,
+the family physician, they found her exceedingly ill, and confined to
+her bed. This Dr. Pecher was a clever and worthy man; and having been
+necessarily made the confidant of the painful secret, it had been
+privately arranged between him and Monsieur de Givry, that he should
+marry the girl; and that they should, thereupon, quit the
+country,&mdash;Monsieur de G. making ample provision for their future
+maintenance.</p>
+
+<p>"But the main thing needful, was to restore her to health; and in the
+course of his attendance on her, he learnt from her maid how she had
+been first attacked; and then elicited from herself, the cause of her
+alarm. Of course, he looked upon the vision as an illusion; in short,
+the premonitory symptoms of her illness,&mdash;and mentioned it in that
+light, to Monsieur de Givry. But to his surprise, Monsieur de G. took a
+different view of the matter; and hastening to Adeline's room, he made
+her repeat to him the exact description of what she had seen; after
+which, he started immediately for Paris, without explaining the motive
+of this sudden departure.</p>
+
+<p>"On his arrival, he presented himself before his daughter, and taxed her
+with having deceived him; what her motive could be he was unable to
+imagine; he supposed it to be pecuniary, and that she did not wish to
+part with the large portion to be paid to Adeline on her marriage; but
+he believed that the traditionary apparition of his family would not
+have appeared to any one who was not a member of it; and that therefore
+the girl, who had accurately described the appearance of these figures,
+of which the young people were always kept in entire ignorance, must be
+actually his granddaughter.</p>
+
+<p>"Madame de Lignerolles persisted in her story, and all she could be
+brought to own was, that it was possible, the woman, Collett, had
+deceived her. Strong in his own opinion, Monsieur de Givry returned to
+Ch&acirc;teau Noir, Dr. Pecher having recommended the young lady's removal;
+and after writing his daughter a very urgent and serious letter, he
+started on a tour of a few weeks, with Adeline, for the recovery of her
+health.</p>
+
+<p>"No answer reached him for some time, but at the end of a month, he
+received one, acknowledging the cruel deception she had practiced,
+alleging as her excuse, an ardent passion for Rodriguez de la Cruz; and
+the wish to detach him from Adeline, and marry him herself. But she had
+failed, and he was on the point of marriage with a lady selected for him
+by his father. The letter concluded by the announcement, that she was
+about to retire to a convent where she should, in due time, take the
+veil.</p>
+
+<p>"Monseiur de Givry assumed this to be a mere ebullition of shame and
+disappointment; but she kept her word. Mademoiselle de Lignerolles, some
+years later, married the Baron de Montjerac, from whom, said Monsieur de
+Venacour, I heard the story. By him she had two sons; but the constant
+apprehension that in the eldest will be fulfilled the <i>mauvais destin</i>
+entailed on the heirs of Givry, preys, it is said, on her mind and
+health, and is the cause of the expression of melancholy for which her
+fine countenance is so remarkable.</p>
+
+<p>"Some centuries earlier, when power was irresponsible, Count Armand de
+Givry, a cruel and oppressive lord of the soil, who then inhabited
+Ch&acirc;teau Noir, had put to death one of his serfs, and turned his wife and
+two children out of doors in inclement weather, forbidding any of his
+tenants to shelter or assist them. The children were without clothes,
+and the three poor creatures perished from cold and starvation, but
+leaving behind them a terrible retribution, in the form of a curse
+pronounced by the wretched woman's lips in her dying agonies, which,
+strange to say, seems to have been pretty literally fulfilled.</p>
+
+<p>"When they were nearly at the last extremity, some good Christian had
+had the courage to write a pathetic letter for her, which, however, it
+was necessary she should deliver herself, as no one else durst do it.
+She watched her opportunity; concealed herself in the park, and waylaid
+the Count as he returned one day from shooting. But instead of taking
+the letter, he set his dogs upon her, who would have torn her to pieces,
+but for the courageous interference of one of his followers.</p>
+
+<p>"The curse ran, that never should the heir of Givry prosper till one of
+them took the letter; and that the last scion of the house should
+<i>Renier le croix et se vouer &agrave; l'Enfer</i>.</p>
+
+<p>"Since that, it was said that, no eldest son or daughter of the house of
+Givry had lived and prospered, whilst the letter, in some way or other
+had been offered to every one of them; but as the cadets of the family
+lived and married and prospered like other people, they did not choose
+to believe in the story; at least, whatever their secret thoughts on the
+subject may have been, they publicly threw ridicule on the tradition,
+whenever it was alluded to; but Monsieur de Givry had sufficient faith
+in it to believe, that if Adeline had been the daughter of Robertine
+Collet, she would never have been visited by the ghost of Madeleine
+Dogue and her children."</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_SWISS_LADYS_STORY" id="THE_SWISS_LADYS_STORY"></a>THE SWISS LADY'S STORY.</h2>
+
+
+<p>"It was not I," said Madame de Geirsteche; "it was my mother who saw the
+apparition you have heard of; but I can tell you all the particulars of
+the story if you have patience to listen to it."</p>
+
+<p>"You would be conferring a great favour," I said; "from what I have
+heard of the circumstance, I am already much interested."</p>
+
+<p>We were in the steamboat that plies between Vevay and Geneva when this
+conversation occurred, and as there could not be a more convenient
+opportunity of hearing the narration, we retired from the crowd of
+travellers that thronged the deck, and Madame de G. began as follows.</p>
+
+<p>"My husband's father, the elder Monsieur Geirsteche, was acquainted with
+two young men named Zwengler. He was at school and at college with them,
+and their intimacy continued after their education was finished. When
+one was fourteen and the other ten, they had the misfortune to lose both
+their parents by an accident. They were crossing the Alps, when by the
+fall of an avalanche their carriage was overturned down a precipice, and
+they and their servants perished.</p>
+
+<p>"The Zwenglers were people of good family but small fortune; and as they
+had always lived fully up to what they had, their property, when it came
+to be divided between their four children, for they had two daughters
+besides the sons I have named, afforded but an inadequate portion to
+each; but this misfortune was mitigated by their rich relations&mdash;a
+wealthy uncle adopted the boys, and an equally wealthy aunt took the
+girls. This was but just, for they had both been enriched by what ought
+to have been the inheritance of the other sister, the mother of these
+children, who, having married Monsieur Zwengler contrary to the wishes
+of her parents, was cut off with a shilling. This uncle and aunt had
+never married, for their father objected to every match that was
+proposed, as not sufficiently advantageous; whilst the brother and
+sister, taking warning by the fate of Madame Zwengler, preferred living
+single to the risk of incurring the same penalty. The daughters having
+good fortunes married early, and I believe did well enough; it is on the
+history of the sons that my story turns.</p>
+
+<p>"As I mentioned, they were at the same school with my husband's father
+when the catastrophe happened to their parents, and he remembered
+afterwards the different manner in which the news had affected them;
+Alfred's grief was apparently stormy and violent; that of the other was
+less demonstrative, but more genuine. Alfred, in short, was secretly
+elated at the independence he expected would be the consequence of this
+sudden bereavement; and he lost no time in assuming over Louis the
+importance and authority of an elder brother. Louis was an enthusiastic,
+warm-hearted, and imaginative child, too young to appreciate his loss in
+a worldly point of view, but mourning his parents&mdash;especially his
+mother&mdash;sincerely.</p>
+
+<p>"Alfred's hopes of independence were considerably abated, when he found
+himself under the guardianship of Mr. Altorf, his uncle, a proud,
+pompous, tenacious, arbitrary man; on the other hand, he was somewhat
+consoled by the expectation of becoming the heir to his large fortune,
+the magnitude of which he had frequently heard descanted on by his
+parents. He soon discovered, too, that as the heir expectant he had
+acquired an importance that he had never enjoyed before; and in order to
+make sure of these advantages, he neglected no means of recommending
+himself to the old gentleman, insomuch, that Mr. Altorf, being very fond
+of the study of chemistry, Alfred affected great delight in the same
+pursuit, sacrificing his own inclinations to shut himself up in his
+uncle's laboratory, with crucibles and chemicals that he often wished
+might be consumed in the furnace they employed. Louis, the while,
+pursued his studies, thoughtless of the future as young people usually
+are; but as he advanced in age, he began to exhibit symptoms of a
+failing constitution, and as the law for which his uncle designed him
+required more study than was compatible with health, he was allowed to
+follow his inclination and become a soldier. With this view, he was sent
+to Paris, and committed to the surveillance of a friend of his uncle
+there, who was in the French service.</p>
+
+<p>"No profession being proposed for Alfred, he lived on with his uncle,
+confirmed in the belief that though his brother, if he survived, would
+be remembered in the old man's will, he himself should inherit the bulk
+of the property. It was a weary life to him, shut up half the day in the
+laboratory, that he detested, in constant association with an
+uncongenial companion. Moreover, up to the period of his being of age,
+he was kept almost entirely without money, and was excluded from all the
+pleasures suitable to his years. When he attained his majority, he
+became possessed of the small patrimony that devolved on him as the
+eldest son of his father, and was enabled to make himself some amends
+for the privations he had previously submitted to. Not that he threw off
+his uncle's authority, or became openly less submissive and conformable;
+but secretly he contrived to procure himself many relaxations and
+enjoyments, from which he had before been shut out; and in the attaining
+and purchasing these pleasures he freely squandered all the proceeds of
+his inheritance, reckoning securely on the future being well provided
+for.</p>
+
+<p>"His uncle inhabited a villa outside of Geneva, on the road to Ferney,
+and seldom came into the town, except when he visited his banker. His
+chemicals and other articles, Alfred usually purchased, and he had made
+acquaintance with several young men, whose society and amusements he
+availed himself of these opportunities to enjoy. One frosty day in
+December, he was strolling arm in arm with some of these youths, when,
+on turning a corner, he unexpectedly saw sailing down the street before
+them, the massive figure of his uncle, attired in his best chocolate
+suit, his hair powdered, and a long pigtail hanging down his back. The
+air of conscious importance and pomposity with which he strode along,
+amused these gay companions, and they were diverting themselves at the
+old gentleman's expense, when his foot slipped on a slide, and he fell
+down. This was irresistible; and they all burst into a simultaneous
+shout of laughter. A passer by immediately assisted him to rise; and as
+he did so, he turned round to see from whence the merriment
+proceeded&mdash;perhaps he had recognised his nephew's voice&mdash;at all events,
+Alfred felt sure he <i>saw</i>, if he did not <i>hear</i>, and thought it prudent
+to apologise for his ill-timed hilarity, which he sought to excuse by
+alleging that he had not at first been aware who it was that had fallen.
+Mr. Altorf looked stern; but as he said nothing, and never alluded to
+the subject again, Alfred congratulated himself at having got off so
+well, and endeavoured to efface any unpleasant impression that might
+remain by extra attentions and compliances.</p>
+
+<p>"Everything went on as usual till the following year, when one morning
+the old gentleman was found dead in his bed, and the medical men
+pronounced that he had expired in a fit of apoplexy.</p>
+
+<p>"When the will&mdash;which was dated several years back&mdash;came to be read, it
+was found that after two trifling legacies, and five thousand pounds to
+Louis, the whole estate was bequeathed to Alfred, whose breast dilated
+with joy, as the words fell upon his ear, although it was no more than
+he was prepared for; but the first flush of triumph had not subsided,
+when the lawyer arrested the incipient congratulations of the company,
+by saying, 'Here is a codicil, I see, dated the fourteenth of December,
+last year.'</p>
+
+<p>"The company resumed their seats, and a cold chill crept through
+Alfred's veins, as the reader proceeded as follows:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"'I hereby revoke the bequest hereabove made to my nephew Alfred
+Zwengler, and I give and bequeath the whole of my estates, real and
+personal, to my nephew, Louis Zwengler. To my nephew, Alfred Zwengler, I
+give and bequeath my bust, which stands on the hall table. It is
+accounted a good likeness, and when I am gone, it will serve to keep him
+merry. May he have many a hearty laugh at it&mdash;on the wrong side of his
+mouth.'</p>
+
+<p>"The auditors looked confounded on hearing this extraordinary paragraph,
+but Alfred understood it too well.</p>
+
+<p>"It is unnecessary to dwell upon his feelings; a quarter of an hour ago
+he was one of the richest men of his canton&mdash;now there were not many
+poorer in all Switzerland than Alfred Zwengler. He had awakened from his
+long dream of wealth and importance, and habits of expense, to poverty
+and utter insignificance; while Louis, whom he had always
+despised&mdash;Louis, over whom he had domineered, and assumed the airs of an
+elder brother and a great man, had leapt into his shoes at one bound,
+and left him grovelling in the mud. How he hated him.</p>
+
+<p>"But he might die; what letters they had had from Paris reported him
+very sickly; he might be killed in battle, for Europe was full of wars
+in those days; but he might do neither; and at all events, in the
+meantime what was Alfred to do? A thousand wild and desperate schemes
+passed through his brain for bettering his situation, but none seemed
+practicable. The sole remnant of the property he had inherited from his
+father, that still remained in his possession, was a house in Geneva,
+called L'H&ocirc;tel Dupont, that he had mortgaged to nearly its full value,
+intending at his uncle's death, to pay the money and redeem it. It had
+been let, but was now empty and under repair, and the creditors talked
+of selling it to pay themselves. But Alfred induced them to wait, by
+giving out that as soon as his brother understood his situation, he
+would advance the necessary sum to relieve him. Perhaps he really
+entertained this expectation, but he had no precise right to do so, for
+he had never given Louis a crown piece, though the latter had suffered
+much more from his uncle's parsimony than he had, having inherited
+nothing whatever from his parents. However, Alfred wrote to Louis,
+dating his letter from that house, dilating on his difficulties, and the
+hardness of his fate, and hinting that, had he come into possession of
+his uncle's fortune, as he had every right to expect he should, how he
+should have felt it his duty to act towards an only brother.</p>
+
+<p>"He received no answer to this appeal; and, at first, he drew very
+unfavourable conclusions from his brother's silence; but, as time went
+on, and Louis neither appeared to take possession of his inheritance,
+nor wrote to account for his absence, hope began once more to dawn in
+the horizon; the brighter, that no letters whatever arrived from him;
+even the lawyers who had applied for instructions, received no answer.
+The last letter his uncle had had from him, had mentioned the
+probability of his joining the Republican forces in the south, if his
+health permitted him to do so. Altogether, there certainly were grounds
+for anxiety or hope, as it might be; I need not say which it was on this
+occasion. Rumours of bloody battles, too, prevailed, in which many had
+fallen. Even the creditors were content to wait, not being inclined to
+push to extremity a debtor, who might be on the verge of prosperity, for
+it was not likely that Louis would make a will; and it was even possible
+that he might have died before his uncle. In either case, Alfred was the
+undoubted heir; and, accordingly, he began once more to taste some of
+the sweets of fortune;&mdash;hats were doffed, hands were held out to him,
+and one or two sanguine spirits went so far as to offer loans of small
+sums and temporary accommodation.</p>
+
+<p>"At length, affairs being in this state of uncertainty, the lawyers
+thought it necessary to investigate the matter, and endeavour to
+ascertain what was become of the heir. Measures were accordingly taken,
+which evidently kept Alfred in a violent state of agitation; but the
+result, apparently, made him amends for all he had suffered. It was
+proved that Louis, with his military friend, had joined the Republican
+forces in the south, but was supposed to have perished in an encounter
+with the Chouans; nobody could swear to having seen him dead; but, as
+the Republicans had been surprised and fallen into an ambush, they had
+been obliged to retreat, leaving their dead upon the field.</p>
+
+<p>"This being the case, the property was given up to Alfred; a portion
+being sequestered, in order that it might accumulate for a certain
+number of years, for the purpose of refunding the original heir, should
+he&mdash;contrary to all expectation&mdash;reappear. If not, at the expiration of
+that term, the sequestrated portion would be released.</p>
+
+<p>"Alfred Zwengler was now at the summit of his wishes; and one might have
+thought, would have felt the more intense satisfaction, in the
+possession of his wealth, from the narrow escape he had had of losing
+it; but this did not seem to be the case. He had, formerly, been very
+fond of society, though he had few opportunities of entering into it;
+but when he had, nobody enjoyed it more. Now, he did not shun mankind;
+on the contrary, he sought their company; but he was moody, silent, and
+apparently unhappy. People said, that he lived in constant fear of his
+brother's turning up again and reclaiming his inheritance. It might be
+so; nobody knew the cause of the change in him, for he was
+uncommunicative, even to his nearest acquaintance.</p>
+
+<p>"One thing, that gave colour to this supposition was, that he evidently
+disliked to hear Louis named; and whenever he was alluded to, he
+invariably asserted that he did not believe he was dead, and that he
+expected every day to see him come back. After saying this, it was
+observed that, he would turn deathly pale,&mdash;rising from his chair, and
+walking about the room in manifest agitation.</p>
+
+<p>"Preferring the town to the country, Mr. Zwengler had declared his
+intention of residing in his own house, which had lately been repaired
+under his special directions, and fitted up with all the appliances of
+comfort and elegance; but he was scarcely settled there before he took a
+sudden and unaccountable dislike to it, and offered it for sale. As it
+was an excellent property, Mr. Geirsteche, my husband's father bought
+it; and Mr. Zwengler purchased another house and removed his furniture
+thither.</p>
+
+<p>"Mr. Geirsteche had no intention of living in the house; he bought it as
+an investment; for being situated in one of the best streets of the
+city, it was sure to let well; and accordingly it was not long before
+he found an eligible tenent in Mr. Bautte, an eminent watchmaker of
+Geneva, who furnished it handsomely. He was very rich, and wanted it for
+his family, who expressed themselves delighted with their new residence.
+Nevertheless, they had not been in it three months before they expressed
+a desire to live in the environs of the city rather than in it. As Mr.
+Bautte had taken a long lease of the house, he put up a ticket
+announcing that it was to be let. A gentleman from Lucerne, named
+Maurice, who had just married his sister's governess, and wished
+therefore to reside at a distance from his family, took it for three
+years, with the option of keeping it on for whatever term he pleased at
+the end of that period. He gave directions for the furnishing, and when
+it was ready, they came to Geneva and took up their abode in their new
+house. At the end of a year, they applied to Mr. Bautte for permission
+to sub-let the house. There was no such provision in the agreement, and
+Mr. Bautte at first, we were told, objected, but consented after an
+interview with Mr. Maurice. But these frequent removals had begun to
+draw observation, and it began to be rumoured that there was something
+objectionable about the H&ocirc;tel du Pont. The common people whispered that
+it was haunted; some said it was infested with rats; others that it was
+ill drained; in short, it got a bad reputation, and nobody was willing
+to take it. Mr. Maurice and his wife, who were gone to Paris for a few
+months, and had not yet removed their furniture, being informed of this,
+advertised it to be let furnished. So many strangers come to Geneva,
+that there is no want of tenants for good furnished houses, and it was
+soon engaged by a French family from Dijon. They took it for a year, but
+at the end of that time they left it for a residence much inferior in
+every respect, and yet more expensive; the rent Mr. Maurice asked being
+very moderate.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know who were the next tenants, but family after family took
+the house, for it was a very attractive one, but nobody lived in it
+long. When Mr. Maurice's three years had expired, Mr. Bautte bought his
+furniture, and continued to let the house furnished. He would have been
+glad to sell his lease, which was for thirty years, but nobody was
+inclined to buy it.</p>
+
+<p>"I now, said Madame de G. come to that part of the story that concerns
+my mother. I have frequently heard the story from her own lips, and
+nothing made her so angry as to see people listen to it with
+incredulity. My grandfather, Mr. Colman, was, as you are aware, much
+given to the pursuit of literature, and as that is one that seldom
+brings wealth, his means were somewhat restricted, although he had a
+small independance of his own. He had three daughters and two sons, and
+when his family had outgrown their childhood, and my mother, who was the
+eldest, had attained the age of seventeen, they came to Geneva for the
+sake of giving the young people some advantages of education that he
+could not afford them in England; besides there was a good deal of
+literary society to be had here then, and the place was cheaper than it
+is now.</p>
+
+<p>"Having no acquaintance, they applied on their arrival to an agent, who
+offered them several houses and L'H&ocirc;tel du Pont amongst the number. At
+first they were about to decline it as a residence beyond their means;
+but when the rent was named, they took it immediately. It was so far the
+best house they had seen, and the cheapest, that when the agreement was
+signed, they expressed their surprise to the agent, at what appeared the
+unreasonable demands of the other proprietors.</p>
+
+<p>"'Why, this house is particularly situated, sir,' said the agent. 'The
+gentleman who furnished it was obliged to leave Geneva almost
+immediately after he had settled himself here; and he being absent, and
+caring more for a good tenant than a high rent, we don't stand out for a
+price as people must do when they look to make money by a house.'</p>
+
+<p>"Mr. Colman congratulated himself on his good luck in finding such a
+liberal proprietor, and in a few days he and his family were comfortably
+established in the H&ocirc;tel du Pont. The only difficulty they had found was
+in procuring servants. They had one English maid with them, and, at
+last, they succeeded in getting two girls as cook and housemaid. The
+latter was a German, who had been brought there by a family who had gone
+on to Italy; and the former was a Frenchwoman, who had married a
+gentleman's valet, and had followed him from Paris to Geneva.</p>
+
+<p>"As soon as everything was arranged, they resumed their usual
+habits&mdash;one of which was, that for an hour or two before they went to
+bed the father read aloud to them, in a room they called the library&mdash;it
+was, in fact, his writing-room&mdash;whilst the ladies worked. A few evenings
+after they had recommenced this practice, a discussion arose between Mr.
+Colman and his eldest daughter, Mary, as to the precise meaning of a
+French word, and the dictionary had to be appealed to to decide the
+question. Mary said it was in her bed-chamber, and left the room to
+fetch it. The library was on the ground-floor, and the staircase was a
+broad, handsome one as far as the first flight; it had been made by
+Alfred Zwengler when the house was repaired, and there was a wide
+landing at the top, the whole being lighted sufficiently for ordinary
+purposes by a lamp that hung in the hall. The stairs were very easy of
+ascent, and my mother&mdash;I mean Mary&mdash;for she was afterwards my mother,
+who was a lively, active girl, was springing up two steps at a time,
+when, to her amazement, she saw a gentleman in uniform standing on the
+landing above. She stopt suddenly, but as he did not appear to notice
+her, she continued to ascend, concluding it was some stranger, who had
+got into the house by mistake, for he did not look a thief; but when she
+reached the landing he was gone. She stood at first bewildered. There
+were four doors opening into bedrooms, but they were all shut; and after
+thinking a moment, she concluded it was the shadow of some cloaks and
+hats, and sticks, that were hanging in the hall, that had deceived her.
+She did not pause to consider how this could be, but turned into her own
+room; felt for the book, which she remembered to have left on her bed
+and ran down stairs again to her father; so occupied with the disputed
+question, that for the moment she forgot what had happened, and as her
+father resumed his reading immediately, she did not mention it. When
+they were going to bed, and they were lighting their candles in the
+hall, she said, 'you can't think what a start I had this evening when I
+went for the dictionary. It must have been the shadow of those cloaks
+and things, but I could have declared I saw an officer in uniform
+standing at the top of the stairs. I even saw his epaulette and the
+colour of his clothes.'</p>
+
+<p>"'La! Mary,' said one of the younger ones, 'weren't you frightened?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Frightened! no, why should I be frightened at a shadow?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Or a handsome young officer either,' said one of the boys.</p>
+
+<p>"She playfully gave him a tap on the head, and they all went to bed,
+thinking no more of the matter.</p>
+
+<p>"The kitchen was at the back of the house, on the same floor as the
+library, and a few evenings after this occurrence, one of the girls
+being in the store-room, heard sounds of distress proceeding thence; and
+on opening the kitchen-door, to inquire what was the matter, she saw
+Jemima, the English girl, in hysterics, and the other two standing over
+her, sprinkling her face with water. They said that she had left the
+kitchen to fetch some worsted to mend her master's stockings, but that
+before she could have got up stairs, she had rushed back again, thrown
+herself into a chair, and '<i>gone off</i>' as they expressed it. On hearing
+the noise, Mr. and Mrs. Colman joined them, but, for a long time, they
+could extract nothing from her&mdash;but that she had seen <i>something</i>. My
+grandfather asked if it was a rat, or a robber! but she only shook her
+head; and it was not till they had all left the kitchen and sent her a
+glass of wine, that she was sufficiently collected to tell them that, as
+she got to the foot of the stairs, she saw an officer in uniform, going
+up before her. He had his cap in his hand, and his sword at his side;
+and supposing he was some friend of her master's, she was going to
+follow him up; but when he reached the landing, to her surprise and
+horror, he disappeared through the wall.</p>
+
+<p>"When the family heard this, combining it with what had happened to
+Mary&mdash;though the circumstance had never been mentioned in the hearing of
+the servants; nor, indeed, even alluded to a second time&mdash;they began to
+ask themselves whether it was possible any such person could get into
+the house? and they examined every part of it with care, but found
+nothing that threw a light on the mystery. After this, Jemima was afraid
+to go up stairs alone at night, and Gretchen shared her fears; but the
+Frenchwoman laughed at them both, and said she should like to see a
+ghost that would frighten her. One night, however, about nine o'clock,
+when the family were in the library, they suddenly heard a great noise
+upon the stairs, as if something had fallen from the top to the bottom,
+and when they all rushed out to see what was the matter, they found the
+cook lying across the lower step in a state of insensibility, and the
+coalscuttle upset beside her, with its contents scattered around. They
+carried her into the library, and when she revived, she insisted on
+immediately leaving the house; she would not sleep in it another night
+on any account whatever, and away she went. Gretchen and Jemima said,
+they were sure she had seen the ghost, but was too proud to own it,
+after turning their fears into ridicule; and the family began to be very
+much perplexed.</p>
+
+<p>"My grandfather had a truly philosophical mind, and did not think it a
+proof of wisdom to hold decided opinions on subjects that he had not
+investigated. He had never believed in spiritual appearances, but he had
+never thought seriously on the subject at all, and did not feel himself
+qualified to assert that such things were impossible. Certainly, it was
+a singular coincidence, that Jemima's description of the apparition
+exactly coincided with what my mother had seen; and though the
+Frenchwoman had confessed to nothing, yet it was at the same hour and
+the same place that she had taken fright. He tried, whether&mdash;by placing
+the cloaks and the lamp in certain relative positions&mdash;he could produce
+any reflection that might deceive the eye; but there was not the most
+remote approximation to such a thing; in short, he perceived that that
+explanation of the appearance was altogether inadmissible.</p>
+
+<p>"'Well,' he said, 'if anybody sees this figure again, I beg they will
+call me!'</p>
+
+<p>"They were not a nervous family, I suppose; my mother was quite the
+reverse, I know. I never saw anybody with more courage; at all events,
+they do not seem to have been alarmed, though both the boys afterwards
+saw the same figure on the same spot, and ran to call their father; but
+when Mr. Colman came it was gone. However, they declared they had seen
+it cross the landing; and that it had seemed to them, to walk through
+the wall, just as Jemima had described.</p>
+
+<p>"Some weeks after this, towards the same hour, as Mr. Colman was about
+to commence reading aloud, he discovered that he had left his
+spectacles in the pocket of his coat, when he dressed for dinner; and my
+mother, who was always alert and active, left the room to fetch them.
+Presently, she re-entered the room,&mdash;pale, and somewhat agitated, but
+perfectly collected; and said, that when she had ascended the stairs
+about half-way, she heard a slight rustle above, which caused her to
+raise her eyes; when she saw, distinctly, the same figure she had seen
+before. 'I was not frightened!' she said, 'and I stopt with one foot on
+the next stair, and looked at it steadily, that I might be sure I was
+not under a delusion. The face was pale, and it looked at me with such a
+sad expression, that I thought if it was really a ghost, it might wish
+to say something; so I asked it.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Asked it!' they all exclaimed. 'What did you say?'</p>
+
+<p>"'I said, if you have anything to communicate, I conjure you&mdash;speak!'</p>
+
+<p>"'And did it.'</p>
+
+<p>"'No,' answered Mary, 'but it made a sign&mdash;'</p>
+
+<p>"'Good Heavens!' said Mrs. Colman, 'do you know what you're saying?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Perfectly,' said Mary, calmly. 'With one hand it pointed to the
+wall&mdash;just where Jemima and the boys saw it go in&mdash;and with the other it
+made a movement, as if it was going to strike the wall with something
+heavy.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Perhaps there's some money buried there,' said one of the boys.</p>
+
+<p>"Mr. Colman, who had hitherto been a silent but amazed listener to his
+daughter's narration, asked her what the gesture appeared to signify.</p>
+
+<p>"'It was as if it wanted the wall to be pulled down&mdash;at least, I thought
+so. I wish I had asked if that was what it wished, but I had not
+presence of mind; if I see it again, I will.'</p>
+
+<p>"'But we could not pull down the wall, you know, my dear,' said Mrs.
+Colman.</p>
+
+<p>"'I suppose we might, if we engaged to build it up again,' suggested one
+of the party.</p>
+
+<p>"'But if we told anybody, we should not get the money,' said the boys.</p>
+
+<p>"'Hush!' said Mary, 'Don't speak in that way; think what a solemn thing
+it is. I shall never forget his face&mdash;never, to the day of my death; and
+it looked at me so gratefully when I spoke to it, and then it
+disappeared into the wall.'</p>
+
+<p>"Of course this extraordinary occurrence formed the subject of
+conversation for the rest of the evening, and Mr. Colman narrowly
+questioned his daughter with regard to the particulars; but her story
+was always consistent, and as he had a very high opinion of Mary's
+courage and sense, the circumstance made so much impression on him, that
+he set about making enquiries as to the owner and antecedents of the
+house. It was difficult to obtain much information&mdash;for saying a house
+is haunted, is an injury to the landlord, and sometimes brings people
+into trouble&mdash;but he ascertained that it had had several tenants, that
+nobody had staid in it long, and that one of the persons who had
+inhabited it for a short time, was Mr. Bautte himself, whereupon he
+resolved to pay him a visit.</p>
+
+<p>"Mr. Bautte, as I have mentioned, was a watchmaker; and though very rich,
+still attended to his trade, so that it was easy to obtain an interview
+with him. Mr. Colman called at his place of business, which was not a
+shop, but a room on the first floor of a private house. He asked about
+the engraving of a seal that he had to his watch-chain; and then, having
+ascertained which was Mr. B., he told him he was his tenant. Mr. B.
+bowed and said, 'I hope you like the house, sir.'</p>
+
+<p>"My grandfather said that, perhaps, he might not have observed it but
+for what had happened, but that he fancied this was said with a sort of
+misgiving, as if he was conscious that there was something objectionable
+about the house.</p>
+
+<p>"'Why,' said my grandfather, drawing him rather aside, 'I like the house
+very much; but there's one great inconvenience about it&mdash;we can't get
+any servants to stay with us. One has left us already, and the others
+have given us warning, and nobody seems willing to come in their places.
+I understand you lived in the house yourself a short time; may I ask if
+you found any similar difficulty?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Well, sir,' said Mr. Bautte, trying to look unconcerned, 'you are
+aware how ignorant and foolish such people are&mdash;I fancy from the
+construction of the house that the sounds from the next door penetrate
+the walls.'</p>
+
+<p>"'We hear no sounds,' said Mr. Colman. 'I have heard no complaints of
+any. Did any of your family ever say they saw anything extraordinary
+there?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Well, sir, since you put the question so directly, I can't deny that
+the female part of my family did assert something of the sort; but women
+have generally a tendency to superstition, and are easily terrified.'</p>
+
+<p>"'Very true,' said Mr. Colman, 'but I should take it as a great favour
+if you would tell me what they said they saw&mdash;I have no idea of leaving
+the house; you need not be afraid of that; and of course I shall not
+mention this conversation to any one&mdash;what did they say they saw?'</p>
+
+<p>"Mr. Bautte thus exhorted, confessed that his family, and everybody who
+had lived in the house, asserted that they had seen the apparition of a
+young man in uniform, who always appeared on the stairs or the landing;
+adding, that he himself had never seen it, although he had put himself
+in the way of it repeatedly, and he firmly believed it was some
+extraordinary delusion or optical deception, though it was impossible to
+account for its affecting so many persons in the same way.</p>
+
+<p>"My grandfather then told him what had occurred in his family;
+especially to his eldest daughter, in whose testimony, he assured Mr.
+Bautte, he placed the greatest reliance; and he ventured to propose an
+examination of the spot, where the figure was said invariably to
+disappear. At first, Mr. Bautte laughed at the idea; for&mdash;besides his
+scepticism, which made him unwilling to take any proceeding that
+countenanced what he considered an absurd superstition&mdash;he urged, that
+the staircase and landing in question, were of very recent erection,
+being one of Mr. Zwengler's improvements when he repaired the house.
+However, after a short argument, wherein my grandfather represented that
+nobody but the parties concerned need know the real reason for what they
+did, that the expense would be small, and the possible result beneficial
+to the property, Mr. Bautte consented, provided Mr. Geierstecke made no
+objection; he being still the owner of the house.</p>
+
+<p>"Mr. G., who, you know, was my husband's father, was aware that the
+H&ocirc;tel du Pont had frequently changed its tenants, but was quite ignorant
+of the cause. He had no immediate interest in the matter, as Mr. Bautte
+held a thirty-years lease, and he naturally assumed that these frequent
+changes were purely accidental. Everybody, who became acquainted with
+the house, had a strong motive for keeping the secret; for&mdash;besides the
+ridicule and penalty they might have incurred&mdash;they all wanted to get it
+off their hands. It's true, that amongst the servants and common people
+of the neighbourhood, there were strange whispers going about; the
+source of which it would not have been easy to trace. A glazier said he
+knew a man, who had heard another declare, that he was acquainted with a
+bricklayer, who had helped to build the staircase; who used to say, he
+did not wonder that nobody could live in the H&ocirc;tel du Pont; and that it
+was his opinion that nobody ever would be able to live in it; and a
+woman who kept a shop opposite, had been heard to say, that she saw
+somebody go into that house that never came out again; but whenever she
+alluded to this subject, her husband always reproved her, and told her
+she did not know what she was talking about.</p>
+
+<p>"This gossip had, however, never reached Mr. Geierstecks, and he was
+exceedingly surprised when Mr. Bautte communicated Mr. Colman's
+proposal, and the reason of it. He immediately called upon my
+grandfather, who recited the circumstances to him, and introduced my
+mother; from whose lips he wished to hear the account of her two
+rencontres with the ghost; and also, a particular description of its
+appearance. At the commencement of his visit, he was inclined to be
+jocular on the subject; but after he had seen my mother, and heard her
+describe the dress of the apparition, which was that of an officer in
+the Republican army of France, he seemed a good deal struck, and became
+serious. He said, he did not believe in ghosts; though he had heard
+people affirm, that they had seen such things; he always supposed them
+to be under a delusion; but that my mother's testimony was so clear, and
+from the account of her family she was so unlikely a person to be
+deceived, that he felt bound to give his assent to the proposed
+investigation; only stipulating for entire secrecy, and that he might
+fix the day for it himself. 'I'll speak to a builder,' said he; 'Mr.
+Bautte, of course, will wish to be present; and, perhaps, I may bring a
+friend with me.'</p>
+
+<p>"As I mentioned before, he had been early acquainted with the
+Zwengler's; and betwixt him and Alfred the intimacy still continued,
+although the latter was by no means the pleasant companion he had been
+formerly. Mr. Geierstecke concluding that his uncle's will, and the
+sudden vicissitudes of fortune he had experienced, had affected his
+spirits, pitied him; and had often endeavoured to argue him out of his
+depression, but with little effect.</p>
+
+<p>"I have heard him say, that after he left my grandfather's house on that
+day, he went to Mr. Zwengler's with the intention of telling him the
+circumstances I have related, and also of giving him notice of the
+impending investigation; but when he had got to the door, and his hand
+was upon the bell, he shrunk from the interview. 'Not,' he said, 'that
+he admitted a suspicion; on the contrary, he repelled it; but he could
+not overcome an uneasy feeling at the striking resemblance between Louis
+Zwengler and the ghost (if ghost there was), as described by my mother.
+He feared that, if his words did not betray this feeling, his
+countenance would, and he could not face Alfred in this state of mind;
+so he turned from the door and went home. Still he felt he could not
+allow this thing to be done without warning his friend of their
+intention, and he sat down to write him a letter; but it was a difficult
+thing to communicate,&mdash;at least, he somehow found it so. He could have
+mentioned it jocularly; but that, under all the circumstances, he could
+not do so; and he had torn up two or three unsuccessful efforts, when
+the door opened, and the servant announced Mr. Zwengler himself.</p>
+
+<p>"My father-in-law told me that he felt his knees tremble, and his cheek
+turn pale, when he rose to receive his visitor, who seemingly rather
+more cheerful than usual, said he had called to ask him why he did not
+come in to-day, when he was at his door. 'I was at the window,' said he,
+'and was quite disappointed to see you turn away.'</p>
+
+<p>"This was too good an opportunity to be lost, and Mr. Geierstecke
+answered, that it was quite true, and that he had actually had his hand
+upon the bell, when he thought it was useless troubling him with such
+nonsense.</p>
+
+<p>"'What nonsense?' asked Zwengler.</p>
+
+<p>"'It's about that house I bought of you,' said Mr. Geierstecke. 'People
+say they can't live in it;' adding, while he affected to laugh; 'They
+say there's a ghost in it, and they want to pull down the staircase to
+look for him.'</p>
+
+<p>"'How absurd,' said Mr. Zwengler; 'and are you going to do it?' but the
+voice sounded as if there was something in his throat.</p>
+
+<p>"'We are,' replied Mr. G. 'Mr. Bautte has never been able to keep a
+tenant, and I can't refuse, for it appears they all assert the same
+thing. Even Mr. Bautte's family would not live in it&mdash;they say they
+see&mdash;&mdash;'</p>
+
+<p>"'Ha! ha!' laughed Zwengler, rising suddenly, and pushing back his chair
+in a hurried manner, 'but I must leave you&mdash;I've an appointment; I
+merely called as I passed the door, to ask why you'd not come in. Bless
+me! I'm late,' he added, as he looked at his watch; and he hurried out
+of the room, crying 'Good night,' as he disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>"Mr. Geierstecke used to say that he believed that he (Mr. G. himself)
+continued standing on the same spot, like a statue, for nearly half an
+hour after the door closed on his visitor.</p>
+
+<p>"'I had scarcely had time to rise from my chair,' he said, 'before he
+was gone, and I felt paralysed. I did not know what to do. I wished I
+had never bought the house, and I lay awake all night, thinking of
+horrors, and then trying to persuade myself that perhaps there was no
+cause for my apprehensions after all.'</p>
+
+<p>"'I saw nothing more of Zwengler, though I frequently passed his house
+purposely; and, at length, the day arrived which I had&mdash;not without
+design&mdash;fixed at the interval of a week from my first visit to Mr.
+Colman. We all assembled at the appointed time, with a respectable
+workman whom I was in the habit of employing, to whom we accounted for
+our proceeding, by alleging that there was a bad smell sometimes, which
+we thought might proceed from a dead rat.</p>
+
+<p>"'I never felt more nervous and agitated in my life, than while the man
+was demolishing the wall, and we were waiting the denouement; while
+Mary, the heroine, stood pale and earnest, with her eyes eagerly fixed
+on the spot.'</p>
+
+<p>"'We had better have a light, sir,' said the mason presently, 'There is
+something here&mdash;&mdash;'</p>
+
+<p>"One of the boys went for a light, while silent and breathless they
+waited its arrival.</p>
+
+<p>"When it came it disclosed a fearful sight. There lay, huddled up, as if
+thrust in in haste, the bones of a perfect skeleton, and what appeared
+to be burnt remnants of clothes. Before they touched anything, Mr.
+Bautte sent for the police, and these sad relics were removed by their
+officers. There was no means of discovering how life had been taken, but
+the medical men said that some strong chemical preparation had been used
+to consume the flesh and clothes, and prevent any bad odour.</p>
+
+<p>"Everybody knew the Zwenglers and their history; and on this discovery,
+the pref&ecirc;t sent for my mother, and took her deposition as to the
+appearance of the figure she had seen. He also examined Jemima and the
+Frenchwoman who had left our service; and the testimony of all parties
+coinciding, he issued an order to arrest Alfred. But when they went to
+his house he was not there. The servants said he had been absent nearly
+a week; that he left, saying he was going on business to D&ocirc;le, and his
+stay was uncertain. He had taken no baggage with him but a carpet bag. A
+messenger was despatched to D&ocirc;le, but nothing was known of him there;
+and the enquiries that were instituted at the Messageries and
+Voituriers threw no light on his mode of conveyance, if, indeed, he had
+left Geneva.</p>
+
+<p>"Various people, who had lived in the house, now confessed to have been
+troubled with the same apparition; and several amongst the neighbours of
+the lower ranks avowed that they had strong suspicions that Alfred
+Zwengler did not come fairly by his fortune, alleging different reasons
+for their opinion; one of which was singular&mdash;it was, that a little deaf
+and dumb girl, who lived near him, described to her mother, that when he
+passed their door, she always saw him as enveloped in a black cloud.</p>
+
+<p>"Howbeit, Alfred Zwengler never appeared more; and it was generally
+thought that terrified by the impending disclosure he had thrown himself
+either into the lake or the river, to escape it. He left no will, and
+the fortune went to his sisters. But this strange circumstance resulted
+in my mother's marriage to Monsieur de Beaugarde the Prefect, who was so
+captivated by her courage, that he made her an offer immediately; and
+the acquaintance with Mr. Geierstecke, thus commenced, led to my
+marriage with his son."</p>
+
+<p>In answer to my enquiry, of how it was supposed the murder was
+committed, Madame de G. said, the conjecture was, that Louis had made
+his escape from the Chouans, and returned unexpectedly&mdash;a neighbour even
+testified to having seen him enter the house one night at the time it
+was under repair&mdash;and that his brother by a sudden and dreadful impulse,
+had struck him down unawares. One of the masons who had been employed in
+building the staircase, but who was killed by a fall shortly before the
+discovery, had been heard to hint that before he died he must unburden
+his mind of a secret that weighed heavily on his conscience. "Not that
+the guilt lies on my soul, he used to say, but perhaps it's a sin to
+hold my tongue."</p>
+
+<p>However, he had no time to speak; but one came from the grave to tell
+the tale and bear awful witness against the unhappy Alfred Zwengler.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_SHEEP-FARMERS_STORY" id="THE_SHEEP-FARMERS_STORY"></a>THE SHEEP-FARMER'S STORY.</h2>
+
+
+<p>The following singular story was related to me in a dialect which,
+though I understood, from having lived much in the country where it was
+spoken, I cannot attempt to imitate, not being "to the manner born;"
+neither, if I could, would it be agreeable, or very comprehensible, to
+my readers in general. I shall, therefore, tell it in plain English; and
+hope it will interest others as much as it did me.</p>
+
+<p>Sandy Shiels, the narrator, was a sheep-farmer in the Lammermuirs. He
+lived in a lone house, in a wild and desolate country, with his wife and
+children, his farm-servants, and his dogs, and seldom saw a stranger
+enter his door, from week's end to week's end; but on certain occasions,
+more or less frequent, Sandy attended the fairs and markets about the
+country; and at the cattle shows, sometimes, appeared in Edinburgh
+itself. He was a shrewd and a simple man&mdash;for the two characteristics
+are by no means incompatible&mdash;hardhanded and hardfeatured, but not
+unkindly; a serious churchman, a great reader of his Bible, and a keen
+observer of Nature and Nature's language, as men who are born and bred
+amongst mountains generally are.</p>
+
+<p>His wife was a plain, hardworking woman, by whom he had two children,
+yet young; but he had an elder son by a former marriage, called Ihan
+Dhu; a Highland appellation not common in the Lammermuirs; but his
+mother was a Highland woman, and had given it to him. Ihan Dhu means
+Black John; and it suited him well; for, instead of the brawny figure
+and sandy hue which so generally prevails in the south, he had inherited
+the slight figure, the dark complexion, and black hair and eyes of his
+mother, who was a specimen of the genuine Highland type; which, contrary
+to the belief commonly entertained in England, is (Lord Jeffrey informed
+me), <i>a little dark man</i>.</p>
+
+<p>The two farm-servants were called Donald and Rob. The former a heavy,
+stolid lout, who had just intellect enough to do what he was told; the
+latter, a smart, lively, goodnatured lad, who was fond of reading, when
+he could get a book; and wide awake about everything that his very
+limited sphere brought him in contact with. The only other member of the
+family was a girl, called Annie Goil, an orphan niece of Mrs. Shiel's;
+who, in conjunction with her aunt, did all the work of the house and
+dairy. The whole household lived and ate, and sat together, and with
+them the two sheep dogs, Coully and Jock. In the summer, it was pleasant
+enough; but in the winter, when the snow fell and the sheep were on the
+hills, they had often a hard time of it.</p>
+
+<p>Annie Goil was a pretty lass; and, naturally enough, there being no
+other at hand, the three young men, Ihan, Donald, and Rob, were all
+candidates for her favour. Nevertheless, they lived tolerably well
+together; the rivalry, apparently, not running very high. Ihan was, of
+course, much the best match; and he might, perhaps, feel pretty
+confident that whenever he chose seriously to put in his claim, it could
+not be resisted. Rob, possibly, comforted and consoled himself with the
+sundry little marks of preference she bestowed on him, which might be
+genuine, or might be designed to <i>agacer</i> Ihan. As for Donald, he was of
+so slow and undemonstrative a nature, that though she and the other two
+often jeered him, and pretended to think he was the one destined to
+carry off the prize, he exhibited neither anger nor jealousy; if he felt
+either, he kept them to himself.</p>
+
+<p>Nevertheless, a sharp word, or sour look, would occasionally pass
+between them; that is, between Ihan and Rob; for any dissatisfaction on
+the part of Donald was only expressed by increased stolidity and
+silence; and so persuaded was the old man that their feelings towards
+each other were not very genial; to say the least, that he had been
+heard to say to his wife, that Annie Goil was a good girl; but, perhaps,
+it would have been better, if she had never come amongst them.</p>
+
+<p>Still they rubbed on "middling well," as Sandy said, and certainly far
+better than might have been expected under such circumstances.</p>
+
+<p>The winter preceding the circumstances I am about to relate, had been a
+very severe one, and Sandy Shiels, who had exposed himself too much to
+the weather, was laid up with an attack of rheumatism. As he was a very
+active man, still not much past middle life, who when in health
+diligently looked after his business himself; his loss during this
+confinement was much felt; and the others had enough to do to make up
+for his absence.</p>
+
+<p>On the 27th of February, the snow was on the ground, and the wind blew
+wildly over the Lammermuir hills; the sheep sought shelter and munched
+their turnips sadly in the nooks and hollows. Donald was abroad, with
+the dogs looking after them, and seeing that no stray lamb perished in
+the cold; while Ihan and Rob were off to Gifford. Ihan to do business
+there for his father; for there was a three days fair, or market, which
+Sandy, when in health, never failed to attend, both as a buyer and
+seller; and Rob to fetch some medicine for the patient, and other
+matters wanted at the farm.</p>
+
+<p>Rob set out at dawn of day, for it was a long walk of ten miles through
+the snow, and the sooner he could return the better, as the things he
+was to bring were wanted. Ihan rode a rough little Shetland pony; he did
+not start till midday, and was not expected back till the evening after
+the next. On the first day he had to go on as far as Haddington, which
+is four miles beyond Gifford, where he was to consult a lawyer about a
+disputed point in his father's lease. He was to sleep there at the house
+of a friend, and to be back to the Gifford market early the next
+morning.</p>
+
+<p>Annie Goil stood at the door covertly watching Ihan as he mounted his
+pony, well equipt for his cold ride, his neck enveloped in a red
+comforter, knitted for him by Annie herself. She leant against the
+door-post looking about her with an air of indifference; while Ihan
+seemed wholly occupied in tightening his girths and seeing that his
+stirrups were of the right length. Neither spoke; still he lingered over
+his gear, and still she stood leaning against the post, when suddenly
+Mrs. Shiels called from above, "Is Ihan gone? Stop him!" and hurrying
+down stairs appeared at the door.</p>
+
+<p>"Ihan," she said, "I forgot to tell Rob to bring sixpennyworth of
+camphorated spirits for your father; if he has not left Gifford before
+you get there, tell him to get it."</p>
+
+<p>"He will have left, I should think," answered Ihan.</p>
+
+<p>"Perhaps not," said Mrs. Shiels, "but if he has you must bring it,
+though I want it to night."</p>
+
+<p>"Very well," said Ihan as he rode away, and Mrs. Shiels and Annie
+re-entered the house.</p>
+
+<p>The hours passed drearily at the farm, with the sick man groaning in his
+pain, and the two lonely women dividing their time betwixt his chamber
+and their household cares. As the day advanced Annie went frequently to
+the door and looked up the glen; and Mrs. Shiels, glancing at the Dutch
+timepiece that stood in the kitchen, observed that she wondered Rob had
+not come back. Annie responding that the snow was deep, and it must be
+very heavy walking, again went to the door and looked up the glen; but
+there was nobody in sight. The hours dragged on, and as it grew later,
+large flakes began to fall and obscure what little light remained. Sandy
+grew impatient and accused Rob of idling and lingering at the fair; Mrs.
+Shiels wondered; and Annie having done her work, took up her station at
+the door with her gown-skirt over her head; there she stood listening
+for the sound of a step, for it was too dark to see, and at last, she
+heard a heavy foot approaching, but it was Donald returning from the
+hills, followed by Jock.</p>
+
+<p>"You haven't seen anything of Rob, have you?" said Annie.</p>
+
+<p>"How should I see Rob! He's gone to Gifford ar'n't he?"</p>
+
+<p>"You might have been on that side of the hill?"</p>
+
+<p>"Ar'n't he come back with the stuff?"</p>
+
+<p>"No; he might have been here three hours since. I can't think what's
+become of him."</p>
+
+<p>"Stopt at the Fair, may-be; there's dancing the night at the Lion."</p>
+
+<p>"Nonsense!" said Annie, pouting her lips at him, and turning away to
+prepare their evening meal.</p>
+
+<p>Donald shook himself, and stamped his feet to get rid of the snow, and
+then entered the kitchen. Mrs. Shiels hearing a foot, came down, hoping
+to find Rob; and was very much disappointed when she saw it was Donald.</p>
+
+<p>"What can that boy be doing, all this time?" she said.</p>
+
+<p>"Perhaps he met Ihan, and went back for the camphor," suggested Annie.</p>
+
+<p>"He'd never think of such a thing! Ihan would not let him; that is, if
+he had got any way on," said Mrs. Shiels.</p>
+
+<p>"There's dancing the night at the Lion," reiterated Donald.</p>
+
+<p>"Why, the boy would never think of staying for that!" exclaimed Mrs.
+Shiels; indignant at the mere notion of such a disorderly proceeding.</p>
+
+<p>"To be sure, he wouldn't," said Annie; "Donald knows that well enough;"
+and her lip curled as she spoke!</p>
+
+<p>Annie was evidently disturbed at Rob's prolonged absence, and angry with
+Donald's insidious attempts to put an ill construction on it. But still
+Rob did not come.</p>
+
+<p>Annie went on preparing the supper, which consisted of porridge; and
+when she had poured it into the bowls, she made two messes for the dogs.</p>
+
+<p>"Where's Coullie?" she said looking round.</p>
+
+<p>"Arn't he here?" inquired Donald.</p>
+
+<p>"No.&mdash;Don't you see he's not?"</p>
+
+<p>"Well, I thought he came in with me," said Donald; and going to the door
+he began whistling the familiar whistle that calls home the dogs. Jock
+leaving his bowl of porridge, that Annie had set down, went to the door
+too. Presently they both returned; Donald sat down to his supper,
+saying, he supposed the dog would come presently; and Jock applied
+himself to his.</p>
+
+<p>As the night drew on, the wonders and conjectures increased, and the
+family grew more and more fidgity and perplexed at Rob's absence. Donald
+went to bed as he had to be up betimes in the morning; Mrs. Shiels did
+the same, because she slept in her sick husband's room; Annie lingered
+as long as she could; then she made up a good fire, set a saucepan of
+porridge on the hob, left a bowl and a spoon, and salt on the table, and
+went to bed too. When she was undrest and had extinguished her candle,
+she opened the lattice window of her chamber and put out her head. The
+snow still fell, and it was very dark; after listening for some minutes,
+she shut the window, and softly opening her chamber door, she crept down
+stairs again to the kitchen. There she unhooked a lantern from the wall,
+put a lighted candle in it, and returning to her room, she hung it on
+the latch of the window before she got into bed. She thought she should
+not sleep, but after a little while she did, and soundly too, till next
+morning. When she opened her eyes at dawn of day, the candle was burnt
+out, but the sight of the lantern in so unusual a place, reminded her
+immediately why she had placed it there, and she wondered whether Rob
+had come home in the night, and been let in by Donald. When she came
+down, Donald was already outside the house cleaning his shoes and
+feeding the pigs. She called to him, "Is Rob come?"</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know," he answered. Of course, then, he was not. It was most
+extraordinary.</p>
+
+<p>"Is Coullie come in?" she asked.</p>
+
+<p>"I ha'nt seen him," he said.</p>
+
+<p>He was very silent; swallowed his mess of porridge in haste, and then
+set off to the hills with Jock. When Mrs. Shiels came down, the same
+questions were reiterated; and when she found Rob was not come, she was
+very angry, and expressed her conviction that he had staid for the dance
+at the Lion. Even Annie no longer defended him, for where else could he
+be all night? A pretty rating he will get when he comes back thought
+she; and she could not deny that he well deserved it.</p>
+
+<p>She expected him early, and every now and then she went to the door as
+on the preceding day; but hour after hour passed, and he did not come.
+All sorts of conjectures were formed as to the cause of the delay, but
+Mrs. Shiels and her husband admitted but one solution of the
+difficulty&mdash;"the boy's head had got clean turned, and he was gone to the
+bad althegither."</p>
+
+<p>At night, Donald came home to the great surprise of all, without
+Coullie; he said he had seen nothing of the dog. Now Coullie was devoted
+to Rob&mdash;in short, he was the only person the animal cared for&mdash;and it
+occurred to Annie that he had somehow come upon Rob's footsteps, and
+tracked him to Gifford, and she expected whenever they did come, to see
+them both arrive together.</p>
+
+<p>But that night passed and the next day, and then, towards evening,
+Annie, who had been to the door, announced that she heard the pony's
+foot; here was at hand one who doubtless would be able to solve the
+mystery about the absentee. It was the first question addressed to
+him&mdash;"Where's Rob?"</p>
+
+<p>"How should I know?"</p>
+
+<p>"Haven't you seen him?"</p>
+
+<p>"Seen him, no; I've not seen him since the day before yesterday. Why?
+what's the matter?"</p>
+
+<p>"He's never come back from Gifford. Where was he when you saw him?"</p>
+
+<p>"I never saw him at all, except in the morning before he set off."</p>
+
+<p>"You did not meet him on the road, nor in the village?"</p>
+
+<p>"No; I saw nothing of him after he left this."</p>
+
+<p>"Did you hear if he had been there?"</p>
+
+<p>"I never asked; I bought the camphor&mdash;here it is. How's father?"</p>
+
+<p>At night, Donald came home, still without Coullie; and as the dog had
+never strayed before, it was natural to conclude that he had gone after
+Rob, wherever the latter might be. The irritation of Mr. and Mrs. Shiels
+increased hourly, so did Annie's wonder and perplexity. The two young
+men, Ihan and Donald, were differently affected; Ihan seemed rather
+pleased, and he covertly taunted Annie with this desertion of her
+favourite; Donald was only more silent and stolid than he had been
+before.</p>
+
+<p>But the next day, and the next passed, and so on through the winter, and
+neither the man nor the dog were seen or heard of. It was ascertained by
+enquiry that he had been at Gifford, and made his purchases, and it was
+supposed, had left it early, but <i>that</i> no one knew. Certainly, he was
+not at the ball at the Lion. Somebody had seen him in company with a
+young man from Edinburgh, in a tax cart, but nobody knew who he was;
+and, finally, Mr. and Mrs. Shiels declared their conviction that,
+tempted by fine promises&mdash;being an ambitious lad&mdash;he had gone off to
+Edinburgh with this acquaintance, to better his fortune; and Ihan
+appeared to adopt their opinion. Annie had considerable difficulty in
+doing so; but, at length, even she ceased to defend him, since there was
+no other way of accounting for his absence.</p>
+
+<p>Before the winter was over, Donald had left. He had come home one night,
+with his hands dreadfully mangled by a pole-cat, which he said he had
+found devouring a rabbit under a bush, and had rashly attempted to lay
+hold of. Hereupon, he went away to the infirmary in Edinburgh, to be
+under Dr. S.; and Sandy Shiels engaged a man to fill his situation, and
+also bought a dog in place of Coullie, whose loss he much regretted,
+well-broken sheep dogs being very valuable.</p>
+
+<p>Some time had elapsed&mdash;the fine weather had set in; and with it, the
+farmer had got rid of his rheumatism, and resumed his former habits of
+active occupation; when one day, as he was crossing the hill between his
+own farm and a place called 'The Hopes,' he observed a dog trotting
+along, that struck him as being very like Coullie. He gave a whistle,
+and the animal stopt and looked round, and on calling him by his name,
+he came up and fondled his master, appearing very glad to see him, and
+finally accompanying him where he was going.</p>
+
+<p>'The Hopes' was a gentleman's house, about three miles from Shiels'
+farm, and when he reached the gate, he was surprised to hear the keeper
+at the lodge say, patting the dog familiarly, "Well, Willie, so you've
+come back again?" Whereupon Sandy asked him if he knew him.</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, yes, I know him," he said; "he's a great favourite of the ladies
+here. They found him on the hill nearly starved, some time ago, and he
+followed them home, and has lived here, off and on, ever since."</p>
+
+<p>"That's very odd," said Sandy, "for the dog's mine. I brought him up
+from a pup, and we broke him ourselves&mdash;that is, a lad did, that lived
+with me then, called Rob. But, one day last winter, the lad disappeared,
+and the dog too, and I've never seen either of them since, till just now
+I saw the dog on the hill."</p>
+
+<p>"Well," said the keeper, "I think it was early in March the ladies
+brought him home here. He often goes away; but he comes back again, and
+the ladies take him along with them when they walk out."</p>
+
+<p>Sandy could not conceive why the dog had deserted his home, or why he
+had remained starving on the hill, when he knew very well where his food
+awaited him. The keeper agreed in its being very extraordinary, since he
+must have known his way over every part of the moor for miles round; and
+suggested that he might have gone after the young man who had
+disappeared, and been on his way back, when the ladies met him; but,
+even if that were so, why had he not returned home since, especially as
+he was frequently absent for hours, and sometimes all night?</p>
+
+<p>When Sandy Shiels had concluded his business, and was about to depart,
+he whistled the dog, who followed him willingly enough; but as he
+approached his own house, Coullie shrunk behind, and seemed inclined to
+turn tail, and run away; however, he came on in obedience to his
+master's call, and was joyfully received by the family in general, who
+listened with interest to the account of his adventures, as far as they
+were known; all agreeing that his absence must, in some way, be
+connected with that of Rob. It was observed that one of his first
+movements was to examine the premises after his own fashion, sniffing
+about, first below, and afterwards above stairs in the attic in which
+Rob and Donald formerly slept. What was the result of these
+investigations we cannot tell; but when they were concluded, he
+stretched himself before the kitchen fire, and went to sleep.</p>
+
+<p>The following days, Sandy took him on the hill when he went to look at
+the sheep, and he did his duty as formerly; but on the third or fourth
+evening he was missed, and was absent all night. He returned in the
+morning, and was gently chided for this irregularity&mdash;the family
+concluding he had been to visit his friends at "The Hopes;" however, a
+few evenings after, when they were sitting at supper, with the doors
+closed, and the dogs lying quietly dozing on the hearth, Coullie
+suddenly started up, and began to show signs of uneasiness; while,
+almost at the same moment, something like a low whistle reached their
+ears, which seemed to proceed from the air, rather than the earth. They
+had heard no sound of footsteps, but Ihan rose from the table and opened
+the door; whereupon Coullie seized the opportunity to dart out, and Ihan
+returned, saying he could see nobody, but that Coullie was off at the
+rate of ten miles an hour. Everybody wondered where he was gone; and at
+last it was concluded that some person from 'The Hopes' had been passing
+near the house, and that the dog had recognised the whistle, and
+followed him. The truant was found at the door in the morning, and
+chided as before, but that did not prevent his repeating the offence,
+till their wonder was greatly increased by the following
+circumstance:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>Sandy Shiels always read prayers to his family on the Sunday evenings;
+and one night, while he was thus engaged, and the dogs were lying
+apparently asleep, Coullie suddenly uttered two or three low whines.
+Annie raised her head from her book to bid him be silent, and observing
+that he was sitting up, looking eagerly towards the door, which was
+open, she turned her eyes in that direction, and saw to her
+astonishment, a man standing in the dusk of the passage. As all the
+inmates of the house were present, and the outer door was shut, so that
+no stranger could have come in, she uttered an exclamation of surprise
+which interrupted the reader, and caused everybody to turn their heads;
+but with the sound of her voice the figure had disappeared, and the
+others saw nothing. Coullie ran to the door, and became uneasy, while
+Sandy asked what was the matter.</p>
+
+<p>"I saw a man in the passage," said Annie, looking very pale and
+agitated.</p>
+
+<p>"A man," said Ihan, rising; "I saw no man;" and going into the passage,
+he opened the outer door to look round; whereupon, Coullie seized the
+opportunity, and rushed out.</p>
+
+<p>"There's nobody that I see," said Ihan; "but the dog's off again."</p>
+
+<p>"I'm sure I saw somebody," said Annie.</p>
+
+<p>"Go and look up stairs," said Mrs. Shiels; Ihan went and returned,
+saying there was nobody in the house but themselves, and Annie must have
+been mistaken.</p>
+
+<p>But Annie shook her head, and beginning to cry, asserted that she had
+not been mistaken, and that she believed the man she saw was Rob,
+adding, that she always thought that the whistle they sometimes heard,
+and which agitated Coullie so much, was Rob's whistle.</p>
+
+<p>At this suggestion, Ihan fired and showed symptoms of great irritation;
+and if Sandy had not been present, high words would have arisen betwixt
+him and Annie. As it was, his countenance was clouded all the rest of
+the evening.</p>
+
+<p>This event made a great impression on the young girl; she thought of it
+day and night, and she watched with increasing interest Coullie's
+inexplicable proceedings, which still continued. Sometimes of an evening
+they would hear footsteps, whereon the dog would betray great
+uneasiness till they opened the door, and he could dart off on his
+mysterious errand. Once or twice they confined him and would not let him
+go; but the animal seemed so much distressed and whined so piteously,
+that they ceased to oppose his inclinations. Although when they heard
+these footsteps they searched the premises in all directions, nobody was
+ever to be found. Annie wished them to endeavour to find out where
+Coullie went; but nobody seemed to have sufficient curiosity to take any
+trouble about the matter, though they all admitted the singularity of
+the circumstances. No doubt, it was difficult, inasmuch as he always
+started on these expeditions at night, while he ran off so rapidly that
+it would have been impossible to overtake him or keep him in sight. This
+state of things continued till the month of October, which became very
+cold; and one morning, towards the end of it, Annie, when she went to
+the door, found there had been a fall of snow in the night. Coullie, who
+had gone off the evening before, was there waiting to be let in, and she
+observed the track of his feet on the ground. It immediately occurred to
+her that here was an opportunity of discovering what she wished so much
+to know. She had nobody to consult, for her aunt and uncle were not come
+down; and being a stout country girl, she threw her shawl over her head,
+and calling the dog to follow her, she set off up hill and down dale,
+guided by the marks of Coullie's footsteps which remained perfectly
+distinct for about four miles in the direction of Gifford, when they
+turned off to the left, and stopt at the edge of an old quarry. The dog,
+who had trotted cheerily beside her, now began to descend into the
+hollow, stopping and looking up every now and then, whining as if
+inviting her to follow; but after several attempts she found the descent
+too steep. When at the bottom, Coullie disappeared for a minute or two
+under the embankment, and she heard him still whining; but finding she
+could make no further investigations without assistance, she called the
+dog who joined her directly, and they returned home to find Mrs. Shiels
+in a dreadful state of mind at Annie's unaccountable and unprecedented
+absence. However, when she communicated the cause of it, and the
+discovery she had made, Sandy was sufficiently aroused to say that he
+would send some one down to examine the quarry. He did so, and the
+result was that they found the remains of poor Rob under circumstances
+that led to the conclusion that he had somehow gone out of his way, and
+fallen into the pit; for on medical examination, it appeared that both
+his legs were broken. As the quarry was abandoned and in a lonely spot,
+a person might very possibly die there under such circumstances without
+being able to make his distress known.</p>
+
+<p>Poor Rob's remains were committed to the earth; Coullie left off his
+erratic habits and became an ordinary, but intelligent, sheep dog; and
+the family at Shiel's farm, after due comment, on the singular events
+that had led to the discovery of his body, which could only be accounted
+for by admitting a spiritual agency (a view of the case which Ihan
+always repelled with scorn) turned their thoughts into other channels,
+with the exception of Annie, who had a strong persuasion that Rob had
+not come fairly by his end; and oftentimes she would say to Coullie when
+alone with the dog, "Ah, Coullie, if you had a tongue that could speak,
+I think you could tell a tale!"</p>
+
+<p>And Coullie looked at her with his large wise eyes full of affection;
+for she petted and cherished him for Rob's sake, and always gave him the
+largest mess at supper time.</p>
+
+<p>Sometimes, too, Annie had strange thoughts about Ihan; he had become
+more dark, and silent, and sulky, since Rob's death; was it because he
+was jealous of the interest she had exhibited, or was it from any other
+cause? Did he meet Rob that day on his way to Gifford? What could Rob be
+doing so much out of the road as the Quarry? These thoughts naturally
+made her more and more cold to Ihan, whilst her reserve aggrivated his
+ill-temper and dissatisfaction.</p>
+
+<p>And Annie was not the only person to whom these questions suggested
+themselves. People would gossip amongst themselves secretly; it got
+abroad that there had been a good deal of jealousy amongst the young
+men, and it was whispered that the first Mrs. Shiels had aptly named her
+son when she called him Ihan Dhu&mdash;Black John. At length, these reports
+reached Sandy Shiels and his son; the latter appeared sullenly
+indifferent, but they made the old man very unhappy; and every night
+when he prayed aloud with the family before retiring to rest, he
+besought God, saying, "Oh Lord if it be thy pleasure, may them that are
+innocent be justified!"</p>
+
+<p>At term time, when, in Scotland, servants frequently, especially farm
+servants, change their situations, the man whom Shiels had engaged in
+Donald's place left; and having heard that Donald, who had been in
+service at Dunse, was leaving also, Sandy wrote and proposed to him to
+return; the proposal was accepted, and they were expecting him, when a
+cart was heard to stop at the door, out of which they looked to see him
+alight; but the visitor proved to be an old Highland woman who
+introduced herself as Rob's grandmother&mdash;his father and mother having
+emigrated. She said she had heard the account of her boy's death, and
+the attachment displayed by the dog, and that she had come all the way
+to see the animal, and had brought the money to purchase him; if his
+master did not object. She had travelled from Argyleshire to Haddington
+by coach; and at the latter place she had hired a cart and a lad to
+drive her to her destination. She added that she and her old man "were
+no that puir but that they could afford to buy the dog that had been so
+faithful to their ain boy."</p>
+
+<p>Sandy Shiels and his family made her welcome; invited her to stay and
+take a day or two's repose after her journey, and granted her request
+with regard to Coullie. Annie was very much interested in the old woman;
+and the latter was deeply impressed with the circumstances the young
+girl related to her; enquiring minutely into every particular of places
+and persons connected with the boy's death. She said it was "wonderfu';"
+adding, that she had "seen" Rob's funeral,&mdash;meaning by the second
+sight&mdash;"but not the manner of his death; but she had no doubt God would
+shew it her before she died."</p>
+
+<p>On the third day she departed; and Sandy Shiels, who had business at
+Gifford, drove her and Annie, who wished to accompany her, in his cart.
+They started in time to meet the coach, Coullie making the fourth
+passenger; and in due time reached the village and drove up to the door
+of the Lion, where three or four men were sitting on the bench outside
+smoking and drinking beer; but the moment the cart stopped&mdash;almost
+before it had stopped&mdash;Coullie bounded out of it and with indescribable
+fury attacked one of the men. His master called him, but he was deaf to
+his voice; and so violent was his rage that it was not without the
+assistance of the others that he could draw him off. Even then, whilst
+holding him back with an iron grasp, the dog growled and shewed his
+teeth, and with flashing eyes, struggled to renew the onslaught.</p>
+
+<p>"Wha's that?" asked the old woman, who had witnessed the scene with
+surprise.</p>
+
+<p>"That's our Donald, that I told you of&mdash;he that lived with us in poor
+Rob's time," said Annie. "What a very extraordinary thing of Coullie to
+do! I never saw him in such a way before. Besides, he couldn't have
+forgotten Donald!"</p>
+
+<p>"Forget him!" exclaimed the old woman; "Na, na; Coullie no forgets. Mind
+ye lass; tak tent o' that man&mdash;there's bluid upon him!"</p>
+
+<p>Donald in the mean time had retreated into the house in search of some
+water to wash his hand that Coullie had bitten. When he came out the old
+woman and the dog had departed.</p>
+
+<p>But the lookers on were not uninterested observers of what had past. A
+new idea struck them; the tide of opinion was rather turned in Ihan's
+favour. However, this was but the under current of gossip. Donald went
+home with Sandy Shiels and Annie, who whatever they might have thought,
+said nothing; but after this, in the nightly prayer, Sandy not only
+besought God that the innocent might be justified; but also, that the
+guilty might be brought to repentance; and sometimes he would go
+further, dilating on the duties enjoined by a <i>true</i> repentance; such as
+reparation, where reparation could be made; and, at all events, where it
+could not, taking the burthen of our guilt on our own shoulders, even
+though it weigh us down to death, rather than let the guiltless man
+suffer, though it were only the breath of slander.</p>
+
+<p>One morning, about three weeks after the departure of the old Highland
+woman, when they opened the door they found Coullie waiting to be let
+in. However, kindly treated by his new owners, he had found his way
+back; a letter arrived from them shortly afterwards, saying, they had
+missed him, and that they did not doubt that he would reach his former
+home, "and, may, be yet give testimony agen the wicked."</p>
+
+<p>Annie kept the contents of this epistle to herself, but it did not
+escape her eye that Donald seemed cowed by Coullie's enmity, which the
+animal never failed to exhibit as much as he durst. Moreover, as time
+passed, Donald lost his appetite and the healthy hue of his complexion;
+in short it was evident he was far from happy in his situation; and she
+thought that Sandy's significant and awful prayers were eating into his
+soul and wearing him away.</p>
+
+<p>Farm servants are usually hired for six months; and at last Donald gave
+warning that he should leave next term&mdash;he did not think the place
+agreed with him; so it seemed indeed; but that was the year 1832; and
+ere term time arrived, the cholera came, and seized upon Donald as one
+of its first victims in those parts.</p>
+
+<p>Before he died, he made his confession in presence of the doctor, to the
+effect, that he was jealous of Rob, because in the morning he and Ihan
+had overheard a conversation between him and Annie, and she had promised
+him a lock of her hair. That he met him as he was returning from
+Gilford, induced him to go out of his road towards the Quarry, by saying
+one of the sheep had fallen in, and when Rob was off his guard, he
+pushed him over; but not without a desperate struggle, Rob being very
+active and strong.</p>
+
+<p>He was dreadfully frightened, and ran from the place not knowing what
+would happen, and for some time he hourly expected Rob to come home. But
+at length finding he did not, he ventured to approach the spot; but
+Coullie was there and he flew at him and bit him so severely that he
+resolved to leave the country and go to the Infirmary. He had heard of
+Rob's remains being found and buried, while he was living at Dunse; and
+thinking there would be no more enquiry about the matter, he accepted
+the farmer's offer to come back, because he wanted to see Annie.</p>
+
+<p>And so he died, justifying the innocent, according to the old man's
+prayers; but Ihan did not long survive. Sandy said he feared he had
+taken to whiskey drinking from disappointment and vexation, and the
+cholera found him also an easy prey.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="MY_FRIENDS_STORY" id="MY_FRIENDS_STORY"></a>MY FRIEND'S STORY.</h2>
+
+
+<p>"I don't know how often you have promised to tell me a remarkable thing
+in the ghostly line, that happened to yourself," said I, the other day
+to my friend; "but something has always come in the way; now I shall be
+very much obliged to you for the particulars, if you have no objection
+to my printing the story."</p>
+
+<p>"None," she said, "but as regards names of persons and places; the
+circumstances are so singular that I think they deserve to be recorded.
+That part of the affair which happened to myself I vouch for; and I can
+only say that I have most entire confidence in the truth of the rest,
+and that all the enquiries I made, tended to confirm the story.</p>
+
+<p>"I remember your asking me once, why I so seldom visited our place in
+S&mdash;&mdash;, and I told you it was because it was so dreadfully <i>triste</i> that
+I could not inhabit it. You will perhaps suppose that what I am going to
+relate happened there, but it did not, for the house has not even the
+recommendation of being haunted&mdash;that would at least give it an
+interest&mdash;but I am sorry to say the sole interest it possesses is, that
+it happens to be ours. Dull as it is, however, we lived there shortly
+after I was married, for some time. I had no children then, which made
+it all the duller, particularly when my husband was called away; and on
+one of these occasions, some acquaintances I had, who were living at a
+place called the Bellfry, about two miles distant, invited me to visit
+them for a few days.</p>
+
+<p>"The Bellfry is a common place square house, just such as the doctor or
+lawyer would inhabit in a provincial town; a little white swing gate, a
+round grass plot, with a few straggling dahlias, a gravel road leading
+to the small portico, and a terrible loud bell to ring, when you want to
+be admitted. So much for the exterior. The interior is not at all more
+suggestive to the fancy. On the ground floor, there is the usual parlour
+on one side, and drawing-room on the other, with a long passage leading
+to the offices at the back; upstairs, a sort of corridor, with dingy
+bedrooms opening into it. Decidedly not lively, but perfectly prosaic,
+it was by no means calculated to inspire ghostly terrors; and, indeed, I
+must confess the supernatural, as it is called, was a subject that, at
+that time, had never engaged my attention. I mention all this to show
+you that what happened was not 'the offspring of my excited
+imagination,' as the learned always tell you these things are. Moreover,
+I was young; and, to the best of my belief, in very good health.</p>
+
+<p>"The room they gave me was the best. It was plainly but comfortably
+furnished, with a large four-post bed, and it looked into the
+churchyard; but this is not an uncommon prospect in country towns, and I
+thought nothing about it. Now that we understand these things better, I
+should think it not ghostly, but unhealthy.</p>
+
+<p>"The first two or three nights I slept there, nothing particular
+occurred; but on the fourth or fifth night, soon after I had fallen
+asleep, I was awoke by a noise which appeared very near me, and on
+listening attentively, I heard a rustling sound, and footsteps on the
+floor. I forgot for the moment that I had locked my door, and
+concluding it was the housekeeper, who sometimes looked in when I was
+going to bed, to ask if I was comfortable, I said, 'Is that you, Mrs.
+H?' But there was no answer, upon which I sat up and looked around; and
+seeing nobody, though I heard the sound still, I jumped out of bed. Then
+I observed, for if was a bright moonlight night, that there was a large
+tree in the churchyard, which grew very close to the window, and I
+concluded that a breeze had arisen, and caused the branches to touch the
+glass; so I got into bed again quite satisfied, and settled myself to
+sleep. But scarcely had I closed my eyes, when the footsteps began
+again, much too distinct this time to be mistaken for anything else; and
+whilst I was listening in amazement, I heard a heavy, heavy sigh. I had
+raised myself on my elbow, in order to have my ears freer to listen, and
+presently I saw the curtains at the foot of the bed, which were closed,
+slowly and gently opened. I saw no figure, but they were held apart,
+apparently by the two hands of some one standing there. I bounded out of
+bed, and rushed out of the room into the corridor, screaming for help.
+All who heard me, got up and came out of their rooms, to enquire what
+had happened; but I had not courage to tell the truth, I was afraid of
+giving offence, or incurring ridicule, and I said I had been awakened by
+a noise in my room, and I was afraid somebody was concealed there. They
+went in with me and searched; of course, nobody was found; and one
+suggested that it was a mouse, another that it was a dream, and so
+forth. But then, and still more the next morning, I fancied, from their
+manner, they were better acquainted with my midnight visitor than they
+chose to say. However, I changed my room, and soon after quitted the
+Bellfry, which I have never slept at since, so there concludes the
+story, so far as I am concerned; but there is a sequel to the tale.</p>
+
+<p>"I must tell you that I never mentioned these circumstances, because I
+knew I should only be laughed at; besides I thought it might annoy my
+hosts, as they had an idea of going abroad for some time, and it might
+have interfered with their letting the house.</p>
+
+<p>"Now to my sequel.</p>
+
+<p>"Two or three years after this occurrence, I fell desperately ill;
+first I was confined of an infant which did not survive; and then I was
+attacked with typhus fever, which raged in the neighbourhood. I was at
+death's door for eleven weeks, and not expected to recover; but you see,
+I did, <i>nonobstant messrs. les medicins</i>; but I was so long regaining my
+strength, that I was recommended to try the effects of a sea voyage.
+Even then, I could not sit up, and was lifted about like a baby; and as
+a fine lady's maid would have been of no use on board the yacht, a
+sailor's daughter from the coast was engaged to attend me; a strong,
+healthy young woman, to whom my weight was a feather. She tended me most
+faithfully, and I found her simple, truthful, and straightforward;
+insomuch, that I had thoughts of engaging her in my service permanently.
+With this view, and also because it helped to pass the time, I
+questioned her about her family, and the manner of life of her class, in
+the out of the way part of the country from which she came.</p>
+
+<p>"'I suppose, Mary, you've never been away from home before?'</p>
+
+<p>"'Oh, yes, Ma'am; I was in service as housemaid for a short time at the
+Bellfry, not far from your place, Ma'am; but I soon left that, and I
+have never been out again.'</p>
+
+<p>"'But why did you leave? Didn't you like the place?'</p>
+
+<p>"'No, Ma'am.'</p>
+
+<p>"'But why? Perhaps you'd too much to do?'</p>
+
+<p>"'No, Ma'am, it wasn't a hard place; but unpleasant things happened, and
+so I left.'</p>
+
+<p>"'What sort of unpleasant things?' said I, my own adventure there
+suddenly recurring to my memory.</p>
+
+<p>"She hesitated, and said, that perhaps it would alarm me; she had also
+made a sort of promise to her master and mistress not to talk about it,
+and she never had mentioned what happened except to her parents, in
+order to account for leaving so suddenly. I assured her that I should
+not be alarmed, and overcame her scruples, and then she told me what
+follows.</p>
+
+<p>"It appeared that she was engaged as housemaid at the Bellfry about two
+years before my visit there. Shortly after her arrival, her mistress
+being taken very unwell, her master went to sleep at the other side of
+the house, whilst Mary made her bed in the dressing-room, in order to
+be near at hand if the invalid required any assistance in the night. She
+had directions to keep some refreshment ready in case it was wanted, and
+towards two o'clock in the morning, her mistress saying she should like
+a little broth, Mary rose, and half drest, proceeded down stairs with a
+candle in her hand, to fetch some which she had left simmering on the
+kitchen fire. As she descended the last flight of stairs, she was a good
+deal startled at seeing a bright light issuing from the kitchen&mdash;the
+door of which was open&mdash;much brighter than could possibly proceed from
+the fire, for the whole passage was illuminated by it. Her first and
+very natural idea was that there were thieves in the house; and she was
+about to rush upstairs again to her master's room, when it occurred to
+her that one of the servants might be sitting up for some object of her
+own, and she stopt to listen, but there was not the least sound&mdash;all was
+silent. It then occurred to her that possibly something might have
+caught fire; so half-frightened, she advanced on tip-toe and peeped in,
+when, to her surprise, she saw a lady dressed in white, sitting by the
+fire, into which she was sadly and thoughtfully gazing. Her hands were
+clasped upon her knees, and two large greyhounds&mdash;beautiful dogs, said
+Mary&mdash;sat at her feet, both looking up fondly in her face. Her dress
+seemed to be of cambric or dimity, and from Mary's description, was that
+worn by ladies in the seventeenth century.</p>
+
+<p>"The kitchen was as bright as if illuminated by twenty candles, but this
+did not strike her she said, till afterwards; so quite reassured by the
+appearance of a lady instead of a band of robbers, it did not occur to
+her to question who she was or how she came there; and saying, 'I beg
+your pardon ma'am', she entered the kitchen, dropt a curtsey, and was
+going towards the fire, but as she advanced the vision retreated, till,
+at last, lady, chair, and dogs, glided through the closed window; and
+then the figure appeared standing erect in the garden, with its face
+close to the panes, and the eyes looking sorrowfully and earnestly on
+poor Mary.</p>
+
+<p>"'And what did you do then, Mary?' said I.</p>
+
+<p>"'Oh, ma'am, then I <i>fared</i> to feel very queer, and I fell upon the
+floor with a scream.'</p>
+
+<p>"Her master heard the cry, and came down to see what was the matter.
+When she told him what she had seen, he endeavoured to persuade her it
+was all fancy; but Mary said she knew better than that; however, she
+promised not to talk of it, as it might frighten her sick mistress.</p>
+
+<p>"Subsequently, she met the same melancholy apparition pacing the
+corridor into which the room that I had slept in opened; and not liking
+these rencontres she gave warning and left the place.</p>
+
+<p>"She knew nothing more, for her home was at some distance from the
+Bellfry, which she had not since revisited: but when I had recovered my
+health and returned to that part of the country, I found, on enquiry,
+that this apparition was believed to haunt not only the house, but the
+neighbourhood; and I conversed with several people who affirmed they had
+seen her, generally alone, but sometimes accompanied by the two dogs.</p>
+
+<p>"One woman said she had no fear, and that she had determined if she met
+the ghost, to try and touch her, in order to ascertain if it was
+positively an apparition; she did meet her in the dusk of the evening on
+the path that runs by the high road between the Bellfry and G&mdash;&mdash; and put
+out her arm to take hold of her dress. She felt no substance, but she
+described the sensation as if she had plunged her hand into cold water.</p>
+
+<p>"Another person saw her go through the hedge, and he observed, that he
+could see the hedge through the figure as she glided into the field.</p>
+
+<p>"It is whispered that this unfortunate lady was an ancestress of the
+original proprietor of the place, who married a man she adored, contrary
+to the advice of her friends; and too late she discovered that he had
+taken her only for her money, which was needed to repair his ruined
+fortunes; he, the while being deeply enamoured of her younger sister,
+whose portion was too small for his purpose.</p>
+
+<p>"The sister came to live with the newly married couple; and suspecting
+nothing, the bride was some time wholly unable to account for her
+husband's mysterious conduct and total alienation. At length she
+awakened to the dreadful reality, but unable to overcome her passion,
+she continued to live under his roof, suffering all the tortures of
+jealousy and disappointed love. She shunned the world; and the world,
+who soon learnt the state of affairs, shunned her husband's society; so
+she dragged on her dreary existence with no companionship but that of
+two remarkable fine greyhounds, which her husband had given her before
+marriage. Riding or walking, she was always accompanied by these
+animals&mdash;they and their affection were all she could call her own on
+earth.</p>
+
+<p>"She died young; not without some suspicions that her end was
+hastened&mdash;at least, passively, by neglect, if not by more active means.</p>
+
+<p>"When she was gone, the husband and the sister married; but the
+tradition runs, that the union was anything but blest. It is said that
+on the wedding night, immediately after her attendant had left her,
+screams were heard proceeding from the bridal chamber; and that on going
+upstairs, the bride was found in hysterics, and the groom pale, and
+apparently horror-stricken. After a little while, they desired to be
+left alone, but in the morning it was evident that no heads had prest
+the pillows. They had past the night without going to bed, and the next
+day they left their home&mdash;she never to return. She is supposed to have
+gone out of her mind, and to have died abroad in that state, carefully
+tended by him to the last. After her decease, he returned once to the
+Bellfry, a prematurely aged, melancholy man; and after staying a few
+days, and destroying several letters and papers, to do which appeared
+the object of his visit, he went away, and was seen no more in that
+county."</p>
+
+<p>Alas, for poor human nature! How we are cursed in the realisation of our
+own wishes! How we struggle and sin to attain what we are never to
+enjoy!</p>
+
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p class="center">OSTELL, PRINTER, HART STREET, BLOOMSBURY.</p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr class="full" />
+
+<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GHOSTS AND FAMILY LEGENDS***</p>
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+The Project Gutenberg eBook, Ghosts and Family Legends, by Catherine Crowe
+
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+
+
+
+Title: Ghosts and Family Legends
+       A Volume for Christmas
+
+
+Author: Catherine Crowe
+
+
+
+Release Date: April 19, 2012  [eBook #39485]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
+
+
+***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GHOSTS AND FAMILY LEGENDS***
+
+
+E-text prepared by Delphine Lettau, Mary Meehan, and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Canada Team (http://www.pgdpcanada.net)
+
+
+
+GHOSTS AND FAMILY LEGENDS.
+
+A Volume for Christmas.
+
+by
+
+MRS. CROWE,
+
+Authoress of "Night Side of Nature," &c.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+London:
+Thomas Cautley Newby, Publisher,
+Welbeck Street, Cavendish Square.
+1859.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS.
+
+
+                                                           _page_
+
+    FIRST PART.
+
+      PREFACE                                                   v
+
+    ROUND THE FIRE.
+
+      FIRST EVENING                                             1
+        THE LOVER'S FAREWELL.
+        _The Appointment Kept_.
+
+      SECOND EVENING                                           19
+        THE WHITE CAT.
+        PASSING SPIRITS.
+        THE GARDE CHASSE.
+
+      THIRD EVENING                                            43
+        THE CARRIER.
+
+      FOURTH EVENING                                           63
+        REHEARSALS, &C.
+        PROPHETIC DREAMS.
+
+      FIFTH EVENING                                            81
+        THE VIGIL.
+        THE STRANGE DOG.
+        THE SCOTCH MINISTER.
+
+      SIXTH EVENING                                            93
+        THE RADIANT BOY.
+        THE PREDICTION.
+        HAUNTED HOUSES.
+        THE JUSTIFICATION.
+
+      SEVENTH EVENING                                         111
+        THE GERMAN INN.
+        THE BENIGHTED TRAVELLER.
+
+      EIGHTH EVENING                                          135
+        MY OWN VISIT TO A HAUNTED HOUSE.
+        MR. G.'S ADVENTURE.
+        CONCLUSION TO FIRST PART.
+
+    APPENDIX                                                  149
+
+        AUTOGRAPH LETTERS COMMUNICATING
+        PERSONAL EXPERIENCES ADDRESSED TO THE AUTHOR.
+
+
+    SECOND PART.
+
+      LEGENDS OF THE EARTHBOUND.
+
+        THE ITALIAN'S STORY                                   173
+
+        THE DUTCH OFFICER'S STORY                             209
+
+        THE OLD FRENCHMAN'S STORY                             229
+
+        THE SWISS LADY'S STORY                                259
+
+        THE SHEEP FARMER'S STORY                              297
+
+        MY FRIEND'S STORY                                     327
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE.
+
+
+It happened that I spent the last winter in a large country mansion, in
+the north of England, where we had a succession of visitors, and all
+manner of amusements--dancing, music, cards, billiards, and other games.
+
+Towards the end of December, 1857, however, the gaiety of the house was
+temporarily interrupted by a serious misfortune that occurred to one of
+the party, which, in the evening, occasioned us to assemble with grave
+faces round the drawing-room fire, where we fell to discussing the
+slight tenure by which we hold whatever blessings we enjoy, and the sad
+uncertainty of human life, as it affects us in its most mournful
+aspect--the lives of those we love.
+
+From this theme, the conversation branched out into various speculations
+regarding the great mysteries of the here and hereafter; the reunion of
+friends, and the possible interests of them that have past away in the
+well-being of those they have left behind; till it fell, naturally, into
+the relation of certain experiences which almost everybody has had, more
+or less; and which were adduced to fortify the arguments of those who
+regard the future as less disjoined from the present than it is
+considered to be by Theologians generally.
+
+In short, we began to tell ghost stories; and although some of the party
+professed an utter disbelief in apparitions, they proved to be as
+fertile as the believers in their contributions--relating something that
+had happened to themselves or their friends, as having undoubtedly
+occurred, or to all appearance, occurred--only, with the reservation,
+that it must certainly have been a dream.
+
+The substance of these conversations fills the following pages, and I
+have told the stories as nearly as possible in the words of the original
+narrators. Of course, I am not permitted to give their names; nobody
+chooses to confess, in print, that he or anybody belonging to him, has
+seen a ghost, or believes that he has seen one. There is a sort of
+odium attached to the imputation, that scarcely anyone seems equal to
+encounter; and no wonder, when _wise_ people listen to the avowal with
+such strange incredulity, and pronounce you at the best a superstitious
+fool, or a patient afflicted with spectral illusions.
+
+Under these circumstances, whether I have ever seen a ghost, myself, I
+must decline confiding to the public; but I take almost as courageous a
+step in avowing my entire and continued belief in the fact that others
+do occasionally see these things; and I assert, that most of those who
+related the events contained in the ensuing pages of this work,
+confessed to me their absolute conviction that they or their friends had
+actually seen and heard what they said they did.
+
+Some of the company related curious traditions and legends connected
+with their family annals; and these form the second part of this little
+book, which I hope may prove a not uninteresting companion for a
+Christmas fireside.
+
+CATHERINE CROWE.
+
+15th _October_, 1858.
+
+
+
+
+GHOST STORIES
+
+AND
+
+FAMILY LEGENDS.
+
+
+
+
+ROUND THE FIRE.
+
+FIRST EVENING.
+
+
+"But there are no ghosts now," objected Mr. R.
+
+"Quite the contrary," said I; "I have no doubt there is nobody in this
+circle who has not either had some experience of the sort in his own
+person, or been made a confidant of such experiences by friends whose
+word on any other subject he would feel it impossible to doubt."
+
+After some discussion on the existence of ghosts and cognate subjects,
+it was agreed that each should relate a story, restricting himself to
+circumstances that had either happened to himself or had been told him
+by somebody fully entitled to confidence, who had undergone the
+experience.
+
+We followed the order in which we were sitting, and Miss P. began as
+follows:--
+
+"I was some years ago engaged to be married to an officer in the ----
+regiment. Circumstances connected with our families prevented the union
+taking place as early as we had expected; and in the mean while Captain
+S., whose regiment was in the West Indies, was ordered to join. I need
+not say that this separation distressed us a good deal, but we consoled
+each other as well as we could by maintaining a constant correspondence;
+though there were no steam packets in those days, and letters were much
+longer on their way and less certain in their arrival than they are now.
+Still I heard pretty regularly, and had no reason for the least
+uneasiness.
+
+"One day that I had been out shopping, and had returned rather tired, I
+told my mother that I should go and lie down for an hour, for we were
+going out in the evening, and I was afraid I might have a head-ache, to
+which I am rather subject; so I went up to my room, took down a book and
+threw myself on the bed to read or sleep as it might happen. I had read
+a page or two, and feeling drowsy had laid down the volume in order to
+compose myself to sleep, when I was aroused by a knock at my chamber
+door.
+
+"'Come in,' I said, without turning my head, for I thought it was the
+maid come to fetch the dress I was going to wear in the evening.
+
+"I heard the door open and a person enter, but the foot was not her's;
+and then I looked round and saw that it was Captain S. What came over me
+then I can't tell you. I knew little of mesmerism at that period, but I
+have since thought that when a spirit appears, it must have some power
+of mesmerising the spectator; for I have heard other people who had been
+in similar situations describe very much what I experienced myself. I
+was perfectly calm, not in the least frightened or surprised, but
+transfixed. Of course, had I remained in my normal state, I should
+either have been amazed at seeing Captain S. so unexpectedly, especially
+in my chamber; or if I believed it an apparition, I should have been
+dreadfully distressed and alarmed; but I was neither; and I can't say
+whether I thought it himself or his ghost. I was passive, and my mind
+accepted the phenomenon without question of how such at thing could be.
+
+"Captain S. approached the bedside, and spoke to me exactly as he was
+in the habit of doing, and I answered him in the same manner. After the
+first greeting, he crossed the room to fetch a chair that stood by the
+dressing table. He wore his uniform, and when his back was turned, I
+remember distinctly seeing the seams of his coat behind. He brought the
+chair, and having seated himself by the bed side, he conversed with me
+for about half-an-hour; he then rose and looking at his watch, said his
+time had expired and he must go; he bade me good bye and went out by the
+same door he had entered at.
+
+"The moment it closed on him, I knew what had happened; if my hypothesis
+be correct, his power over me ceased when he disappeared and I returned
+to my normal state. I screamed, and seized the bell rope which I rang
+with such violence that I broke it. My mother, who was in the room
+underneath, rushed up stairs, followed by the servants. They found me on
+the floor in a fainting state, and for some time I was unable to
+communicate the cause of my agitation. At length, being somewhat calmed,
+I desired the servants might leave the room, and then I told my mother
+what had happened. Of course, she thought it was a dream; in vain I
+assured her it was not, and pointed to the chair which, wonderful to
+say, had been actually brought to the bedside by the spirit--there it
+stood exactly as it had been placed by him; luckily nobody had moved it.
+I said, you know where that chair usually stands; when you were up here
+a little while ago it was in its usual place--so it was when I lay
+down--I never moved it; it was placed there by Captain S.
+
+"My mother was greatly perplexed; she found me so confident and clear;
+yet, the thing appeared to her impossible.
+
+"From that time, I only thought of Captain S. as one departed from this
+life; suspense and its agonies were spared me. I was certain.
+Accordingly, about a month afterwards, when one morning Major B. of the
+---- regiment sent in his card, I said to my mother, 'Now you'll see; he
+comes to tell me of Henry's death.'
+
+"It was so. Captain S. had died of fever on the day he paid me that
+mysterious visit."
+
+We asked Miss P. if any similar circumstance had ever occurred to her
+before or since.
+
+"Never," she answered; "I never saw anything of the sort but on that
+occasion."
+
+"I have no experience of my own to relate," said Dr. W., "but in the
+course of my late tour in Scotland, I went amongst other places to Skye,
+and I found the whole island talking of an event that had just happened
+there, which may perhaps interest you. There was a tradesman in Portree
+of the name of Robertson; I believe he was a sort of general dealer, as
+shopkeepers frequently are in those remote localities. Whatever his
+business was, however, it frequently took him to the other islands or
+the mainland to make purchases. He had arranged to go on one of these
+expeditious, I think to Raasa, when a friend called to inform him that a
+meeting of the inhabitants was to be held on some public question in
+which he, Robertson, was much interested."
+
+"'You had better defer going till after Friday,' said Mr. Brown; 'we
+can't do without you, and its very possible you may not get back in
+time.'
+
+"'Oh, yes, I can do all my business, and be back very well on Thursday,'
+said Mr. Robertson; objecting that if he waited over Friday it would be
+no use going till Monday. Brown tried to persuade him to alter his
+plans, but in vain; 'however,' said he, 'you may rely on seeing me on
+Thursday, if you'll look in, in the evening; as I would not miss the
+meeting on any account.'
+
+"This conversation took place at an early hour on Tuesday morning.
+Immediately afterwards Mr. Robertson bade his wife and children
+good-bye, and proceeded to the boat which left at eleven o'clock, having
+on board, besides himself, two other passengers, and two boatmen.
+
+"On Thursday evening, Mr. Brown, who had been busying himself in
+fortifying and encouraging their adherents against the next day, and had
+taken upon himself to answer for his friend Robertson's presence, as
+soon as he had finished business, set off to keep his appointment with
+the latter, anxious to ascertain that he was arrived.
+
+"His anxiety was soon relieved, for on his way he met him.
+
+"'Well, here you are,' said he, holding out his hand.
+
+"'Yes,' answered Robertson, not appearing to notice the hand, 'I have
+kept my promise.'
+
+"Upon that Mr. Brown introduced the subject of the meeting, and
+mentioned the hopes he had of carrying the question, with which
+Robertson seemed satisfied; but as soon as possible turning the
+conversation into another direction, he began talking to his friend
+about his wife and children, and certain arrangements he had wished to
+be made respecting his property.
+
+"His mind seemed so much more engrossed with these matters than the
+meeting, that little was said upon the latter subject, and Mr. Brown,
+having parted with him in the street, rather wondered why he chose such
+a moment to discuss his private affairs.
+
+"The next morning, at the appointed hour, the principal inhabitants of
+the place assembled in a public room at the Tun. Brown, who wanted to
+say a word to Robertson, lingered at the door; but as he did not come,
+he thought he must have arrived before himself, and went up stairs.
+
+"'Is Robertson here?' said he, on entering the room.
+
+"'No,' said one, 'I'm afraid he's not come back from Raasa.'
+
+"'Oh, yes,' said Brown, 'he'll be here; I saw him yesterday evening.'
+
+"They then discoursed about the matter in hand for some time, till
+finding the chairman was about to proceed to business, Robertson's
+absence was again reverted to.
+
+"'I know he's come back,' said one, 'for I saw him standing at his own
+door as I passed last night.'
+
+"'He can't have forgotten it,' said another.
+
+"'Certainly not, for we spoke of it last night,' said Brown.
+
+"'Perhaps he's ill,' suggested somebody.
+
+"'Just send your man to Mr. Robertson's, and say we are waiting for
+him,' said Brown to the landlord.
+
+"The landlord left the room to do so; and, in the meantime, they
+proceeded to business.
+
+"Presently, the landlord re-entered the room, saying, that Mrs.
+Robertson answered that her husband had not returned from Raasa, and
+that she did not much expect he would be back till night.
+
+"'Nonsense,' cried Brown, 'Why, I saw the man yesterday according to
+appointment, and had a long conversation with him.'
+
+"'I am sure he's come back,' said one who had spoke before. 'I was
+coming down the street on the other side of the way, and I saw him
+standing at the door with his apron on. I should have crossed over to
+speak to him, but I was in a hurry.'
+
+"'It's extraordinary,' said the landlord: 'Mrs. Robertson declares he's
+not come.'
+
+"Some jokes were then passed about the apparent defection of Robertson
+from his spouse, and the meeting concluded their business without him,
+his party being exceedingly annoyed at his absence, which they thought
+not fair to the cause.
+
+"'He should have given us his support.'
+
+"'I suppose he has altered his opinions.'
+
+"'Then he had better have said so.'
+
+"'It struck me, certainly, that he was rather lukewarm on the subject
+when I talked to him last night; but on Tuesday I saw him just before he
+started, and he said he would not miss the meeting on any account. I'll
+go and look after him and know what he means.'
+
+"Accordingly, Brown proceeded to his friend's house, and found Mrs.
+Robertson and her children at dinner.
+
+"'Weel," Mr. Brown,' she said, 'so your meeting's over.'
+
+"'Aye,' said he, 'but where's Robertson? Why didn't he keep his word
+with us?'
+
+"'Why, you see, I dare say he meant to be back--indeed, I know he did:
+but business won't be neglected, and I suppose he could not manage it.'
+
+"'Do you mean to say he's not come back!' said Brown.
+
+"'Sure, I do,' answered Mrs. R. 'Of course, he'd have been at the
+meeting if he had.'
+
+"'But people saw him last night, standing at his own door,' answered the
+cautious Brown.
+
+"'Na, na, Mr. Brown, don't you believe that,' said Mrs. R., laughing;
+they that say that had too much whiskey in their een.'
+
+"The children laughed at the idea of anybody seeing their father when he
+was at Raasa, and on the whole it was evident, that if John Robertson
+had returned, it was unknown to his family. But what could be his reason
+for so strange a proceeding, and why, if he wanted to evade the meeting,
+had he needlessly shown himself at all? Why not really stay away from
+Portree?
+
+"However, Robertson did not appear; and later in the day the landlord of
+the Tun said to Brown, as he was passing the door, 'You must have been
+mistaken about seeing Mr. Robertson; the boat from Raasa is not come
+in.'
+
+"'Then he must have come over by some other, for I not only saw him but
+walked and talked with him. I can't think what he can mean by playing
+at Hide and Seek in this way?'
+
+"'It's very extraordinary,' said the landlord, 'for I am expecting a
+hamper from Raasa; and so, hearing from you that Mr. Robertson was come,
+I went down to inquire about it; but they declare no boat of any sort
+has come in these two days; the wind's right against them.'
+
+"'I know the boat from Raasa is not come back,' said the porter; 'for I
+saw Jenny McGill just now, and she says her husband is not returned.'
+
+"'Really you'll persuade me that I'm not in my right senses,' said the
+perplexed Brown. 'If ever I saw Robertson in my life I saw him last
+night; I was going to call upon him, as he had asked me to do so before
+he went away; but I met him, not far from my own house; and what is
+more, he told me of a thing I did not know before, regarding a purchase
+he had made, and spoke of what he intended to do with it.'
+
+"'It's most extraordinary,' said the landlord.
+
+"'Eh, sirs,' said an old fishwife, who was standing by, 'I wish it may
+not be John Robertson's ghaist that ye saw, for the wind's sair agin
+them, and I'd a bad dream about Jamie McGill last night.'
+
+"They all laughed; but this was the first suggestion of the sort that
+had been made; and though he would not confess it, Brown began to feel
+rather uncomfortable; the more so as several things were recalled to his
+memory that had not struck him at the time. He remembered that Robertson
+had avoided shaking hands with him, either on meeting or parting, as was
+his wont; he had even then been struck with the grave tone of his
+conversation, and with his choosing that particular moment for pressing
+on his friend's attention what did not appear to have any urgent
+interest at present. Then it occurred to him that he looked ill and
+sad--he had attributed this to fatigue; but now, putting everything
+together, he could not help feeling a considerable degree of uneasiness.
+He kept hovering about Robertson's house, and from that to the shore all
+day; went to bed at night quite nervous; and by the next afternoon the
+alarm had spread and become universal. It was not without cause.
+
+"John Robertson never came back; the boat had been lost--how, was not
+known, as all on board had perished. However, Mr. Brown took upon
+himself to be the friend and guardian of the bereaved family; and the
+information he received in that melancholy interview he was enabled to
+turn much to the advantage of their circumstances."
+
+"A very remarkable story," said I.
+
+"Yes," answered Dr. W. "very remarkable indeed, if true."
+
+"And is it not true," I said, "remember, we are upon honour; I should
+think it a very ill compliment if any one attempted to mystify us with
+an invented story."
+
+"I did not invent it, I assure you," replied Dr. W.; "I give it you as
+it was given to me on the spot. If you ask me if I believe it, I can't
+say I do."
+
+"Do you think the people who told you believed it?"
+
+"They certainly appeared to do so."
+
+"And did it seem generally believed?"
+
+"I can't say but it did; but of course, one must have wonderfully strong
+evidence before one could believe such a thing as that."
+
+"Granted; but unless you had seen the thing yourself, you cannot have
+stronger evidence of a phenomenon of that description, than that it was
+believed by those who had good reason to know the grounds of their
+belief. They were able to judge how far Mr. Brown was worthy of credit;
+and they had the advantage of having witnessed his demeanour at the
+public meeting, when he asserted that he had walked and talked with
+Robertson, at a time he could not possibly know if he was telling a lie,
+that the man would not sooner or later return to confute him. Besides,
+as far as we see, it would have been a useless and wicked lie, inasmuch
+as it was calculated to make the man's family very uneasy. His
+subsequent conduct does not at all countenance the persuasion that he
+was capable of such a proceeding.'
+
+"Certainly not; but you know the Scotch are very superstitious."
+
+"I can't agree with you; the higher and lower classes of the towns are
+exactly similar in that respect to the same classes of England. In all
+countries the lower classes are more disposed to put faith in these
+things, because they believe in their traditions and adhere to the axiom
+that seeing is believing. The higher classes, on the other hand, are
+carefully educated not to believe in such traditions and to reject the
+axiom that seeing is believing, if the thing seen is a ghost. Now I
+freely admit, that our senses often deceive us, and that we think we see
+what we do not; every body with the slightest intelligence has, I
+suppose, learnt to distrust his own senses to a certain extent; but why
+on one particular point we should reject their evidence altogether, I
+never could understand."
+
+"You have heard, I suppose of spectral illusions?" said the Doctor.
+
+"Of course I have, and admit their existence; but we have so many cases
+on our side, that doctrine will not cover, and it is so impossible for
+you to prove that any particular case of ghost seeing falls under that
+head, that it is no use discussing the subject. It complicates the
+difficulty I confess, but can never decide the question. I was going to
+say, however, that the shopkeepers and middle classes of Scotland are
+anything but what you mean by superstitious--the class to whom Brown and
+Robertson belong, is the most hardheaded, argumentative, and matter of
+fact in the kingdom; and their religion, which is eminently
+unimaginative, so far from inducing a belief in ghosts, would have a
+precisely opposite tendency, because ghosts do not form an article of
+belief in either the longer or shorter catechism. In the remoter
+districts of the Highlands, the people are said to have more of what you
+would call superstition; but the same peculiarity is remarked in all
+mountainous regions; and as it has never been satisfactorily accounted
+for, we will not enter into the discussion now."
+
+
+
+
+ROUND THE FIRE.
+
+SECOND EVENING.
+
+
+"After the doctor's story, I fear mine will appear too trifling," said
+Mrs. M., "but as it is the only circumstance of the kind that ever
+happened to myself, I prefer giving it you to any of the many stories I
+have heard.
+
+"About fifteen years ago, I was staying with some friends at a
+magnificent old seat in Yorkshire, and our host being very much crippled
+with the gout, was in the habit of driving about the park and
+neighbourhood in a low pony phaeton, on which occasions, I often
+accompanied him. One of our favourite excursions was to the ruins of an
+old abbey just beyond the park, and we generally returned by a
+remarkably pretty rural lane leading to the village, or rather, small
+town of C.
+
+"One fine summer's evening we had just entered this lane, when seeing
+the hedges full of wild flowers, I asked my friend to let me alight and
+gather some; I walked on before the carriage picking honeysuckles and
+roses as I went along, till I came to a gate that led into a field. It
+was a common country gate, with a post on each side, and on one of these
+posts sat a large white cat, the finest animal of the kind I had ever
+seen; and as I have a weakness for cats, I stopt to admire this sleek,
+fat puss, looking so wonderfully comfortable in a very uncomfortable
+position; the top of the post on which it was sitting, with its feet
+doubled up under it, being out of all proportion to its body, for no
+Angola ever rivalled it in size.
+
+"'Come on, gently,' I called to my friend, 'here's such a magnificent
+cat!' for I feared the approach of the phaeton would startle it away
+before he had seen it.
+
+"'Where?' said he, pulling up his horse opposite the gate.
+
+"'There,' said I, pointing to the post, 'Isn't it a beauty; I wonder if
+it would let me stroke it!'
+
+"'I see no cat,' said he.
+
+"'There on the post,' said I, but he declared he saw nothing, though
+puss sat there in perfect composure during this colloquy.
+
+"'Don't you see the cat, James,' said I, in great perplexity to the
+groom.
+
+"'Yes, ma'am; a large white cat on that post.'
+
+"I thought my friend must be joking, or else losing his eye-sight, and I
+approached the cat, intending to take it in my arms, and carry it to the
+carriage; but as I drew near, she jumped off the post, which was natural
+enough--but to my surprise she jumped into nothing--as she jumped she
+disappeared! no cat in the field--none in the lane--none in the ditch!
+
+"'Where did she go, James?'
+
+"'I don't know, ma'am, I can't see her,' said the groom, standing up in
+his seat, and looking all round.
+
+"I was quite bewildered; but still I had no glimmering of the truth; and
+when I got into the carriage again, my friend said he thought I and
+James were dreaming, and I retorted that I thought he must be going
+blind.
+
+"I had a commission to execute as we passed through the town, and I
+alighted for that purpose at the little haberdasher's; and while they
+were serving me, I mentioned that I had seen a remarkably beautiful cat
+sitting on a gate in the lane; and asked if they could tell me who it
+belonged to, adding, it was the largest cat I ever saw.
+
+"The owners of the shop, and two women who were making purchases,
+suspended their proceedings, looked at each other, and then looked at
+me, evidently very much surprised.
+
+"'Was it a white cat, ma'am?' said the mistress.
+
+"'Yes, a white cat; a beautiful creature and--'
+
+"'Bless me!' cried two or three, 'the lady's seen the _White Cat of C._
+It hasn't been seen these twenty years.'
+
+"'Master wishes to know if you'll soon be done, ma'am? The pony is
+getting restless,' said James.
+
+"Of course, I hurried out, and got into the carriage, telling my friend
+that the cat was well known to the people at C., and that it was twenty
+years old.
+
+"In those days, I believe, I never thought of ghosts, and least of all
+should I have thought of the ghost of a cat; but two evenings
+afterwards, as we were driving down the lane, I again saw the cat in the
+same position, and again my companion could not see it, though the groom
+did. I alighted immediately, and went up to it. As I approached, it
+turned its head, and looked full towards me with its soft, mild eyes,
+and a kindly expression, like that of a loving dog; and then, without
+moving from the post, it began to fade gradually away, as if it were a
+vapour, till it had quite disappeared. All this the groom saw as well as
+myself; and now there could be no mistake as to what it was. A third
+time, I saw it in broad daylight, and my curiosity greatly awakened, I
+resolved to make further inquiries amongst the inhabitants of C., but
+before I had an opportunity of doing so, I was summoned away by the
+death of my eldest child, and I have never been in that part of the
+world since. However, I once mentioned the circumstance to a lady who
+was acquainted with that neighbourhood, and she said she had heard of
+the White Cat of C., but had never seen it.
+
+"But as you may not think this story very interesting since it only
+relates to a cat, I will, if you please, tell you another, in which I
+was concerned, although I saw nothing myself."
+
+"We shall be very happy," I said, "but I am far from thinking your story
+wanting in interest, in fact, to me it has a very peculiar interest.
+There are few friends so sincere as the animals who have loved us, and
+none that I, for my part, more earnestly desire to see again. I have had
+two dogs, in my life, who contributed much to my happiness while they
+lived, and never caused me a sorrow till they died. Besides, there is a
+deep mystery in the being of these creatures, which proud man never
+seeks to unravel, or condescends to speculate on. What is their relation
+to the human race? Why are these spiritual germs embodied in those forms
+and made subject to man, that hard and cruel master! who assumes to be
+their superior, because he is endowed with some higher faculties, the
+most of which he grossly misuses. How beautiful are their characters
+when studied? how wonderful their intelligence when cultivated? how
+willing they are to serve us when kindly treated? But man, by his
+cruelty, ignorance, laziness, and want of judgment, spoils their temper,
+blunts their intelligence, deteriorates their nature, and then punishes
+them for being what he himself has made them. Well might Chalmers
+exclaim, 'All nature groans beneath the cruelty of man.' Why are these
+creatures, sinless, as far as we see, placed here as the subjects of
+this barbarous, unthinking tyrant? That has always appeared to me a
+solemn question."
+
+After this little digression, Mrs. M. continued as follows:--
+
+"I had been travelling on the continent, and was staying at Brussels on
+my way home. The bedroom I occupied was within another, in which slept
+my faithful maid, Rachel, and one of my children. I had been in bed
+sometime, and had not been to sleep, when I heard Rachel's voice, saying
+something which I did not distinctly hear, and before I could ask what
+it was, she uttered a cry that immediately brought me to her bedside. I
+found her in a state of violent agitation, and as soon as she was
+composed enough to speak, she told me that she had not been long in bed
+when she heard a voice call her, which she supposed to be mine, and
+immediately afterwards, in the glass which was opposite the foot of the
+bed, she saw a figure in white, enter and proceed to the other end of
+the room. She concluded it was me in my night dress, and that I had only
+mentioned her name to ascertain if she was awake, fearing to disturb the
+child, who was restless, she lay still, and did not answer. The figure
+went back through the door, but presently returned again, and seemed to
+be looking about for something, whereupon she half sat up in bed; when
+it approached, and laid its hand heavily on her knee, there was
+something painful in the pressure, and she exclaimed, 'Oh, don't do that
+ma'am!' but she had scarcely uttered the words when she discerned the
+features, and saw it was her sister. The phantom looked sadly at her,
+and then retreating to the opposite corner, disappeared. This
+circumstance, in spite of my arguments and suggestions that it was a
+dream, made a very painful impression on her; she felt sure some
+misfortune had happened, and so it proved; her sister had died on that
+night, leaving a family of young children, about whom, in her last
+moments, she was very anxious."
+
+"Cases of that sort are very numerous," said Lady A., "I know of two
+which I can give upon perfectly good authority. A friend of mine was
+sitting a few years since in the drawing room at her country seat; there
+was a door at each end, leading to other rooms, both of which were open.
+A slight rustle caused her to raise her eyes from her work, when she saw
+her nephew enter at one door, walk straight through, and out at the
+other. The young man was at college, and she had no reason to expect
+him then, but concluding some unforeseen business had brought him, and
+that he was in search of her, she called--'Arthur, here I am,' and
+pursued him into the adjoining room, and then into the hall. Receiving
+no answer, and not being able to find him in any direction, she rang for
+the servants, and inquired where he was; but they did not know; they had
+seen nothing of him. She insisted he had arrived, and he was sought for
+all over the house and grounds in vain. The thing remained perfectly
+incomprehensible, till the post brought a letter, announcing that the
+young man had been drowned on that day.
+
+"Another instance, equally well established, is that of Dr. C., of
+Dublin. He resided with his family some few miles from the city, I
+believe, at or near Howth, and when he returned in the evening after
+visiting his patients, he frequently, to save time, took a short cut
+across some sands, which in certain states of the tide were not always
+safe. Mrs. C. had often entreated him to relinquish this practice, and
+take the more circuitous way; but he thought he was too well acquainted
+with the place to run any danger. One evening that they were expecting
+him, as usual, to dinner, his brother, who was standing at the window,
+saw him arrive; he rode a white horse, and was therefore a conspicuous
+object. When the dinner hour came, as he had not appeared in the drawing
+room, his brother and Mrs. C., to whom the latter had mentioned having
+seen him, desired the servants to seek him in his dressing room, and ask
+if he was ready. He was not in his room, nor was he any where to be
+found; neither had any of the servants seen him, nor was his horse in
+the stable. Mr. C., however, confident of his arrival, suggested that he
+might be gone to visit some sick person in the neighbourhood; so they
+waited. But in vain; news presently arrived that horse and man had been
+drowned that evening in crossing the sands."
+
+There was scarcely any one present unacquainted with examples of this
+kind of appearance amongst their family or friends, but Captain L.
+related to us a case still more curious and unaccountable that had
+happened to himself in India when he was in the Himalaya.
+
+"I was just finishing my breakfast one morning," said he, "when my
+servant entered and announced a visitor. It was Captain P. B. of ours,
+who came to invite me to a game of billiards. Our billiard-room was
+situated about a mile beyond my quarter, and Captain B., who lived at
+the other extremity, had to pass my residence to go to it.
+
+"'Are you going up there now?' I said.
+
+"'Yes,' said he; 'will you come?'
+
+"'Why, I can't come directly,' I answered; 'for I have a letter to write
+first; but if you'll go on, I'll join you presently.'
+
+"He left me, and as soon as I had written my letter, I started for the
+billiard-room. When I entered it, Captain P. B. was not there, nor,
+indeed, anybody but the marker--which was not surprising, as it was
+earlier than we usually went there.
+
+"'Where's Captain B?' I said.
+
+"'Don't know, sir; he has not been here yet.'
+
+"'Not been here?'
+
+"'No, sir, not to-day.'
+
+"Thinking, that as I was not ready, he had filled up the interval by
+going somewhere else, I began knocking about the balls; every now and
+then looking out of the window, expecting to see him approach; but when
+this had lasted upwards of two hours, I began to be rather impatient,
+and was just thinking of going away, when I saw him approaching with his
+wife in an open carriage from an opposite direction.
+
+"'A pretty fellow you are, to keep me kicking my heels here waiting for
+you,' said I, as he entered the room.
+
+"'Keep you waiting!' he said; 'I have not kept you waiting.'
+
+"'Why, I've been here these two hours and more.'
+
+"'How was I to know that; I did not know you were coming up here.'
+
+"'Why, I told you I'd come as soon as I had finished my letter.'
+
+"'My dear fellow, what are you talking about?' exclaimed my friend, in
+evident surprise; 'when did you tell me so? I don't recollect making any
+appointment to meet you to-day.'
+
+"'What! not this morning, as you were passing my quarter?' said I,
+amazed in my turn. 'Didn't you ask me to come and play a game at
+billiards; and didn't I tell you I'd come as soon as I had finished my
+letter? and I did.'
+
+"P. B. looked at me as if he thought I'd suddenly become insane; but as
+I suppose my countenance did not confirm that impression, he said,
+'Here's some mistake; when do you suppose I made this appointment with
+you?'
+
+"'Suppose!' I answered, rather indignant; 'what do you mean by
+_suppose_? Didn't you come into my quarter about three hours ago, just
+as I was finishing breakfast, and ask me to come up here and play a game
+at billiards with you?'
+
+"'No; it must have been somebody else. Who gave you the message?'
+
+"'Message! there was no message,' I answered, quite bewildered. 'You
+came in yourself--you know you did. What's the use of trying to hoax
+one?'
+
+"'I don't know whether you are trying to hoax _me_,' replied P. B.; 'but
+upon my soul I have not been in your quarter to-day; nor have I seen you
+at all, till I entered this room. Moreover, I went with my wife at an
+early hour to breakfast with Captain D., and we are now returning
+thence; and I told the coachman to set me down here as he passed.'
+
+"This was most confounding; and as we were both equally positive in what
+we asserted, we left the billiard-room together, and proceeded to take
+the testimony of my servant. On being asked who he had introduced when I
+was finishing breakfast, he unhesitatingly answered, Captain B. His
+account, in short, coincided entirely with mine.
+
+"'Now then,' said Captain B., 'as you have your witness, you must hear
+mine,' and we went on to his quarter, where I received the most
+satisfactory and unimpeachable evidence, that what he said was correct.
+He had left home with Mrs. B. at six o'clock, and gone by appointment to
+breakfast with Captain D., who lived quite in a different direction to
+my quarter; and Captain D. afterwards testified to his never having left
+his house till he stept into the carriage with his wife.
+
+"This event created a great sensation at the time; and people
+endeavoured by every means to explain it away, but nobody ever could.
+Captain B. did not like it at all; and his wife and family were very
+much alarmed, but nothing ensued, and I believe he is alive and well at
+this moment."
+
+We next turned to Madame Von B., who said she knew so many cases of
+spiritual appearances, and occurrences of that nature, that she was
+rather perplexed by the abundance of her recollections. Amongst these
+she selected the following on account of its singularity:--
+
+"We resided a great deal on the continent before I was married, and my
+mother had a favourite maid, called Francoise, who lived with her many
+years--a most trustworthy, excellent creature, in whom she had the
+greatest confidence; insomuch, that when I married, being very young and
+very inexperienced, as she was obliged to separate from me herself, she
+transferred Francoise to my service, considering her better able to take
+care of me than anybody else.
+
+"I was living in Paris then, where Francoise, who was a native of Metz,
+had some relations settled in business, whom she often used to visit.
+She was generally very chatty when she returned from these people; for I
+knew all her affairs, and through her, all their affairs; and I took an
+interest in whatever concerned her or hers.
+
+"One Sunday evening, after she had been spending the afternoon with this
+family, observing that she was unusually silent, I said to her, while
+she was undressing me, 'Well, Francoise, haven't you anything to tell
+me? How are your friends? Has Madame Pelletier got rid of her
+_grippe_?'
+
+"Francoise started as if I had awakened her out of a reverie, and said,
+'Oh! oui, Madame; oui, merce; elle se porte bien aujourd'hui.'
+
+"'And Monsieur Pelletier and the children, are they well?'
+
+"'Oui, Madame, merci; ils se portent bien.'
+
+"These curt answers were so unlike those she generally gave me, that I
+was sure her mind was pre-occupied, and that something had happened
+since we parted in the morning; so I turned round to look her in the
+face, saying '_Mais, qu'avez vous donc, Francoise? Qu'est ce qu'il y
+a?_'
+
+"Then I saw what I had not observed before, that she was very pale, and
+that her cheeks had a glazed look, which showed that she had been
+crying.
+
+"'Mais, ma bonne Francoise,' I said; 'vous avez quelque chose--est il
+arrive quelque malheur a Metz?'
+
+"'C'est cela, Madame,' answered Francoise, who had a brother there whom
+she had not seen for several years, but to whom she still continued
+affectionately attached. His name was Benoit, and he was in a good
+service as garde forestier to a nobleman who possessed very extensive
+estates, _pres de chez nous_, as Francoise said. He had a wife and
+children; and some time before the period I am referring to, Francoise
+had told me, with great satisfaction, that in order to make him more
+comfortable, the Prince de M---- had given Benoit the privilege of
+gathering up all the dead wood in the forest to sell for firewood,
+which, as the estate was very large, rendered his situation extremely
+profitable. When she said 'c'est cela, Madame,' Francoise, who had just
+encased me in my dressing gown, sunk into a chair, and having declared
+that she was _bete, tres bete_, she gave way to a hearty good cry, after
+which, being somewhat relieved, she told me the following strange
+story:--
+
+"'You remember,' she said, 'that the prince was so good as to give
+Benoit all the dead wood of the forest--and a great thing it was for him
+and his family, as you will think, when I tell you it was worth upwards
+of two thousand francs a-year to him. In short, he was growing rich, and
+perhaps he was getting to think too much of his money and too little of
+the _bon Dieu_--at all events, this privilege which the prince gave him
+to make him comfortable, and which made him a great man amongst the
+foresters, has been the cause of a dreadful calamity.'
+
+"'How?' said I.
+
+"'We never heard anything of what had happened,' said she, till
+yesterday, when Mons. Pelletier received a letter from Benoit's wife,
+and another from a cousin of ours, relating what I am going to tell you,
+and saying that both he and his family had wished to keep it secret; but
+that was no longer possible.'
+
+"'Well, and what has happened?'
+
+"'La chose la plus incroyable! Eh bien, Madame; it appears that one day
+last autumn, Benoit went out in the forest to gather the dead-wood. He
+had his cart with him, and as he gathered it he bound it into faggots
+and threw it in the cart. He had extended his search this day to a
+remote part of the forest, and found himself in a spot he did not
+remember to have visited before; indeed, it was evident to him that he
+had not, or he could not have escaped seeing an old wooden cross which
+was lying on the ground, and had apparently fallen into that recumbent
+position from old age. It was such a cross as is usually set up where a
+life has been lost, whether by murder or suicide; or sometimes when
+poor wanderers are frozen to death or lost in the deep winter snows. He
+looked about for the grave, but saw no indication of one; and he tried
+to remember if any catastrophe had happened there in his time, but could
+recall none. He took up the cross and examined it. He saw that the wood
+was decayed, and it bore such marks of antiquity, that he had no doubt
+the person whose grave it had marked had died before he was born--it
+looked as if it might be a hundred years old.
+
+"'Eh bien,' said Francoise, wiping her eyes, into which the tears kept
+starting, 'of course you will think that Benoit, or anybody in the world
+who had the fear of God before his eyes, as he could not find the grave
+to replace it as it should be, would have laid it reverently down where
+he had found it, saying a prayer for the soul of the deceased; but,
+alas! the demon of avarice tempted him, and he had not the heart to
+forego that poor cross, but bound it up into a faggot with the rest of
+the dead wood he found there, and threw it into his cart!'
+
+"'Well, Francoise,' said I, 'you know I am not a Catholic, but I respect
+the custom of erecting these crosses, and I do think your brother was
+very wrong; I suppose he has lost the prince's favour by such impious
+greediness.'
+
+"'Pire que ca! worse than that,' she replied. 'It appears that while he
+was committing this wicked action, he felt an extraordinary chill come
+over him, which made him think that, though it had been a mild day, the
+evening must have suddenly turned very cold, and hastily throwing the
+faggot into his cart, he directed his steps homeward. But walk as he
+would, he still felt this chill down his back, so that he turned his
+head to look where the wind blew from, when he saw, with some dismay, a
+mysterious-looking figure following close upon his footsteps. It moved
+noiselessly on, and was covered with a sort of black mantle that
+prevented his discerning the features. Not liking its appearance, he
+jumped into the cart and drove home as fast as he could, without looking
+behind him; and when he got into his own farmyard he felt quite
+relieved, particularly, as when he alighted he saw no more of this
+unpleasant-looking stranger. So he began unloading his cart, taking out
+the faggots, one by one, and throwing them upon the ground; but when he
+threw down the one that contained the cross, he received a blow upon
+his face, so sharp that made him stagger and involuntarily shout aloud.
+His wife and children were close by, but there was no one else to be
+seen; and they would have disbelieved him and fancied he had
+accidentally hit himself with the faggot, but that they saw the distinct
+mark on his cheek of a blow given with an open hand. However, he went
+into supper perplexed and uncomfortable; but when he went to bed this
+fearful phantom stood by his side, silent and terrible, visible to him,
+but invisible to others. In short, madame, this awful figure haunted him
+till, in spite of his shame, he resolved to consult our cousin Jerome
+about it.'
+
+"But Jerome laughed, and said it was all fancy and superstition. 'You
+got frightened at having brought away this poor devil's cross, and then
+you fancy he's haunting you,' said he.
+
+"But Benoit declared that he had thought nothing about the cross, except
+that it would make fire wood, and that he had no more believed in ghosts
+than Jerome; 'but now,' said he, 'something must be done. I can get no
+sleep and am losing my health; if you can't help me, I must go to the
+priest and consult him.'
+
+"'Why don't you take back the cross and put it where you found it,' said
+Jerome.
+
+"'Because I am afraid to touch it and dare not go to that part of the
+forest.'
+
+"'So Jerome who did not believe a word about the ghost, offered to go
+with him and replace the cross. Benoit gladly accepted, more especially,
+as he said he saw the apparition standing even then beside him,
+apparently, listening to the conversation. Jerome laughed at the idea;
+however, Benoit lifted the cross reverently into the cart and away they
+went into the forest. When they reached the spot, Benoit pointed out the
+tree under which he had found it; and as he was shaking and trembling,
+Jerome took up the cross and laid it on the ground, but as he did so he
+received a violent blow from an invisible hand, and at the same moment
+saw Benoit fall to the ground. He thought he had been struck too, but it
+afterwards appeared that he had fainted from having seen the phantom
+with its upraised hand striking his cousin. However, they left the cross
+and came away; but there was an end to Jerome's laughter, and he was
+afraid the apparition would now haunt him. Nothing of the sort happened;
+but poor Benoit's health has been so shaken by this frightful
+occurrence that he cannot get the better of it; his friends have advised
+change of scene, and he is coming to Paris next week.'
+
+"This was the story Francoise told me, and in a few days I heard he had
+arrived and was staying with Mons. Pelletier; but the shock had been too
+great for his nerves, and he died shortly after. They assured me that
+previous to that fatal expedition into the forest, he had been a hale,
+hearty man, totally exempt from superstitious fancies of any sort; and
+in short, wholly devoted to advancing his worldly prosperity and getting
+money."
+
+
+
+
+ROUND THE FIRE.
+
+THIRD EVENING.
+
+
+"I don't know that I could tell you anything interesting in the way of
+Ghost Stories; I have never attended to them, though I have heard a
+great many," said Colonel C.; "but I can tell you an extraordinary
+circumstance which may, perhaps, be considered of a spiritual nature,
+and which I can myself vouch for the truth of.
+
+"My father, when I was young, resided in the South of England--I shall
+not give the name of the place, nor of the people immediately concerned,
+if these stories are to be published; because, for anything I know, some
+persons may survive to whom the publication might give pain; I lived
+there with him and my mother and sisters. Our house was on the road
+between two large towns, situated about eight miles distant from each
+other; and though we had a little ground and a short avenue in front, we
+were not more than half a quarter of a mile from the highway. When all
+was still, we could distinctly hear the carts and carriages as they
+passed, and even distinguish by the sound of the wheels what kind of
+vehicle it was. There was a carrier that plied between these two towns,
+whom I will call Healy, and as everything we used we had from B., he was
+generally at our house three or four times a week; in short, he did our
+marketings, in a great degree; my mother giving him an order, as he
+passed, for what he was to bring back; and many a time Healy has
+smuggled a novel from the circulating library for my sisters, or done
+little commissions for me that I could not so well manage for myself.
+All this made him a popular character with us, for he was very obliging;
+but for all that, he did not bear the best of characters. It was his
+interest to be well with us, and the gentry in general, who were his
+customers; and he understood that too well to incur our ill-will; but by
+his equals and inferiors he was looked upon with a less favourable eye.
+They had nothing very positive to allege against him; but they thought
+him a hard, griping, greedy man, who was honest in his dealings with us
+because the slightest suspicion would have ruined his trade, but who
+would take an advantage when he thought no possible damage to himself
+could accrue from it. He was about forty years of age; tall, with a long
+face, prominent nose, and dark complexion; his shoulders were round, but
+his frame was wiry, and he was reputed very strong.
+
+"One evening, between thirty and forty years ago, towards the beginning
+of winter, we were expecting Healy--my mother was solicitous about some
+provisions she had ordered for an approaching dinner-party; and I was
+very anxious for the arrival of a cricket-bat that I wanted for use the
+day after the next. Of course, long before the time he usually arrived,
+I was looking out for him, and fancying him late; I said, 'I wondered
+Healy was not come!' Upon which my father looked at his watch, and found
+that it wanted full half-an-hour of his time, which was nine o'clock;
+sometimes, indeed, later, but never earlier. It was then exactly
+half-past eight; and before my father had returned his watch into his
+pocket, one of my sisters exclaimed, 'Here he is!' and we heard the
+wheels coming up the avenue--we should have heard him before, but two
+of my sisters were practising a duet, which was to be produced at the
+approaching festivity, and drowned the sound.
+
+"Thereupon, I and my mother left the room, and went towards the back
+door, where Healy had just alighted, and was bringing sundry packages
+into the kitchen.
+
+"'Have you got my bat, Healy?' said I.
+
+"'No, sir,' he replied; 'there wasn't one in the whole town the size you
+wanted; but I'll bring you one from S. as I pass to-morrow. I know
+they've got 'em there. I believe that's all, Ma'am?' he added,
+addressing my mother.
+
+"She said she believed it was, and was going to pay him his week's
+account, which she had asked for, but he hurried out, saying, 'Another
+time, if you please, Ma'am; I'm rather late to-night;' and he was in his
+cart and away before I had time to give him some directions in regard to
+the bat.
+
+"'What a hurry he's in!' I said; 'and it wants almost twenty minutes to
+nine now.'
+
+"'I suppose he has a great many places to stop at,' said my mother; 'if
+he don't get all his parcels delivered before people are gone to bed, he
+gets into trouble sometimes. He's a very punctual fellow certainly.'
+
+"We returned to the drawing-room, and resumed our occupations; and about
+half-an-hour afterwards--happening to be all silent at the moment, we
+heard a pair of light wheels and a brisk trotting horse passing in the
+road.
+
+"'That's farmer Gould's mare, I'm sure,' said I. 'What a famous trotter
+she is!'
+
+"'Yes,' said my father; 'I wish he'd part with her. I made him an offer
+the other day. I should like her for my buggy.'
+
+"'And what did he say? Won't he sell her?'
+
+"'He said nothing--he only laughed, and shook his fat sides.'
+
+"'Money is no object to him,' said my mother, 'he won't part with her
+unless he gets another he likes better.'
+
+"We breakfasted at nine o'clock, and I was getting up, and about half
+dressed, when one of my sisters burst into my room, crying, 'La! Fred.,
+such a shocking thing has happened! poor Farmer Gould was found dead in
+the road this morning; they think his horse ran away, for it's not to
+be found; and the chaise was upset and lying on its side. How lucky,
+papa did not get the mare!'
+
+"'Who says so?' said I.
+
+"'The postman;' she answered, 'he saw some labourers standing round
+something in the road; and when he came up to them, he found it was the
+chaise, and poor farmer Gould quite dead beside it!'
+
+"When I got down stairs I found the whole house occupied with the
+subject of this sad accident, all lamenting the good man, who was a
+general favourite, and agreeing that, for so heavy a person, a
+two-wheeled carriage was very dangerous, as a fall was almost sure to be
+fatal.
+
+"My father said when he had finished his letters and papers he would
+walk up to the farm, and see if he could be of any use to poor Mrs.
+Gould; I, with the curiosity of fifteen, begged to go with him; and my
+mother improved the occasion by giving the governor a serious lecture
+about his love for high-trotting horses and buggies.
+
+"I expected Healy with my bat about eleven o'clock, as he had nothing
+else to bring, I knew he wouldn't come up the avenue, but leave it at a
+cottage near our gate; and wishing to learn if he'd heard any
+particulars about the accident, I walked down to meet him when the hour
+approached. Presently, I saw him coming, sitting in front of his cart.
+
+"'Well, Healy,' I said, 'isn't this a shocking thing about poor Farmer
+Gould? You've heard he was found dead in the road this morning?'
+
+"'Yes, Sir, the mare ran away, and pitched him out upon his head; I
+can't say as ever I liked her myself; but I've got your bat, Master
+Frederick; a nice un too; I wouldn't come away this morning till I'd got
+it.'
+
+"I thanked him, and he drove on, as if he had no time to lose in gossip,
+while I was untying the string of my parcel.
+
+"By the time my father and I reached Gould's farm, the doctor had
+arrived from B., and we heard he was examining the body in the parlour,
+where it had been laid by the labourers who found it. The chaise, too,
+was standing near the door, just as it had been wheeled up, and the
+mare, they told us, had been found in a neighbouring field, with the
+harness hanging about her, and unhurt, except on the forehead, where
+she appeared to have had a violent blow. The farm men, standing about,
+said, that she had no doubt taken her head, and ran foul of something,
+and so pitched out Mr. Gould, and overturned the chaise; which seemed
+likely enough.
+
+"My father said, he should like to see Mr. Wills, the surgeon; so we
+stood about outside till he came. When he did, he looked very grave, as,
+indeed, befitted the occasion; but in answer to my father's inquiries,
+he said, that he could give no decided opinion of the cause of death
+till he had investigated the case further; and then he proceeded to
+examine the chaise, and next the horse. He then walked with us down to
+the spot where the thing had happened, and narrowly surveyed the ground;
+but he was very uncommunicative, which, as we knew him well, rather
+surprised us. He hurried away, saying, that he must prepare for the
+inquest on the following day.
+
+"My father went to the inquest; and I should have liked to go, too, but
+I was engaged to play a match at cricket with a few of my young
+neighbours. However, I was home first, for the inquest lasted a long
+time, and took a very unexpected turn.
+
+"It appeared that Mr. Wills, who was by marriage a connexion of Gould's
+wife, had suspected on the first examination of the body that the farmer
+had not come fairly by his end. It so happened that Gould had dined with
+him the last day he was at B., and had mentioned to him that he had 'at
+last got that seventy pounds that he was afraid he should never see;'
+alluding to some money that had been long owing to him; and as he spoke,
+he drew from his pocket a bundle of notes, some of which appeared to be
+of the Bank of England, and some of country banks. As soon, therefore,
+as Wills had arrived at certain conclusions, he inquired of Mrs. Gould
+if she had found his money safe.
+
+"In her grief and surprise it had not occurred to her to search--and
+indeed she was not aware of his having any sum of importance about him.
+They proceeded immediately to examine his pockets, but no notes were
+there; a few shillings, a silver watch, and some unconsidered trifles,
+were all that was found about him. Mr. Wills made inquiries at the
+banker's and others, at B., and by the time the inquest sat he was
+prepared to say, that there was every reason to think that Mr. Gould had
+had this money in his waistcoat pocket, where he had seen him deposit
+it, at the time he left to return home.
+
+"This presented quite a new view of the case to the coroner, who had
+come there without the slightest suspicion of anything beyond an
+accident. The labourers were examined as to the attitude in which they
+had discovered the body, which, they all agreed, was lying on its face;
+and indeed there were some stains from the dirt of the road, which
+testified to this being the case; yet, according to Mr. Wills, death had
+been occasioned by a terrible blow on the back of the head which had
+fractured the skull; and which, in his opinion, was inflicted by a heavy
+bludgeon. The man's hair was very thick behind; but on dividing it a
+wound was visible, from which a small quantity of blood had oozed and
+dried up.
+
+"After a long investigation, the inquest was adjourned for a few days in
+order that further evidence might be collected. We were all much excited
+about this affair; it formed the staple of conversation at our dinner
+party, and various were the conjectures formed as to who was the
+criminal, if criminal there were; for some thought it possible that
+Gould had fallen on his back in the first instance, and then got upon
+his legs, and fallen a second time on his face; but Mr. Wills was
+confident the death wound was not the result of a fall; and besides,
+where was the money? Then all agreed, that if he had been robbed, it was
+by no ordinary thief; it must have been by some one who knew the sum he
+had in his pocket, and who did not care for the loose silver and the
+watch.
+
+"'No doubt,' said my father, 'they will find out if anybody was present
+when the money was paid to him, or he may have told somebody of it, as
+he told Wills.'
+
+"We had so many things provided for the party, that for two or three
+days we wanted nothing of Healy and did not see him; but the servants
+having mentioned that they wanted soap for the next week's washing, my
+mother sent a note to the cottage, where he always stopt to enquire for
+orders, desiring him to bring some on his return, and also a barrel of
+beer for the use of the kitchen.
+
+"When I heard the cart coming up the avenue, I went to the back door, to
+have a little gossip.
+
+"'Well Healy,' said I, as he rolled in the barrel of beer; have you
+heard any news?'
+
+"'No sir,' said he.
+
+"'Nothing about farmer Gould?' I asked.
+
+"'No sir, nothing. Shall I put the beer in the cellar?' he enquired.
+
+"This question being answered, I said, 'Did you meet anybody on the road
+that night?'
+
+"'Lord, sir, I meet loads of people as I never take any notice of. I've
+enough to do to mind my own business.'
+
+"'You couldn't have been far off when he was attacked--for you know Mr.
+Wills says he's been killed by a blow on the back of the head, don't
+you?'
+
+"'Well, sir, I've heard so; but how should he know? He wasn't there, I
+suppose. Anything else wanted, sir?'
+
+"'I believe not, Healy,' I said; and he got into his cart and drove away
+while I went back to the drawing-room.
+
+"'What does Healy say?' asked my father. 'Has he heard anything new
+about this affair?'
+
+"'No, he says he hasn't, but he said very little and seemed rather
+sulky, I thought.'
+
+"'By the bye, he couldn't have been far off when the thing happened; for
+he had only been gone half-an-hour when we recognized the step of poor
+Gould's mare I recollect, and she'd soon overtake him.'
+
+"'So I told him; and I asked him if he had met anybody on the road that
+night, but he said he'd plenty to do to mind his own business.'
+
+"My father who was reading the paper at the time, looked up at me over
+his spectacles; and then fell into a reverie that lasted some minutes,
+but he said nothing; my mother observed that she thought Healy ought to
+be summoned as a witness; and my father rejoined, that no doubt he'd be
+examined.
+
+"On the following day the inquest was resumed; my father went early and
+had some private conversation with Mr. Wills and I waited outside
+amongst the assembled crowd, listening to their speculations and
+conjectures. Presently, the coroner arrived, and I went in with him and
+heard the whole of the evidence. That of Mr. Wills, and the labourers
+who found the body was the same as before. Then, as my father had
+conjectured, Healy was called; his face was familiar to everybody in the
+room, and there was not one I should think who was not struck with the
+singularly sulky, dogged expression his features had assumed. There was
+no manifest reason for it, for he was only summoned like other
+witnesses, and no breath of suspicion had been cast upon him; at least,
+as far as we had heard. But he evidently came in a spirit of resistance
+and wound up for self-defence. He declared that he had not overtaken Mr.
+Gould on the night in question, and did not know he was on the road; nor
+did he hear anything of what had happened till the next morning. He
+believed he had met some tramps on the road that night--two men and a
+woman--but he had not particularly noticed them, and he did not
+recollect meeting anybody else. He had first heard of the accident at a
+shop where he had gone to buy a bat for Master C. When he said this, he
+looked up at me and our eyes met. I have often thought of that look
+since.
+
+"The next witness was Mr. F., who had paid Gould the seventy pounds in
+notes; and then a Mr. H. B., a solicitor, came forward and volunteered
+the following evidence, which, he said, he should have given before, but
+that he had left home on the afternoon preceding this unfortunate
+business, and had only returned yesterday. He was acquainted with Gould;
+and had met him at the door of the bank at B----, as he himself was on
+his way to the coach that was starting for E. Gould spoke to him, and
+said he had just got that seventy pounds; and when he said so, he clapt
+his hand on his pocket, implying it was there. He said, 'I came to pay
+it in here, but I see they're shut, and it does not signify; I shall
+have to pay away a good deal of it next week;' this was all that passed,
+as I told him I must be off for I should lose the coach. Upon this, he
+was asked if anybody else had been present when Gould made this
+communication. He answered, that people had been passing to and fro, but
+he could not say whether they heard it. There was one person who he
+thought might, though he could not affirm that he did; and that was
+Healy, the carrier, who was standing at the door of the tanner's shop,
+which is next to the bank, and examining some cricket bats that he had
+in his hand. Gould had spoken loud, as was his wont.
+
+"I saw Mr. Wills and my father exchange looks when this evidence was
+given, and then for the first time the question occurred to me, could
+Healy be the murderer? I could hardly entertain the suspicion--it is so
+difficult to believe such a thing of a person one is having constant
+intercourse with. Healy was recalled and asked if he remembered seeing
+Mr. Gould and the lawyer together on that day. He declared he did not.
+
+"The harness was afterwards produced; and it appeared that the traces
+had been cut, which was a strong confirmation of the worst suspicions.
+
+"The inquest was once more adjourned; and Healy plied his trade as usual
+for the next two days, though everybody had a strange feeling towards
+him; and he retained his dogged, sulky look; on the third night we
+missed him. We had expected a parcel from B----, but he did not come;
+and the next day we heard he had been arrested on suspicion of being the
+murderer of Mr. Gould. A gentleman's servant, who had been out without
+leave to some festivity at B----, and had come home and got in at the
+pantry window without being discovered, at last came forward, and said,
+that as he was going to the rendezvous, he had seen a cart, which he
+believed to be Healy's, though it was very dark, drawn right across the
+road; the horse was out of the shafts and tied to a gate, for he nearly
+ran against him; he did not see any person with the cart, but the driver
+might be behind it. It was just where there are some large trees
+over-hanging the road, which made it darker than in other parts; and a
+person driving would not see the obstruction till he was on it. He
+himself, thinking it was Healy, slipt quietly by, for he did not want to
+be recognised, as the carrier often came to his master's, and might have
+betrayed him. He met a one-horse carriage about a couple of miles
+further on; the horse was trotting pretty fast. He thought it was Mr.
+Gould, but he could not positively say, as the night was so dark.
+
+"The spot described was precisely where Mr. Gould's body was found; and
+the man added, that it struck him when he met the gig, that if the cart
+had not moved out of the way, there would be an accident, and he should
+have warned the driver to look out, if he had not been upon a lark
+himself.
+
+"You may imagine the sensation created by this allegation in the
+neighbourhood, where the carrier was so well known. Till the spring
+assizes at E----, where he was to be tried, it furnished the staple of
+conversation, and every fresh bit of evidence, for or against him, was
+eagerly repeated and canvassed. My father was summoned as a witness to
+the hour at which Healy had been at our house that night, and also to
+the recognising the foot of Mr. Gould's mare. The evidence was entirely
+circumstantial, as nobody had witnessed the murder, though murder there
+certainly had been; nor was there anybody else to whom suspicion could
+attach. As for the tramps Healy said he had met, no trace of them could
+be found, nor did anyone appear to have seen such a party.
+
+"When all the evidence had been heard, my father said he felt
+considerable doubt what the verdict would be, and he really believed the
+jury were greatly perplexed; but when Healy stood up, and in the most
+solemn manner said, 'I am innocent, my Lord! I call God to witness, I am
+innocent! May this right arm wither if I murdered the man!' So great an
+impression was made on the court, that, added to the prisoner's previous
+good character, every body saw he would be acquitted.
+
+"He was; Healy went forth a free man, and we were all too glad to
+believe in his innocence, to dispute the justice of the verdict; but lo!
+the hand of the Lord was on him. He had called upon God to bear witness
+to his words; and he did. In three days from that time, Richard Healy's
+stalwart right arm was withered! The muscles shrunk; the skin dried up;
+and it looked like the limb of a mummy!
+
+"Though a voice from Heaven testified against him, he could not be
+arraigned again for the same crime, and he remained at liberty. He
+attempted for a short time to carry on his business, but people ceased
+to employ him; and his feeble arm could no longer lift the boxes and
+hampers with which his cart was wont to be loaded. He went about,
+avoided by every one but his own immediate connexions. I often met him,
+but he never looked me in the face; indeed, he rarely, if ever, raised
+his eyes; his round shoulders grew rounder, till he came to stoop like
+an old man. He seemed to move under a heavy burthen that weighed him to
+the earth.
+
+"After an interval, however, he bought some property; and in his old
+age--for he survived his trial several years--he was in prosperous
+circumstances. But everybody said, 'Where did he get the money?'
+
+"We were all deeply interested in this singular story; and in reference
+to the withered arm, Colonel C. said, that he should certainly not have
+believed it had he not seen it himself.
+
+"I think, said I, that it was not so difficult to account for the
+phenomenon as at first appears. Had he been innocent, the solemn
+adjuration he uttered in court would have been justifiable in the eyes
+of God and man, and would have occasioned him no concern afterwards; but
+he was guilty; he had called upon God to bear witness to a lie, and,
+doubtless, the consciousness of this sacrilegious appeal filled him with
+horror and alarm. He would tremble lest his prayer should be heard and
+the curse fall upon him. These terrors would direct all his thoughts to
+his arm, and produce the very thing he feared; for Sir Henry Holland
+asserts that the mind is capable of acting upon the body to such a
+degree, as sometimes to create disease in a particular part on which the
+attention is too intently fixed."
+
+
+
+
+ROUND THE FIRE.
+
+FOURTH EVENING.
+
+
+"The circumstance I am going to mention," said Sir Charles L., "will
+appear very insignificant after these interesting narratives, but as it
+happened very lately, you'll perhaps think it worth hearing.
+
+"I was living a few months ago in an hotel, the owner of which died
+while I was there. He had an apoplectic seizure, and expired shortly
+afterwards. A week before this happened, at a time he was supposed to be
+in perfect health, an acquaintance of the family called, and without
+giving any reason, requested his daughter not to attend a ball she was
+engaged to go to. The young lady did not take her advice; but the
+visitor confided to another person that she had a particular reason for
+her request, which reason was as follows:--
+
+"The night before she called, she and her husband had retired to bed in
+a somewhat anxious state of mind respecting a near relative of theirs,
+who was very ill, and whom they had been visiting. The husband, however,
+soon fell asleep, but the wife lay thinking of the sick person, and the
+consequences that would ensue if she died, when her reflections were
+interrupted by seeing a bright spot of light suddenly appear upon the
+wall--that is, upon the wainscoat of her room. She looked about to see
+whence it proceeded; there was no light burning, nor could any be
+reflected from the window; as she looked it increased in size, till, at
+last, it was as large as the frame of a picture; then there began to
+appear in the frame a form, gradually developed, till there was a
+perfect head and face, hair and all, distinctly visible.
+
+"Whilst this development was proceeding, she lay, as it were,
+transfixed; she wanted to wake her husband, but she could neither speak
+nor move; at length she seemed to burst the bonds, and cried to him to
+look, but as she spoke, the vision faded, and by the time he was
+sufficiently aroused there was nothing to be seen.
+
+"Both he and she interpreted this occurrence into a bad omen for their
+sick relative, and augured very ill of her case; but the next morning,
+as she was standing in her shop, she saw the hotel keeper pass to
+market, and he nodded to her, whereupon she turned to her husband, and
+exclaimed--'That's the face I saw last night! Sure nothing can be going
+to happen to him!'
+
+"I heard these circumstances from my servant; and the unexpected seizure
+and death occurred within a few days."
+
+"When I was at Weimar, about two years ago," said Mademoiselle G., "an
+accident occurred that occupied the attention of the whole place, and
+which seems to belong to the same class of phenomena as the story just
+related. The palace, called the Chateau, in Weimar, is at one end of the
+park, and at the other end is another chateau, called the Belvedere;
+both are ducal residences, and an avenue runs from the one palace to the
+other. Opposite this avenue is the Russian chapel or Greek church--the
+present Dowager Duchess being a sister of the Emperor Nicholas--and in
+front of this chapel a sentinel is always posted.
+
+"The Grand Duke, Charles Frederick, father of the present sovereign,
+was, at the period I allude to, residing at the Belvedere not well in
+health, but by no means alarmingly ill, for had that been the case he
+would have been brought into Weimar, where etiquette requires that the
+sovereign should make his first and last appearance in this world--there
+he must be born, and there die, if possible.
+
+"One night the sentinel, who was standing at the entrance of the Russian
+chapel, was surprised to see, in the far distance, a long procession
+winding its way down the avenue from the Belvedere. As there was no stir
+in the town, for the night was far advanced, and as he had not heard of
+any solemnity in preparation, the man stared at it in mute wonder, but
+his amazement was redoubled when it approached near enough for him to
+distinguish the individual objects to perceive that it was a State
+funeral, accompanied by the royal mourners, and all the pomp usual at
+these ceremonies; the velvet pall bore the initials and arms of the
+duke, and following the bier was his favourite and well known horse, led
+by one of his attendants. Slowly and mournfully the procession moved on
+till it reached the chapel; the doors opened to admit the cortege; it
+passed in; and as the doors closed on this mysterious vision the soldier
+fell to the ground, where he was found in a state of insensibility when
+the guard was relieved.
+
+"Of course, nobody believed his story; he was placed under arrest,
+severely punished, and had a nervous fever that brought him to the brink
+of the grave.
+
+"I was there when this happened, said Mademoiselle G., and it was the
+talk of the town; almost everybody laughed at him; but five days
+afterwards the Duke fell suddenly ill, and was found to be in so
+dangerous a state, that the physicians forbade his being removed into
+the town. He finally died at the Belvedere, and was buried in the
+Russian chapel, exactly in the manner pourtrayed by the shadowy forms
+seen by the sentinel, and there buried."
+
+We all agreed that these rehearsals, if we may so call them, are amongst
+the most perplexing of these very perplexing phenomena; a very curious
+case of this description will be found in one of the letters inserted in
+the Appendix.
+
+"My sister-in-law, Lady S.," said Lady R., "Told me, the other day,
+that during her late residence in St. Petersburg, she was intimately
+acquainted with a Prussian lady of high rank, to whom the following
+strange events occurred, an account of which she herself gave to my
+sister. This Prussian lady was sitting one morning in her boudoir, when
+she heard a rustling sound in the ante-room, which was divided by a
+_portiere_ from the boudoir. The sound continuing, she rose and drew
+aside the curtain to ascertain the cause, when, to her surprise, she saw
+a very pale man, in a Chasseur's uniform, standing in the middle of the
+room. She was about to speak to him, and inquire what he was doing
+there, when he retreated towards the window and vanished. Greatly
+alarmed, she sought her husband, and related what had occurred; but he
+laughed at her, and desired her not to expose herself to ridicule by
+talking of it. Some days afterwards, whilst in the boudoir, she heard
+the same rustling noise near her, and on looking up, she saw the figure
+of the Chasseur suspended in the air between the ceiling and the floor,
+with his legs dangling in the air. A scream brought her husband, who was
+in the adjoining room, and he saw the figure as well as herself.
+Nevertheless, the fear of ridicule kept them silent; but some time
+afterwards, when they had a party, one of the company exclaimed, 'Good
+Heavens! This, I remember, is the very room that unfortunate Chasseurs
+hung himself in!' And then they learned that the house had been
+previously occupied by the Danish minister, and that a Chasseur in his
+service had, from some cause or other, committed suicide."
+
+"I don't know whether dreams are admissible," said Miss M.; "but the
+sort of occurrences just related appear to me to be little removed from
+waking dreams. I know two cases of extraordinary dreaming, the
+authenticity of which I can answer for, if you would like to hear them."
+We accepted gladly, and the lady began as follows:--
+
+"My father was intimate with Mr. S.--whose name, perhaps, is known to
+you as the particular friend of Mr. Spencer Percival. This gentleman,
+Mr. S., when he was a young man, had one night a remarkable dream, that
+he could not in any way account for--the circumstances having no
+relation to any previous event, train of thought, or conversation
+whatever.
+
+"He found himself, in his dream, on horseback, in a very extensive
+forest; he was alone, evening was drawing on, and he sought some place
+where he could pass the night. After riding a little farther, he espied
+an inn; he rode up to it and alighted, asking if they could give him
+lodging for the night, and stabling for his horse. They said 'yes,' and
+conducted him to an upper chamber. He ordered some refreshments, when it
+occurred to him that he should like to see how his horse was faring; and
+he descended, in order to find his way to the stables; in doing so, he
+got a glimpse of some very ill-looking men in a side chamber, who seemed
+in close conference; moreover, he thought he saw weapons lying on the
+table, and there were other circumstances which I do not precisely
+remember, the effect of which was to create alarm, and lead him to
+suspect he had fallen into a _repaire de voleurs_.
+
+"He saw his horse rubbed down and fed, and then re-ascended to take his
+refreshment; betraying no suspicion of evil, but secretly resolved on
+flight. After his supper, he went down again, stood at the door, and
+pretended to stroll about. When he saw an opportunity, he went round to
+the stable, saddled his horse, and cautiously rode away. But he had not
+gone far, when he heard the tramp of horses' feet behind him, and from
+the pace they came, he felt sure he was pursued. He urged his horse
+forward, but the animal was not fresh--he had done his day's work
+already, and the pursuers were gaining on him, when he saw he was
+approaching a spot where two roads met. Which of the two should he
+follow? He had nothing to guide him in his choice, and his life probably
+depended on his decision! Suddenly, a voice whispered in his ear, 'Take
+the right!' He did so, and shortly reached a house where he obtained
+shelter and protection.
+
+"When he awoke, the circumstances of his dream were so vividly impressed
+on his mind, that he could hardly believe the thing had not actually
+happened. He related it to his friends; and, for some days, thought a
+good deal of it; but he was just entering into active life, and the
+impression soon faded before the varied interests that absorbed him; and
+the strange dream was entirely forgotten.
+
+"Many years afterwards, when he had reached middle age, he was
+travelling in Germany, and in the course of an excursion he was making
+to see the country, he had occasion to cross a part of the
+Schwarzwald--the Black Forest. He was on horseback and alone; he reached
+an inn, the aspect of which he fancied was familiar to him. Here he
+thought he might conveniently pass the night; so he alighted, ordered
+his supper, and then went to see his horse fed. On further acquaintance
+with the place, he did not like the look of it, and he saw
+suspicious-looking men hanging about. He resolved to seek another
+resting-place; and leaving some money on the table to pay for what he
+had had, he went down stairs, and after lounging about a little,
+strolled to the stable, saddled his horse, and rode off as quietly as he
+could. But he was missed and pursued, he heard the tramp of the horses
+as they gained upon him. At this critical moment, he saw he was
+approaching a place where the roads divided; his life depended on which
+of the two he should take; suddenly, and strange to say, though he had
+misty recollections of the scene, now for the first time, the dream of
+his youth clearly and vividly recurred to him. He remembered the voice
+that whispered, 'Take the right!' He obeyed the hint, and his pursuers
+soon gave up the chase. He found a chateau about half-a-mile from the
+turning; the owner of which hospitably received him. His host said there
+had been for some time unpleasant suspicions with regard to the inn in
+question; and that, if he had taken the left hand road, he would have
+been quite at their mercy."
+
+This very curious dream reminded us of that of Dr. W., which I have
+related in the "Night Side of Nature;" who in the same manner was saved
+from the attack of an infuriated bull, in his dream, having been shown
+where to fly for safety; but the case is less remarkable than that of
+Mr. S., as the dream occurred only the night before the danger presented
+itself.
+
+"The other dream I alluded to," said Miss M., "is less curious on that
+account. Some friends of mine, who reside in the country, had an old
+nurse who had lived in the family many years, and for whom they had a
+great regard. When her services ceased to be required, she was settled
+in a cottage on the estate, where she lived very comfortably with her
+only daughter. The daughter, however, married a man who kept a turnpike
+some miles distant; and one morning, just as the family were leaving
+home on some expedition, the old woman arrived in considerable
+agitation, saying that she had had a frightful dream about her daughter,
+and that she was going off immediately to the place where she lived. The
+ladies endeavoured to dissuade her from walking all that way, merely on
+account of a dream. But she said she could not rest, and must go. They
+even promised that if she would wait till the following day they would
+drive her there in the carriage, in which there was now no room; if
+there had been they would have taken her, as their road lay not far from
+the spot.
+
+"With this offer they left her and went their way; but her anxiety would
+not permit her to wait; and shortly afterwards she set off and walked
+all the distance to the turnpike. The moment she arrived she saw reason
+to rejoice in her determination; she found her daughter alone, her
+husband having been called away on business; and, said the young woman,
+I am dreadfully alarmed, for there is a quantity of money in the house.
+The farmers are accustomed to bring the money for their rent here twice
+a year, as it save them several miles, and the agent always comes to
+fetch it on the same day. But a letter to my husband has just arrived
+from the agent to say, he can't come till to-morrow. Knowing his hand, I
+opened it; and I am terrified, for the custom of leaving the money here
+is no secret; and if it should get wind that it has not been fetched
+away, heaven knows what may happen.
+
+"The old woman then told her daughter that she had dreamed on the
+preceding night that some thieves had broken into the turnpike house,
+and robbed and murdered the inhabitants.
+
+"But what were these two helpless women to do, mutually confirmed in
+their apprehensions as they naturally were? It was already late in the
+day; there was no help near at hand, and besides they did not dare to
+separate in search of any. They watched anxiously for a traveller,
+resolved to confide in the first respectable one that passed, and beg
+him to send assistance. But none came that they thought it safe to
+trust. Night approached; and it being a little frequented road, except
+on market days, every moment their hope of help declined. So they did
+the best they could in this extremity; they shut and barricaded the
+lower part of the house, stopping up the door and windows with every
+piece of furniture they had, and locked themselves up, with the money,
+in an upper chamber, put out the light, and with a chink of the window
+open, they set themselves down to listen for the marauders whom they
+confidently expected to arrive.
+
+"Nor were they disappointed; about eleven o'clock their anxious ears
+distinguished the sound of approaching footsteps. Presently, they heard
+voices and the door was attempted; the men said they had lost their way,
+and on receiving no answer they attempted to force an entrance. Then,
+the poor women knowing their poor defences would soon yield to violence,
+began to scream lustily from the window above; and luckily not in vain.
+
+"It happened, that the family, who had gone on some expedition of
+pleasure in the morning, was just then returning; their road lay within
+a quarter of a mile of the turnpike; and in the silence of the night,
+the women's shrill voice reached their ears. They immediately desired
+the coachman to turn his horses heads in the direction the cries came
+from, and before the thieves had effected an entrance into the little
+fortification, they were scared by the sound of approaching wheels and
+took to flight."
+
+"A dream of a very singular nature occurred to a young friend of mine,"
+said Mr. S. "She was about fifteen at the time, and a schoolfellow who
+was going to be married had promised her that she should be one of the
+bridesmaids. The intended wedding was near at hand; insomuch that the
+dresses and everything was prepared--in short, the fixing of the day was
+only delayed by some small matter of business that was not completed. My
+young friend, to whom the whole thing was an exciting novelty, while
+impatiently waiting for the affair to come off, dreamt, one night, that
+a person in a very unusual costume, presented himself at her bedside and
+informed her that he was Brutus; and that he would reveal to her
+anything that she particularly desired to know; whereupon she begged him
+to tell when Miss L. would be married. Brutus answered 'Paulo post
+Graecas Kalendas.' When she awoke in the morning, she perfectly
+remembered the words; but not having the most distant idea of their
+meaning she ran to her brother to enquire if he could explain them. He
+told her that they were equivalent to _never_. The prophecy was
+fulfilled; obstacles entirely unforseen arose, and the couple were never
+united."
+
+"Some years ago," said Dr. Forster, "two young friends of mine were
+staying at Naples, when one of them told the other that he had on the
+preceding night, seen in his sleep, the face of a beautiful woman; but
+the features were disfigured by a horrible expression--and that it was,
+somehow, impressed on his mind that he was in danger, and that he must
+be on his guard against her. The conviction was so strong as to create
+considerable uneasiness, and he never went out without scrutinizing
+every female face he saw; but some weeks past without any fulfilment of
+his dream or vision, and gradually the impression faded. However, he was
+one day on the Chiaja, surrounded by several people, who like himself,
+were observing a gang of convicts going to the Castle of St. Elmo; when
+something occasioned him suddenly to turn his head, and there, close
+behind him, he recognized the beautiful face of his dream. By an
+instinctive impulse, he sprang aside, and at the same moment felt
+himself wounded in the back. The woman was seized and did not attempt to
+deny the act, but alleged that she had mistaken the young Englishman for
+another person who had done her an irreparable injury, expressing great
+regret at having wounded an unoffending stranger, and also at having
+failed in the revenge she sought. He told me that the dream saved his
+life; for that, had he not sprung aside, the wound would in all
+probability have been mortal."
+
+
+
+
+ROUND THE FIRE.
+
+FIFTH EVENING.
+
+
+"I have but one experience to relate," said Miss D., the next speaker.
+"When I was a child, I and my elder sister slept in two beds, placed
+close beside each other. We were in the country, and one night my
+father, going to the door, perceived an unusual light in the sky, and
+learnt on inquiry that there was a great fire a mile or two off. He said
+he'd go to see it, and the night being fine, my mother accompanied him,
+having first seen us safe in bed. She locked the chamber door, and took
+the key, thinking that every body would be out looking at the fire, and
+we might take the opportunity of playing tricks, for we were quite young
+at the time--not more than six or seven years old.
+
+"After they were gone, we lay chattering, as children do, about our own
+little concerns, when our voices were suddenly arrested by terror. At
+the foot of my bed I perceived a figure, apparently kneeling, for I saw
+only the head--but that I saw distinctly--it looked dark and sad, and
+the eyes were intently fixed on me. I crept into my sister's bed, and
+neither of us dared to look up again till my mother returned, and came
+to see if we were asleep. We had not closed our eyes, and we told her
+what we had seen, agreeing perfectly in our account of it. The room was
+searched, but nothing unusual found. The incident made a lasting
+impression on my sister and myself, and we both remember the face as if
+we had seen it but yesterday."
+
+One of the ladies present mentioned a very similar circumstance
+occurring to herself, but as she was alone at the time, she had always
+endeavoured to believe it an illusion.
+
+"The first part of the story I am going to relate to you," said Dr. S.,
+"was told me by an eminent man in my own profession, who had every
+opportunity of testing the truth of it; the latter part I give you on my
+own word.
+
+"Some years ago there was a house in the suburbs of Dublin that had
+remained a long time unoccupied, in consequence, it was said, of its
+evil reputation--the report was, that it was haunted. People who had
+taken it got rid of it as soon as they could, and those who lived in the
+neighbourhood affirmed that they saw lights moving about the interior,
+and, sometimes, a lady in white standing at the window with a child in
+her arms, when they knew there was no living creature, except rats and
+mice, within the walls. The wise and learned laughed at these rumours;
+but still the house remained empty, and was getting into a very
+dilapidated state.
+
+"The former owner of the house was dead. He was a miser or a
+misanthrope, or both; at all events, for several years he had lived in
+it utterly alone, and scarcely ever seen by any body. It was rumoured
+that for a short time a young female had been occasionally observed by
+the neighbours, but she disappeared as suddenly as she had appeared, and
+nobody knew whence she came, nor whither she was gone. His life was a
+mystery, and whether merely on this account, or whether there were
+better grounds for it, there had certainly existed a prejudice against
+him. However, as I said, he had been dead some years, and the relative
+to whom the property had fallen on his decease was naturally very
+anxious to let the house, and offered it to any occupant at an extremely
+low rent.
+
+"At length, a gentleman who wanted to establish a manufactory, seeing
+that it would answer his purpose--for the premises were extensive, and
+there was some garden ground behind--took it, and erected buildings on
+this waste ground for his workmen to inhabit. Between the new part and
+the old there was a long vestibule, or covered passage, by which they
+might pass from one to the other without exposing themselves to the
+weather. A large door, which was open by day and closed at night,
+divided this passage in two, and on one side there was a small room or
+office, where a clerk sat and kept the books and memoranda, of various
+sorts, incident to a considerable business.
+
+"However, the thing was scarcely set going and established before it
+reached the ears of the master that the workmen objected to pass the
+night on the premises; the reason alleged being that they were disturbed
+and alarmed by various sounds, especially footsteps, and the banging of
+the heavy door in the vestibule which divided the sleeping places from
+the workrooms. At first, the objection being thought absurd, was not
+attended to; next, it was supposed to be a trick of some of the workmen
+to frighten the others; but when it became serious, and they began to
+act upon it, and steady, respectable men declared they heard these
+things, the master, still persuaded it was some practical jokers amongst
+them mystifying the more simple, took measures, first, to ascertain if
+such sounds as they described were audible; and next, to discover who
+made them. For this purpose he sat up himself, and his clerks sat up,
+and exactly as had been described, at one o'clock this clatter and
+banging of doors commenced--that is, there was the sound; for the doors
+remained immovable, and though they heard footsteps they could see
+nobody.
+
+"'Still,' said the manufacturer, who was not willing to be made the
+victim of this mischievous conspiracy, 'we must discover who it is; and
+we shall, when they are more off their guard,' and for this purpose it
+was arranged that a relation of his own, a young man in whose discretion
+and courage he had great confidence should sleep in the office.
+
+"Accordingly, a bed was prepared there; and he arranged himself for that
+night or as many future nights as it might be necessary; determined not
+to relinquish the investigation till he had unravelled the mystery.
+
+"At dawn of day, the next morning, there was a violent knocking at the
+outer door; an early passenger had found this young man in the street,
+with nothing on but his night dress, and in a state of delirium. He was
+taken home and Dr. W. was sent for. The result was a brain fever; but
+when he recovered, he said that he had gone to bed and to sleep, that he
+was wakened by a loud noise, and that just as he was about to rise to
+ascertain the cause, his door opened, and the apparition of a female
+dressed in white entered, and approached his bed side. He remembered no
+more, but being seized with horror, supposed he had got out of the
+window into the street, where he was found.
+
+"This was, certainly, very extraordinary and very serious; still the
+persuasion that it was some mystification prevailed; and Dr. W.'s offer
+to pass a night in the office himself, was gladly accepted. He had
+informed me of the young man's illness and the cause of it; and when I
+heard of his intention, I requested leave to bear him company.
+
+"The noise had not been interrupted by the catastrophe that had
+occurred, and nobody had slept in the office during the young man's
+confinement. The bed had been removed, but we declined having it
+re-placed, for we wished our intention to remain a secret; besides, we
+preferred watching through the night. It was not till the workmen had
+all retired that we took up our position, accompanied by a sharp little
+terrier of mine, and each armed with a pistol. We took care to go over
+the house, to make sure that nobody was concealed in it; and we examined
+every door and window to ascertain that it was secure. We had provided
+ourselves with refreshments also, to sustain our courage; and we entered
+upon our vigil with great hopes of detecting the imposition.
+
+"Dr. W. is a most enlightened and agreeable companion, and we soon fell
+into a lively discussion that carried us away so entirely, that, I
+believe, we had both ceased to think of the object of our watch, when we
+were recalled to it by the clock in the vestibule striking one; and the
+loud bang that immediately followed, accompanied by the barking of our
+little dog, who had been aroused from a tranquil sleep by the uproar. W.
+and I seized our pistols, and rushed into the passage, followed by the
+terrier. We saw nothing to account for the noise; but we distinctly
+heard receding footsteps, which we hastened to pursue, at the same time
+urging on the dog; but instead of running forward, he slunk behind, with
+his tail between his legs, and kept at our heels the whole way. On we
+went, distinctly hearing the footsteps preceding us along the vestibule,
+down some steps, and, finally, down some stairs that led to an unused
+cellar--in one corner of which lay a heap of rubbish. Here the sound
+ceased. We removed the rubbish, and under it lay some bones, which we
+recognised at once as parts of a human skeleton. On further examination,
+we ascertained that they were the remains of a female and a new-born
+infant.
+
+"They were buried, and the men were no more disturbed with these
+mysterious noises. Who the woman was, was never ascertained; nor was any
+further light thrown upon these strange circumstances."
+
+Some remarks on the terror displayed by animals, on these occasions,
+elicited a curious story from Mrs. L. "They not only seem to see
+sometimes," she said, "what we do not; but occasionally to be gifted
+with a singular foreknowledge.
+
+"Many years ago," she continued, "I and my husband went to pay a visit
+in the north. I am very fond of animals, and my attention was soon
+attracted by a dog that was not particularly handsome, but seemed gifted
+with extraordinary intelligence.
+
+"'I see,' said my hostess, 'you are struck with that dog. Well, he is
+the most mysterious creature; he not only opens and shuts the door, and
+rings the bell, and does all sorts of wonderful things, but I am sure he
+understands every word we say, and that he knows as well what I am
+saying now as you do. Moreover, we got him in a very unaccountable
+manner.
+
+"'One night, not long ago, we had been out to dinner; and on returning
+at a pretty late hour, we found the gentleman stretched out comfortably
+on the dining-room rug. Where in the world did this dog come from? I
+said to the servants. They couldn't tell; they declared the doors had
+been long shut, and that they had never set eyes on him till that
+minute.'
+
+"'Well,' I said, 'don't turn him out; he'll no doubt be claimed by some
+one in the neighbourhood--for he had quite the manners and air of a dog
+accustomed to good society; and I liked his large, expressive eyes. He
+made himself quite at home; and now we have discovered what a strangely
+intelligent creature he is, I hope no one will claim him, for I should
+be very sorry to part with him. But,' added she, 'poor Mrs. X. can't
+endure him.' Mrs. X., I must mention, was a widow lady, also on a visit
+there, with an only son.
+
+"'Why?' said I.
+
+"'It is rather singular, certainly,' said she; but whenever young X. is
+in the room, the dog never takes his eyes off his face--you see he has
+peculiar eyes--they're full of meaning; and out of doors he does the
+same.'
+
+"'Perhaps the dog has taken a fancy to him?' I suggested.
+
+"'It does not seem to be that; no, I think he likes me and Mrs. C. and
+my children a great deal better. I can't tell what it is; but if you
+watch, you'll see it.'
+
+"I did, and it was really remarkable, and evidently annoyed Mrs. X. very
+much. The young man affected to laugh at it, but I don't think he liked
+it altogether.
+
+"Suddenly, one evening, Mrs. X.--whose visit was to have extended to
+some weeks longer, announced that she should take her departure in a few
+days. I suspected this move was occasioned by her desire to get away
+from the dog, and so did my hostess--and we both thought it absurd.
+
+"Mr. L. being obliged to return to London, we took our leave the morning
+after this announcement was made; but we had scarcely arrived there,
+when a letter from my friend followed, informing me that young Mr. X.
+had been unfortunately drowned in the fish-pond, and that the dog had
+never been seen since the accident, though they had made inquiries and
+sought for him in every direction. Whence he came, or whither he went,
+they were never able to discover.
+
+"But," said Mrs. L., "as this is not a ghost story, I will tell you
+another anecdote that belongs more legitimately to the subjects you are
+treating of. Once, when we were travelling in the North, Mr. L. fell ill
+of a fever at Paisley. This detained us there, and the minister called
+on us. When Mr. L. recovered, we returned his visit; and, in the course
+of conversation, some of the old customs of the Scotch fell under
+discussion; amongst others the _cutty stool_, which we had heard still
+subsisted.
+
+"'Why don't you abolish it?' said Mr. L. 'It would be much better to
+amend people by other influences than exposure.'
+
+"'Well, sir,' said the good man, 'that was my opinion also; and I had
+determined to do it. Before taking the step, however, I thought it
+advisable to publish my reasons; and I was one day sitting at the table
+writing on the subject, when I looked up, and beheld my father, who was
+minister here before me, and died in this manse, sitting on the opposite
+side of the table.'
+
+"'Don't do any such thing, David,' said he; 'morality is loose enough;
+don't make it looser.'"
+
+
+
+
+ROUND THE FIRE.
+
+SIXTH EVENING.
+
+
+"The most interesting circumstance of the ghostly kind that I know, as
+really authentic," said Madame S., "is what happened to the late Lord
+C., when he was a young man--it is an old story, and you must have heard
+of the _Radiant Boy_; but as I had it from a member of the family,
+perhaps you will accept it as my contribution.
+
+"Captain S., who was afterwards Lord C., when he was a young man,
+happened to be quartered in Ireland. He was fond of sport; and one day
+the pursuit of game carried him so far that he lost his way. The
+weather, too, had become very rough, and in this strait he presented
+himself at the door of a gentleman's house, and sending in his card,
+requested shelter for the night. The hospitality of the Irish country
+gentry is proverbial; the master of the house received him warmly, said
+he feared he could not make him so comfortable as he could have wished,
+his house being full of visitors already--added to which, some
+strangers, driven by the inclemency of the night, had sought shelter
+before him, but that such accommodation as he could give he was heartily
+welcome to; whereupon he called his butler, and committing his guest to
+his good offices, told him he must put him up somewhere, and do the best
+he could for him. There was no lady, the gentleman being a widower.
+
+"Captain S. found the house crammed, and a very jolly party it was. His
+host invited him to stay, and promised him good shooting if he would
+prolong his visit a few days; and, in fine, he thought himself extremely
+fortunate to have fallen into such pleasant quarters.
+
+"At length, after an agreeable evening, they all retired to bed, and the
+butler conducted him to a large room, almost divested of furniture, but
+with a blazing peat fire in the grate, and a shake down on the floor,
+composed of cloaks and other heterogeneous materials.
+
+"Nevertheless, to the tired limbs of Captain S., who had had a hard
+day's shooting, it looked very inviting; but before he lay down, he
+thought it advisable to take off some of the fire, which was blazing up
+the chimney, in what he thought, an alarming manner. Having done this,
+he stretched himself upon the couch, and soon fell asleep.
+
+"He believed he had slept about a couple of hours when he awoke
+suddenly, and was startled by such a vivid light in the room, that he
+thought it was on fire, but on turning to look at the grate he saw the
+fire was out, though it was from the chimney the light proceeded. He sat
+up in bed, trying to discover what it was, when he perceived, gradually
+disclosing itself, the form of a beautiful naked boy, surrounded by a
+dazzling radiance. The boy looked at him earnestly, and then the vision
+faded, and all was dark. Captain S., so far from supposing what he had
+seen to be of a spiritual nature, had no doubt that the host, or the
+visitors, had been amusing themselves at his expense, and trying to
+frighten him. Accordingly he felt indignant at the liberty; and on the
+following morning, when he appeared at breakfast, he took care to evince
+his displeasure by the reserve of his demeanour, and by announcing his
+intention to depart immediately. The host expostulated, reminding him
+of his promise to stay and shoot. Captain S. coldly excused himself and,
+at length, the gentleman seeing something was wrong, took him aside, and
+pressed for an explanation; whereupon Captain S., without entering into
+particulars, said that he had been made the victim of a sort of
+practical joking that he thought quite unwarrantable with a stranger.
+
+"The gentleman considered this not impossible amongst a parcel of
+thoughtless young men, and appealed to them to make an apology; but one
+and all, on honour, denied the impeachment. Suddenly, a thought seemed
+to strike him; he clapt his hand to his forehead, uttered an
+exclamation, and rang the bell.
+
+"'Hamilton,' said he to the butler, 'where did Captain S. sleep last
+night?'
+
+"'Well, Sir,' replied the man, in an apologetic tone,' 'you know every
+place was full--the gentlemen were lying on the floor, three or four in
+a room--so I gave him the _Boy's Room_; but I lit a blazing fire to keep
+him from coming out.'
+
+"'You were very wrong,' said the host, 'you know I have positively
+forbidden you to put any one there, and have taken the furniture out of
+the room to ensure its not being occupied.' Then retiring with Captain
+S., he informed him very gravely of the nature of the phenomenon he had
+seen; and, at length, being pressed for further information, he
+confessed that there existed a tradition in his family, that whoever the
+_Radiant Boy_ appeared to will rise to the summit of power; and when he
+had reached the climax, will die a violent death, and I must say, he
+added, that the records that have been kept of his appearance go to
+confirm this persuasion.
+
+"I need not remind you," said Madam S., "what a remarkable confirmation
+was afforded by the life and death of Lord C."
+
+"I had never heard these particulars before; but I had heard the story
+of Lord C.'s _Radiant Boy_ alluded to, apropos of the case of the Rev.
+Mr. A., who saw a very similar apparition some years ago at C. Castle. I
+have related this case in the 'Night Side of Nature.' I received the
+particulars from a relation of Mr. A.'s, who was himself surviving at
+the time I published it."
+
+"It is curious," observed Mrs. E., "how many houses in the north of
+England where I have been lately residing have something of this sort
+attached to them. Some friends of mine not long ago heard of a very
+pretty place to let, and finding the rent unusually moderate they took
+it. They were delighted with their new residence; and often wondered
+that the proprietor, with whom they were slightly acquainted, did not
+either live there himself, or insist on more money for it.
+
+"After they had been there some time, his brother, that is, the brother
+of the proprietor, who did not live very far off, called one morning to
+see them; and asked them how they liked the place. They expressed their
+extreme satisfaction; adding, 'We wonder your brother does not live here
+himself.'
+
+"'There are reasons why it does not suit our family,' he answered.
+
+"When he was going away, my friends proposed to walk through the grounds
+with him; they had to cross a little brook not far from the house; and
+as they did so, a hare sprang past them and they all stopt and turned
+round to look at her, by which means they had a full view of the house.
+
+"'Good Heavens!' exclaimed the visitor, 'there she is!'
+
+"'Where?' enquired my friend, thinking he alluded to the hare.
+
+"'Is any of your family ill?' asked the stranger.
+
+"'No they answered;' and following the direction of his eyes, they
+observed at one of the upper windows of the house, a female figure in
+white, and enveloped in what looked like grave clothes.
+
+"The visitor appearing much agitated, my friend rushed back and ran up
+to the floor where the female had appeared; and not only was there no
+one there, but he found that the window was that of a vestibule and much
+too high from the ground for any one to reach.
+
+"On returning to their visitor, he said 'one of us will die before this
+year has expired; it is an unfailing omen in our family, and caused us
+so much distress, that that is the real reason why we do not live here.
+But it concerns nobody but ourselves; you will never be troubled by her
+visitations.' The destiny fell on the seer himself this time; he was
+dead before the year had expired.
+
+"There is another house in the same part of the county, where sometime
+ago a young friend of mine, one of three sisters, went on a visit for a
+short time. The first night, after she got into bed, she was startled by
+the most terrific screams she ever heard, which appeared close to her
+door. She jumped up and opened it, but there was nobody there. The next
+day she mentioned the circumstance, but the old lady she was visiting,
+said her ears must have deceived her, and turned the conversation; but
+she heard it again several times, and was quite sure there was no
+mistake. When she went home she told her sisters, who laughed at her;
+but each of them went to visit subsequently at the same house and heard
+precisely the same thing; but as it was evidently an unpleasant subject
+to their hostess, they could get no information on the subject."
+
+"A near relation of mine," said Lord N., "is living in a place at
+present, where there is very much the same annoyance, and three families
+successively, had left the house in consequence of it. The building is
+large, part of it very old, and it is surrounded by a fine park;
+nevertheless, it has been found difficult to get a tenant--or, at least,
+to keep one. My relation was warned of the inconvenience before he took
+it. It is said that a lady was murdered there by her husband; at all
+events, there is one room--one of the best in the house, shut up, and
+never allowed to be opened. Whoever sleeps in the room under this, is
+liable to be disturbed by extraordinary noises--footsteps and moving of
+furniture, &c.; but the most strange thing is, that every now and then a
+dreadful piercing scream is heard through the house, that brings any
+strangers who happen to be there, out of their rooms, in terror, to
+enquire what has occurred. The family who resided there before, met the
+apparition of a lady occasionally, and left the place in consequence. My
+relations have never seen anything; but everybody who stays there any
+time hears the screams.
+
+"Another relation of mine, a very religious person, and as she belongs
+to the free church of Scotland, most opposed to the belief in ghosts,
+went some time since to pay a visit at an old place belonging to our
+family. On the morning after her arrival, she announced at breakfast
+that she was going away. She gave no reason, but went, to the
+consternation of her host. With much difficulty, he has since extracted
+from her, that in the night an apparition appeared at the foot of her
+bed--a man dressed in an old-fashioned brown suit. He spoke to her, and
+some conversation passed--the subject of which she declares she will
+never disclose; she says it was not a good spirit, and nothing would
+induce her to visit the place again. This house has always been said to
+be haunted, but this is the only instance I know of the family
+themselves seeing anything of the sort; but no better evidence could be
+adduced of such a phenomenon than that of the lady in question. Nobody
+ever doubted her word, and a more confirmed disbeliever in ghosts never
+existed.
+
+"A rather curious thing happened to myself lately," continued Lord N. "I
+went to visit some friends at the Lakes. As they had no vacant rooms, I
+engaged apartments near them for myself and servant. The house was
+small, quite modern, and as un-ghostly as possible. I always dined with
+my friends, and went to my lodgings about twelve o'clock, and I had been
+there five or six nights without anything unusual occurring. On the
+fourth or fifth evening, I had returned home rather earlier than usual,
+and instead of going to bed, I sat down to write a letter. While so
+engaged, I heard what I thought was a boy cracking a whip close to the
+drawing-room door. I paid no attention to it at first, though rather
+wondering at the hour chosen for the amusement. However, as it continued
+unintermittingly, and grew louder, I got up and opened the door, with
+the intention of desiring the child to go away. There was no one there.
+It then occurred to me that my ears must have deceived me, and that the
+sound might have proceeded from some explosive substance in my bedroom
+fire. The room was on the same floor, and the door shut; but when I
+opened it, I found the fire almost out--certainly not in a state to
+produce the noises I had heard. I went forward to stir it, and while
+doing so, the whip was cracked over my shoulder. I turned round quickly,
+but could see nothing, and I returned to the drawing-room, and had just
+seated myself again, when I was amazed to see the table rise about a
+foot perpendicularly into the air, and at the same moment, both the
+candles that were on it went out, without being upset or even moved.
+There was a fire, so that I was not quite in the dark, and I re-lighted
+them; after which the whip began cracking again vigorously, and cracked
+on till I went to bed and afterwards. I stayed in these apartments a
+fortnight or three weeks longer; and once, again, I heard the whip, but
+much fainter and for a shorter time; and one night there were distinct
+rappings on the mantel-piece, and afterwards on the dressing-table.
+
+"I could make no discovery in regard to these phenomena; and I leave it
+to the company to decide whether they were of a spiritual nature or not.
+The only other thing of the sort that ever happened to me was this:--I
+was travelling on the Continent, and not being very well, was lying in
+bed, when I suddenly saw the door open, and two of my brothers walk
+through the room, dressed in deep mourning. I rang the bell furiously,
+and the people came, but could in no way explain what had happened. I
+shortly received letters, announcing that another brother had died at
+that time.
+
+"I will mention another instance that occurred in our family a few years
+since. During my grandfather's last illness, all the family were
+assembled at K. Castle, except my brother John, with whom he was not on
+good terms. While we were living there, waiting to see what turn the
+illness would take, John died very unexpectedly, but we resolved not to
+mention the circumstance to Lord A., as it might affect him injuriously;
+it was therefore kept a profound secret.
+
+"One day, some little time afterwards, Lord A. had been asleep in his
+arm-chair, and on waking, he suddenly exclaimed, 'I shall see John on
+Thursday!' This was on a Monday, and he died on the Thursday following."
+
+"A relation of mine," said Mrs. L., "had a friend with whom a great
+intimacy had subsisted for many years, but a subject of difference arose
+that embittered her feelings towards this lady to such a degree, that
+she felt reconciliation impossible. They continued to live in the same
+town, but all intercourse was at an end.
+
+"One morning, lately, she was lying awake in her bed, when the door
+opened, and this lady came in; approaching the bed side, she spoke in a
+friendly manner, and entered into explanations with regard to the
+misunderstanding. My relation was not frightened during this interview;
+but when it was over, and she was gone, she suspected the nature of the
+visit. When her maid came to her room, she enquired if there had been
+any news of Miss ----. The servant answered, none; but presently
+afterwards, a person called to mention the lady's death, which had taken
+place that morning."
+
+"For my part," said Sir A. C., "I am acquainted with a circumstance that
+has settled entirely any doubts I might have entertained on the subject
+of ghosts. Not many miles from my place in S--shire, there is a seat
+belonging to some connexions of my own. At the time I am about to refer
+to, an old lady was in possession, and it so happened, that a matter of
+business arose regarding the heirs of the property, which made it
+necessary to refer to the title deeds. To the surprise and dismay of the
+family they could not be found. A vigorous search was instituted, in
+vain; and the circumstance so preyed on my old relation's mind that she
+at length committed suicide, under the impression that some one else
+would lay claim to the estate.
+
+"After her death people complained that they could not live there--the
+place they said was haunted by this old lady, who, with her grey hair
+dishevelled, and dressed exactly as she used to be in her life time,
+they described as walking about the house, looking into drawers and
+cupboards, and incessantly searching for her deeds. We, of course, did
+not believe in the story, and were not even altogether convinced when
+the house, after being let to several strangers in succession, who all
+gave it up on the same plea, seemed destined to remain without an
+inhabitant.
+
+"It had stood empty two or three years, though offered at a very low
+rent, when a lady and gentleman from the West Indies came into the
+neighbourhood to visit some acquaintance, and being in want of a
+residence, and hearing this was to be had on very reasonable terms, they
+proposed to take it. Their friends told them of the objection made by
+preceding tenants, but they laughed with scorn at the idea of losing so
+good a house on account of a ghost; so they closed the bargain, took
+possession of the place, and sent for their family to join them.
+
+"The children, the youngest of whom was between three and four, and the
+eldest about ten, were, as a temporary arrangement, placed on the first
+night of their arrival to sleep in one room; but the next morning, when
+their mother went at a very early hour to see how they were, to her
+surprise, she found them all wide awake. They were looking pale and
+weary, and began with one voice to complain that they had been kept
+awake all night by such a disagreeable old lady, who would keep coming
+into the room, and looking for something in the drawers. 'I told her I
+wished she'd go away,' said the eldest, 'and then she did go; but she
+came back; and we don't like her. Who is she, mamma? Is she to live with
+us?'
+
+"They then, on being questioned, described her appearance, which exactly
+coincided with the account given by the former tenants. I can vouch for
+the truth of these circumstances; and since these children had,
+certainly, never heard a word on the subject of the apparition, and had,
+indeed, no idea that it was one, 'I think the evidence,' said Sir A. C.,
+'is quite unexceptionable.'
+
+"I should say so, too, if it referred to any other question," said Mr.
+E., a barrister, who happened to be present when the story was related;
+"but on the subject of ghosts I cannot think any evidence sufficient."
+
+"A state of mind by no means uncommon," I said, "and which it is, of
+course, in vain to contend with. I can only wonder and admire the
+confidence that can venture to prejudge so interesting and important a
+subject of inquiry."
+
+
+
+
+ROUND THE FIRE.
+
+SEVENTH EVENING.
+
+
+"My story will be a very short one," said Mrs. M.; "for I must tell you
+that though, like every body else, I have heard a great many ghost
+stories, and have met people who assured me they had seen such things, I
+cannot, for my own part, bring myself to believe in them; but a
+circumstance occurred when I was abroad, that you may perhaps consider
+of a ghostly nature, though I cannot.
+
+"I was travelling through Germany, with no one but my maid--it was
+before the time of railways, and on my road from Leipsic to Dresden, I
+stopt at an inn that appeared to have been long ago part of an
+aristocratic residence--a castle in short; for there was a stone wall
+and battlements, and a tower at one side; while the other was a
+prosaic-looking, square building that had evidently been added in
+modern times. The inn stood at one end of a small village, in which some
+of the houses looked so antique that they might, I thought, be coeval
+with the castle itself. There were a good many travellers, but the host
+said he could accommodate me; and when I asked to see my room, he led me
+up to the towers, and showed me a tolerably comfortable one. There were
+only two apartments on each floor; so I asked him if I could have the
+other for my maid, and he said yes, if no other traveller arrived. None
+came, and she slept there.
+
+"I supped at the table d'hote, and retired to bed early, as I had an
+excursion to make on the following day; and I was sufficiently tired
+with my journey to fall asleep directly.
+
+"I don't know how long I had slept--but I think some hours, when I awoke
+quite suddenly, almost with a start, and beheld near the foot of the
+bed, the most hideous, dreadful-looking old woman, in an antique dress,
+that imagination can conceive. She seemed to be approaching me--not as
+if walking, but gliding, with her left arm and hand extended towards me.
+
+"'Merciful God deliver me!' I exclaimed under my first impulse of
+amazement; and as I said the words she disappeared."
+
+"Then, though you don't believe in ghosts, you thought it was one when
+you saw it," said I.
+
+"I don't know what I thought--I admit I was a good deal frightened, and
+it was a long time before I fell asleep again.
+
+"In the morning," continued Mrs. M., "my maid knocked, and I told her to
+come in; but the door was locked, and I had to get out of bed to admit
+her--I thought I might have forgotten to fasten it. As soon as I was up,
+I examined every part of the room, but I could find nothing to account
+for this intrusion. There was neither trap or moving panell, or door
+that I could see, except the one I had locked. However, I made up my
+mind not to speak of the circumstance, for I fancied I must have been
+deceived in supposing myself awake, and that it was only a dream; more
+particularly as there was no light in my room, and I could not
+comprehend how I could have seen this woman.
+
+"I went out early, and was away the greater part of the day. When I
+returned I found more travellers had arrived, and that they had given
+the room next mine to a German lady and her daughter, who were at the
+table d'hote. I therefore had a bed made up in my room for my maid; and
+before I lay down, I searched thoroughly, that I might be sure nobody
+was concealed there.
+
+"In the middle of the night--I suppose about the same time I had been
+disturbed on the preceding one--I and my maid were awakened by a
+piercing scream; and I heard the voice of the German girl in the
+adjoining room, exclaiming, 'Ach! meine mutter! meine mutter!'
+
+"For some time afterwards I heard them talking, and then I fell
+asleep--wondering, I confess, whether they had had a visit from the
+frightful old woman. They left me in no doubt the next morning. They
+came down to breakfast greatly excited--told everybody the
+cause--described the old woman exactly as I had seen her, and departed
+from the house incontinently, declaring they would not stay there
+another hour."
+
+"What did the host say to it?" we asked.
+
+"Nothing; he said we must have dreamed it--and I suppose we did."
+
+"Your story," said I, "reminds me of a very interesting letter which I
+received soon after the publication of 'The Night side of Nature.' It
+was from a clergyman who gave his name, and said he was chaplain to a
+nobleman. He related that in a house he inhabited, or had inhabited, a
+lady had one evening gone up stairs, and seen, to her amazement, in a
+room, the door of which was open, a lady in an antique dress, standing
+before a chest of drawers, and apparently examining their contents. She
+stood still, wondering who this stranger could be, when the figure
+turned her face towards her, and, to her horror, she saw there were no
+eyes. Other members of the family saw the same apparition also. I
+believe there were further particulars; but I unfortunately lost this
+letter, with some others, in the confusion of changing my residence.
+
+"The absence of eyes I take to be emblematical of moral blindness; for
+in the world of spirits there is no deceiving each other by false
+seemings; as we are, so we appear."
+
+"Then," said Mrs. W. C., "the apparition--if it was an apparition--that
+two of my servants saw lately, must be in a very degraded state.
+
+"There is a road, and on one side of it a path, just beyond my garden
+wall. Not long ago two of my servants were in the dusk of the evening
+walking up this path, when they saw a large, dark object coming towards
+them. At first, they thought it was an animal; and when it got close,
+one of them stretched out her hand to touch it; but she could feel
+nothing, and it passed on between her and the garden wall, although
+there was _no space_, the path being only wide enough for two; and on
+looking back, they saw it walking down the hill behind them. Three men
+were coming up on the path; and as the thing approached, they jumped off
+into the road.
+
+"'Good heavens, what is that!' cried the women.
+
+"'I don't know,' replied the men; 'I never saw such a thing as that
+before.'
+
+"The women came home greatly agitated; and we have since heard there is
+a tradition that the spot is haunted by the ghost of a man who was
+killed in a quarry close by."
+
+"I have travelled a great deal," said our next speaker, the Chevalier de
+La C. G.; and, certainly, I have never been in any country where
+instances of these spiritual appearances were not adduced on apparently
+credible authority. I have heard numerous stories of the sort, but the
+one that most readily occurs to me at present, was told to me not long
+ago, in Paris, by Count P.--the nephew of the celebrated Count P. whose
+name occurs in the history of the remarkable incidents connected with
+the death of the Emperor Paul.
+
+"Count P., my authority for the following story, was attached to the
+Russian embassy; and he told me, one evening, when the conversation
+turned on the inconveniences of travelling in the East of Europe, that,
+on one occasion, when in Poland, he found himself about seven o'clock in
+an autumn evening on a forest road, where there was no possibility of
+finding a house of public entertainment within many miles. There was a
+frightful storm; the road, not good at the best, was almost
+impracticable from the weather, and his horses were completely knocked
+up. On consulting his people what was best to be done, they said, that
+to go back was as impossible as to go forward; but that by turning a
+little out of the main road, they should soon reach a castle where
+possibly shelter might be procured for the night. The count gladly
+consented, and it was not long before they found themselves at the gate
+of what appeared a building on a very splendid scale. The courier
+quickly alighted and rang at the bell, and while waiting for admission,
+he enquired who the castle belonged to, and was told that it was Count
+X's.
+
+"It was some time before the bell was answered, but at length an elderly
+man appeared at a wicket, with a lantern, and peeped out. On perceiving
+the equipage, he came forward and stept up to the carriage, holding the
+light aloft to discover who was inside. Count P. handed him his card,
+and explained his distress.
+
+"'There is no one here, my lord,' replied the man, 'but myself and my
+family; the castle is not inhabited.'
+
+"'That's bad news,' said the count; 'but nevertheless, you can give me
+what I am most in need of, and that is--shelter for the night.'
+
+"'Willingly,' said the man, 'if your lordship will put up with such
+accommodation as we can hastily prepare.'
+
+"'So,' said the count, 'I alighted and walked in; and the old man
+unbarred the great gates to admit my carriages and people. We found
+ourselves in an immense _couer_, with the castle _en face_, and stables
+and offices on each side. As we had a _fourgon_ with us, with provender
+for the cattle and provisions for ourselves, we wanted nothing but beds
+and a good fire; and as the only one lighted was in the old man's
+apartments, he first took us there. They consisted of a _suite_ of small
+rooms in the left wing, that had probably been formerly occupied by the
+upper servants. They were comfortably furnished, and he and his large
+family appeared to be very well lodged. Besides the wife, there were
+three sons, with their wives and children, and two nieces; and in a part
+of the offices, where I saw a light, I was told there were labourers and
+women servants, for it was a valuable estate, with a fine forest, and
+the sons acted as _gardes chasse_.
+
+"'Is there much game in the forest?' I asked.
+
+"'A great deal of all sorts,' they answered.
+
+"'Then I suppose during the season the family live here?'
+
+"'Never,' they replied. 'None of the family ever reside here.'
+
+"'Indeed!' I said; how is that? It seems a very fine place.'
+
+"'Superb,' answered the wife of the custodian; 'but the castle is
+haunted.'
+
+"She said this with a simple gravity that made me laugh; upon which they
+all stared at me with the most edifying amazement.
+
+"'I beg your pardon,' I said; 'but you know, perhaps, in great cities,
+such as I usually inhabit, there are no ghosts.'
+
+"'Indeed!' said they. 'No ghosts!'
+
+"'At least,' I said, 'I never heard of any; and we don't believe in such
+things.'
+
+"They looked at each other with surprise, but said nothing; not
+appearing to have any desire to convince me. 'But do you mean to say,'
+said I, 'that that is the reason the family don't live here, and that
+the castle is abandoned on that account?'
+
+"'Yes,' they replied, 'that is the reason nobody has resided here for
+many years.'
+
+"'But how can you live here then?'
+
+"'We are never troubled in this part of the building,' said she. 'We
+hear noises, but we are used to that.'
+
+"'Well, if there is a ghost, I hope I shall see it,' said I.
+
+"'God forbid!' said the woman, crossing herself. 'But we shall guard
+against that; your seigneurie will sleep not far from this, where you
+will be quite safe.'
+
+"'Oh! but,' said I, 'I am quite serious, if there is a ghost, I should
+particularly like to see him, and I should be much obliged to you to put
+me in the apartments he most frequents.'
+
+"They opposed this proposition earnestly, and begged me not to think of
+if; besides, they said if any thing was to happen to my lord, how should
+they answer for it; but as I insisted, the women went to call the
+members of the family who were lighting fires and preparing beds in some
+rooms on the same floor as they occupied themselves. When they came they
+were as earnest against the indulgence of my wishes as the women had
+been. Still I insisted.
+
+"'Are you afraid,' I said, 'to go yourselves in the haunted chambers?'
+
+"'No,' they answered. 'We are the custodians of the castle and have to
+keep the rooms clean and well aired lest the furniture be spoiled--my
+lord talks always of removing it, but it has never been removed
+yet--but we would not sleep up there for all the world.'
+
+"'Then it is the upper floors that are haunted?'
+
+"'Yes, especially the long room, no one could pass a night there; the
+last that did is in a lunatic asylum now at Warsaw,' said the custodian.
+
+"'What happened to him?'
+
+"'I don't know,' said the man; 'he was never able to tell.'
+
+"'Who was he?' I asked.
+
+"'He was a lawyer. My lord did business with him; and one day he was
+speaking of this place, and saying that it was a pity he was not at
+liberty to pull it down and sell the materials; but he cannot, because
+it is family property and goes with the title; and the lawyer said he
+wished it was his, and that no ghost should keep him out of it. My lord
+said that it was easy for any one to say that who knew nothing about it,
+and that he must suppose the family had not abandoned such a fine place
+without good reasons. But the lawyer said it was some trick, and that it
+was coiners, or robbers, who had got a footing in the castle, and
+contrived to frighten people away that they might keep it to themselves;
+so my lord said if he could prove that he should be very much obliged to
+him, and more than that, he would give him a great sum--I don't know how
+much. So the lawyer said, he would; and my lord wrote to me that he was
+coming to inspect the property, and I was to let him do any thing he
+liked.
+
+"'Well, he came, and with him his son, a fine young man and a soldier.
+They asked me all sorts of questions, and went over the castle and
+examined every part of it. From what they said, I could see that they
+thought the ghost was all nonsense, and that I and my family were in
+collusion with the robbers or coiners. However, I did not care for that,
+my lord knew that the castle had been haunted before I was born.
+
+"'I had prepared rooms on this floor for them--the same I am preparing
+for your lordship, and they slept there, keeping the keys of the upper
+rooms to themselves, so I did not interfere with them. But one morning,
+very early, we were awakened by some one knocking at our bedroom door,
+and when we opened it, we saw Mr. Thaddeus--that was the lawyer's
+son--standing there half-drest and as pale as a ghost; and he said his
+father was very ill and he begged us to go to him; to our surprise he
+led us up stairs to the haunted chamber, and there we found the poor
+gentleman speechless, and we thought they had gone up there early and
+that he had had a stroke. But it was not so; Mr. Thaddeus said, that
+after we were all in bed, they had gone up there to pass the night. I
+know they thought that there was no ghost but us, and that's why they
+would not let us know their intention. They laid down upon some sofas,
+wrapt up in their fur cloaks, and resolved to keep awake, and they did
+so for some time, but at last the young man was overcome by drowsiness,
+he struggled against it, but could not conquer it, and the last thing he
+recollects was his father shaking him and saying 'Thaddeus, Thaddeus,
+for God's sake keep awake!' But he could not, and he knew no more till
+he woke and saw that day was breaking, and found his father sitting in a
+corner of the room speechless, and looking like a corpse; and there he
+was when we went up. The young man thought he'd been taken ill or had a
+stroke, as we supposed at first; but when we found they had passed the
+night in the haunted chambers, we had no doubt what had happened--he had
+seen some terrible sight and so lost his senses.'
+
+"'He lost his senses, I should say, from terror when his son fell
+asleep,' said I, 'and he felt himself alone. He could have been a man of
+no nerve. At all events, what you tell me raises my curiosity. Will you
+take me up stairs and shew me those rooms?'
+
+"'Willingly,' said the man, and fetching a bunch of keys and a light,
+and calling one of his sons to follow him with another, he led the way
+up the great staircase to a suite of apartments on the first floor. The
+rooms were lofty and large, and the man said the furniture was very
+handsome, but old. Being all covered with canvas cases, I could not
+judge of it. 'Which is the long room?' I said.
+
+"Upon which he led me into a long narrow room that might rather have
+been called a gallery. There were sofas along each side, something like
+a dais at the upper end; and several large pictures hanging on the
+walls.
+
+"I had with me a bull dog, of a very fine breed, that had been given me
+in England by Lord F. She had followed me up stairs--indeed, she
+followed me every where--and I watched her narrowly as she went smelling
+about, but there were no indications of her perceiving any thing
+extraordinary. Beyond this gallery there was only a small octagon room,
+with a door that led out upon another staircase. When I had examined it
+all thoroughly, I returned to the long room and told the man, as that
+was the place especially frequented by the ghost, I should feel much
+obliged if he would allow me to pass the night there. I could take upon
+myself to say that Count X., would have no objection.
+
+"'It is not that,' replied the man; 'but the danger to your lordship,'
+and he conjured me not to insist on such a perilous experiment.
+
+"When he found I was resolved, he gave way, but on condition that I
+signed a paper, stating that in spite of his representations I had
+determined to sleep in the long room.
+
+"I confess, the more anxious these people seemed to prevent my sleeping
+there, the more curious I was; not that I believed in the ghost the
+least in the world. I thought that the lawyer had been right in his
+conjecture, but that he hadn't nerve enough to investigate whatever he
+saw or heard; and that they had succeeded in frightening him out of his
+senses. I saw what an excellent place these people had got, and how much
+it was their interest to maintain the idea that the castle was
+uninhabitable. Now, I have pretty good nerves--I have been in situations
+that have tried them severely--and I did not believe that any ghost, if
+there was such a thing, or any jugglery by which a semblance of one
+might be contrived, would shake them. As for any real danger, I did not
+apprehend it; the people knew who I was, and any mischief happening to
+me would have led to consequences they well understood. So they lighted
+fires in both the grates of the gallery, and as they had abundance of
+dry wood, they soon blazed up. I was determined not to leave the room
+after I was once in it, lest, if my suspicions were correct, they might
+have time to make their arrangements; so I desired my people to bring up
+my supper, and I ate it there.
+
+"My courier said he had always heard the castle was haunted, but he
+dare say there was no ghost but the people below, who had a very
+comfortable berth of it; and he offered to pass the night with me, but I
+declined any companion and preferred trusting to myself and my dog. My
+valet, on the contrary, strongly advised me against the enterprize,
+assuring me that he had lived with a family in France whose chateau was
+haunted, and had left his place in consequence.
+
+"By the time I had finished my supper it was ten o'clock, and every
+thing was prepared for the night. My bed, though an impromptu, was very
+comfortable, made of amply stuffed cushions and thick coverlets, placed
+in front of the fire. I was provided with light and plenty of wood; and
+I had my regimental cutlass, and a case of excellent pistols, which I
+carefully primed and loaded in presence of the custodian, saying, you
+see I am determined to fire at the ghost, so if he cannot stand a
+bullet, he had better not pay me a visit.
+
+"The old man shook his head calmly, but made no answer. Having desired
+the courier, who said he should not go to bed, to come up stairs
+immediately if he heard the report of fire-arms, I dismissed my people
+and locked the doors, barricading each with a heavy ottoman besides.
+There was no arras or hangings of any sort behind which a door could be
+concealed; and I went round the room, the walls of which were pannelled
+with white and gold, knocking every part, but neither the sound, nor
+Dido, the dog, gave any indications of there being anything unusual.
+Then I undressed and lay down with my sword and my pistols beside me;
+and Dido at the foot of my bed, where she always slept.
+
+"I confess I was in a state of pleasing excitement; my curiosity and my
+love of adventure were roused; and whether it was ghost, or robber, or
+coiner, I was to have a visit from, the interview was likely to be
+equally interesting. It was half-past ten when I lay down; my
+expectations were too vivid to admit of sleep; and after an attempt at a
+French novel, I was obliged to give it up; I could not fix my attention
+to it. Besides, my chief care was not to be surprised. I could not help
+thinking the custodian and his family had some secret way of getting
+into the room, and I hoped to detect them in the fact; so I lay with my
+eyes and ears open in a position that gave me a view of every part of
+it, till my travelling clock struck twelve, which being pre-eminently
+the ghostly hour, I thought the critical moment was arrived. But no, no
+sound, no interruption of any sort to the silence and solitude of the
+night occurred. When half-past twelve, and one struck, I pretty well
+made up my mind that I should be disappointed in my expectations, and
+that the ghost, whoever he was, knew better than to encounter Dido and a
+brace of well charged pistols; but just as I arrived at this conclusion,
+an unaccountable _frisson_ came over me, and I saw Dido, who tired with
+her day's journey, had lain till now quietly curled up asleep, begin to
+move, and slowly get upon her feet. I thought she was only going to
+turn, but, instead of lying down, she stood still with her ears erect
+and her head towards the dais, uttering a low growl.
+
+"The dais, I should mention, was but the skeleton of a dais, for the
+draperies were taken off. There was only remaining a canopy covered with
+crimson velvet, and an arm chair covered with velvet too, but cased in
+canvas like the rest of the furniture. I had examined this part of the
+room thoroughly, and had moved the chair aside to ascertain that there
+was nothing under it.
+
+"Well, I sat up in bed and looked steadily in the same direction as the
+dog, but I could see nothing at first, though it appeared that she did;
+but as I looked, I began to perceive something like a cloud in the
+chair, while at the same time a chill which seemed to pervade the very
+marrow in my bones crept through me, yet the fire was good; and it was
+not the chill of fear, for I cocked my pistols with perfect self
+possession and abstained from giving Dido the signal to advance, because
+I wished eagerly to see the denouement of the adventure.
+
+"Gradually, this cloud took a form, and assumed the shape of a tall
+white figure that reached from the ceiling to the floor of the dais,
+which was raised by two steps. At him, Dido! At him! I said, and away
+she dashed to the steps, but instantly turned and crept back completely
+cowed. As her courage was undoubted, I own this astonished me, and I
+should have fired, but that I was perfectly satisfied that what I saw
+was not a substantial human form, for I had seen it grow into its
+present shape and height from the undefined cloud that first appeared
+in the chair. I laid my hand on the dog who had crept up to my side, and
+I felt her shaking in her skin. I was about to rise myself and approach
+the figure, though I confess I was a good deal awe struck, when it
+stepped majestically from the dais, and seemed to be advancing. 'At
+him!' I said, 'At him, Dido!' and I gave the dog every encouragement to
+go forward; she made a sorry attempt, but returned when she had got half
+way and crouched beside me whining with terror. The figure advanced upon
+me; the cold became icy; the dog crouched and trembled; and I, as it
+approached, honestly confess, said Count P., that I hid my head under
+the bed clothes and did not venture to look up till morning. I know not
+what it was--as it passed over me I felt a sensation of undefinable
+horror, that no words can describe--and I can only say that nothing on
+earth would tempt me to pass another night in that room, and I am sure
+if Dido could speak, you'd find her of the same opinion.
+
+"I had desired to be called at seven o'clock, and when the custodian,
+who accompanied my valet, found me safe and in my perfect senses, I
+must say the poor man appeared greatly relieved; and when I descended
+the whole family seemed to look upon me as a hero. I thought it only
+just to them to admit that something had happened in the night that I
+felt impossible to account for, and that I should not recommend any body
+who was not very sure of their nerves to repeat the experiment."
+
+When the Chevalier had concluded this extraordinary story, I suggested
+that the apparition of the castle very much resembled that mentioned by
+the late professor Gregory, in his letters on mesmerism, as having
+appeared in the Tower of London some years ago, and from the alarm it
+created, having occasioned the death of a lady, the wife of an officer
+quartered there, and one of the sentries. Every one who had read that
+very interesting publication was struck by the resemblance.
+
+
+
+
+ROUND THE FIRE.
+
+EIGHTH EVENING.
+
+
+"As this was our last evening, I was called upon for a story; but I
+pleaded that I had told all mine in the 'Night Side of Nature,' and of
+personal experience I had very little to tell; but I said I will give
+you the history of a visit I made several years ago to a haunted house
+although it resulted in almost nothing.
+
+"After the publication of the 'Night Side,' I received many valuable
+communications--I wish I had kept a note of them all, but I never
+expected to publish again on the same subject. Amongst others, I
+received a letter from a gentleman called Mc. N., and as it contained
+several interesting particulars, I requested him to call on me. I
+remember, in the letter, he told me that a few years previously, he had
+been on an excursion from home, and that while stopping at an inn, one
+morning, about five o'clock, the door opened and his father entered; he
+came to the bedside, looked at him, and then went out again. The young
+man sprang from his bed, and followed him down stairs, where he lost
+sight of him. He returned home, and found his father had died on that
+morning.
+
+"He was in a lawyer's office, and, amongst other things, he mentioned to
+me that there was not very far off a house said to be haunted, of which
+they had the charge, but that it was impossible to do anything with it.
+'We offer it at a mere nominal rent, but no one will stay there.'
+
+"I was often absent from home at this time, but for the next two or
+three years I sometimes met him and inquired about the house. The report
+was always the same; till, at length, no one would go into it; it was
+shut up--the shutters were closed, and the boys of the neighbourhood
+threw stones at the windows and broke the glass. Yet it was situated in
+a street where every other house was inhabited, and which had not been
+built many years.
+
+"It was as much as six or seven years after I had first heard of this
+house, that I happened to mention the circumstance to some gentlemen of
+my acquaintance--very eminent men, with honest, inquiring minds; truth
+seekers, who, if she were in the bottom of a well, would have thought it
+right to go after her. As they had humility enough to feel that they
+could not pronounce upon a question that they had never studied or
+investigated, they expressed a wish to visit the house. Accordingly, I
+applied to Mr. Mc. N., who had the keys in his office, and he obligingly
+consented to accompany us. Our expedition was to be kept a profound
+secret; and it was so, till some time afterwards, when, like most other
+secrets, it got wind and it spread abroad.
+
+"We started in a carriage, between eleven and twelve o'clock at night,
+taking with us a young girl who was easily mesmerised, and when in that
+state a good clairvoyante. She was not told the object of our journey,
+and had no means whatever of learning it. We said we were going to look
+at a house, and that that was the most convenient time for the gentleman
+to show it us. We did not drive to the door, but Mr. Mc. N. met us in
+the next street, where we alighted, lest we should attract observation.
+We walked to our destination, and Mr. Mc. N. explained to the policeman
+on duty who he was and where we were going, lest he should suspect
+mischief, and interrupt us. He then unlocked the door with the aid of
+the policeman's lantern, for it was a dark winter's night; and on
+entering, we found ourselves in a narrow passage.
+
+"It was a small house, in no respect different from the others in the
+street. They seemed all of the same description. A narrow frontage, with
+one window and the door, on the ground floor; two windows above; two
+rooms on a floor, three stories in height, and a kitchen, scullery, and
+cellars underground.
+
+"As soon as the door closed on us, we were in utter darkness, but we had
+provided ourselves with candles and matches, and when we had lighted
+them, we entered the back parlour, which Mr. Mc. N. had heard from the
+different inhabitants was the room in which they had met with most
+annoyance.
+
+"The clairvoyante was then put to sleep, and asked if she liked the
+house, and would recommend us to take it. She shuddered and said 'No;
+that two people had been murdered there, and we should be _troubled_.'
+We asked in which room; she answered, 'it was before this house was
+built--that another house stood there then--a very old house.' This was
+not exactly on the same ground, but the room we were in was on part of
+it. She said that it was these murdered people who would trouble us. We
+asked if she could see them, and she answered 'no.'
+
+"We then waited in silence to see if anything occurred; but nothing did,
+except a metallic sound at the door, which was ajar, like the striking
+of two pieces of iron. We all heard it, but could not say what
+occasioned it.
+
+"After a little time, some one suggested that we should extinguish the
+lights. We did so, and were then in absolute darkness. There was but one
+window in the room, and that was coated with dust, and the shutter was
+shut; besides, as I have said, it was a very dark night, and this room,
+being at the back, looked into a yard, I believe; at all events, not
+into a street.
+
+"Presently, the clairvoyante started, and exclaimed, 'Look there!' We
+saw nothing, and asked what it was.
+
+"'There!' she said. 'There again! don't you see it?'
+
+"'What?' we asked. 'The lights!' she said. 'There! Now!' These
+exclamations were made at intervals of two or three seconds.
+
+"We all said we saw nothing whatever.
+
+"'If Mrs. Crowe would take hold of my hand, I think she would see them,'
+she suggested.
+
+"I did so; and then at intervals of a few seconds, I saw thrown up,
+apparently from the floor, waves of white light, faint, but perfectly
+distinct and visible. In order that I might know whether our perceptions
+of this phenomenon were simultaneous, I desired her, without speaking,
+to press my hand each time she saw it, which she did; and each time I
+distinctly saw the wave of white light. I saw it, at these intervals, as
+long as I held her hand and we were in the dark. Nobody saw it but she
+and myself; and we did not follow up the experiment by the others taking
+her hand, which we should have done.
+
+"During this interval, another light suddenly appeared in the middle of
+the room, away from where we were standing, I saw a bright diamond of
+light, like an extremely vivid spark--only not the colour of fire; it
+was white, brilliant, and quiescent, but shed no rays. I did not mention
+this, because I wished to learn if it was visible to any body else--but
+nobody spoke of it; not even the clairvoyante. Whether she saw it or
+not, I cannot say. When the candles were re-lighted these lights were no
+longer visible. I and one of the gentlemen went over the house above and
+below, but saw nothing but the dust and desolation of a long uninhabited
+dwelling.
+
+"When we came away, and Mr. Mc. N. had locked the door, we walked to the
+carriage. I said, 'then you none of you saw the waves of light.'
+
+"'No,' said they.
+
+"'Well,' said I, 'I certainly did, and I never saw anything like it
+before. Moreover, I saw another sort of light.'
+
+"'Did you,' said Mr. Mc. N., interrupting me; 'was it a bright spark of
+light like the oxy-hydrogen light.'
+
+"'Exactly,' said I. 'I could not think what to compare it to; but that
+was it.'
+
+"I thus was certain that he had seen the same thing as myself; he had
+not spoken of it from a similar motive; he waited to have his impression
+confirmed by further testimony.
+
+"You see our results were not great, but the visit was not wholly barren
+to me. Of course, many wise people will say, I did not see the lights,
+but that they were the offspring of my excited imagination. But I beg to
+say that my imagination was by no means excited. If I had been there
+_alone_, it would have been a different affair; for though I never saw a
+ghost nor ever fancied I did, I am afraid I should have been very
+nervous. But I was in exceedingly good company, with two very clever
+men, besides the lawyer, a lady, and the clairvoyante; so that my nerves
+were perfectly composed, as I should not object to seeing any ghost in
+such agreeable society. Moreover, I did not _expect_ any result;
+because, there is very seldom any on these occasions, as ghosts appear
+we know not why; but certainly not because people wish to see them. They
+generally come when least expected and least thought of.
+
+"Mr. Mc. N., on inquiry, learnt that unaccountable lights were amongst
+the things complained of. What occasioned them and the other phenomena,
+it had certainly been the proprietor's interest for many years to
+discover; it had also been the interest of numerous tenants, who having
+taken the house for a term, found themselves obliged to leave it at a
+sacrifice. Yet, for all those years, no explanation could be found for
+the annonyances but that the house was haunted. No tradition seems
+extant to account for its evil reputation. If what the clairvoyante said
+was true, the murders must have occurred long ago.
+
+"A gentleman, an inhabitant of the same city, once mentioned to me that
+a friend of his, many years previously, when quite a young man, had one
+Sunday evening been walking alone in the fields outside this town; and
+that he met a young woman, a perfect stranger, who, on some pretence
+asked him to see her safe home. He did so; she led him to a lone farm
+house, and then inviting him to walk in, shewed him into a room and left
+him. Whilst waiting for her return, idly looking about, he found hidden
+under the table, which was covered with a cloth, a dead body. On this
+discovery, he rushed to the door; it was locked; but the window was not
+very high from the ground, and by it he escaped; terrified to such a
+degree, that he not only left the city that very evening, but hastened
+out of the country, apprehensive that he had been enticed to the house
+and shut up with the murdered man, for the purpose of throwing the guilt
+on him; and as justice was not so clear sighted, and much more
+inexorable than in these days, he feared the circumstantial evidence
+might go against him. He settled in a foreign country and finally died
+there.
+
+"Where this locality was, I don't know, except that it was in the
+environs of the city--environs which have since been covered with
+buildings; what if the house that we visited should have been erected on
+the site of that lone farm!
+
+"It may be so; at all events, this story shews how possible it is that
+some similar event might have occurred on the spot where the haunted
+house stands."
+
+In conclusion, let me once more recall to my readers that one, whose
+insight none will dispute, reminds us, in relation to this very subject,
+that "our philosophy," does not comprehend all wisdom and all truth.
+Philosophy is a good guide when she opens her eyes, but where she
+obstinately shuts them to one class of facts because she has previously
+made up her mind they cannot be genuine, she is a bad one.
+
+Professor A. told me that when he was at Goettingen, as a great favour,
+and through the interest of an influential professor there, he was
+allowed to see a book that had belonged to Faust, or Faustus, as we call
+him. It was a large volume, and the leaves were stiff and hard like
+wood. They contained his magic rites and formulas, but on the last page
+was inscribed a solemn injunction to all men, as they loved their own
+souls, not to follow in his path or practice the teaching that volume
+contained.
+
+There appears to be a mystery out of the domain--I mean the present
+domain of science; within the region of the hyper-psychical, regarding
+our relations, while in this world, with those who have past the gates,
+a belief in which is, I think, innate in human nature. This belief, in
+certain periods and places, grows rank and mischievous; at others, it is
+almost extinguished by reaction and education; but it never wholly dies;
+because, every where and in all times, circumstances have occurred to
+keep it alive, amongst individuals, which never reach the public ear.
+Now, the truth is always worth ascertaining on any subject; even this
+despised subject of ghosts, and those who have an inherent conviction
+that they themselves are spirits, temporarily clothed in flesh, feel
+that they have an especial interest in the question. We are fully aware
+that the investigation presents all sorts of difficulties, and that the
+belief is opposed to all sorts of accepted opinions; but we desire to
+ascertain the grounds of a persuasion, so nearly concerning ourselves
+which in all ages and all countries has prevailed in a greater or less
+degree, and which appears to be sustained by a vast amount of facts,
+which, however, we admit are not in a condition to be received as any
+thing beyond presumptive evidence. These facts are chiefly valuable, as
+furnishing cumulative testimony of the frequent recurrence of phenomena
+explicable by no known theory, and therefore as open to the spiritual
+hypothesis as any other. When a better is offered, supported by
+something more convincing than pointless ridicule and dogmatic
+assertion, I for one, shall be ready to entertain it. In the meanwhile,
+hoping that time may, at length, in some degree, rend the veil that
+encompasses this department of psychology, we record such experiences as
+come under our observation and are content to await their
+interpretation.
+
+
+
+
+APPENDIX.
+
+
+I have referred in the preceding pages to the loss of several letters,
+which I should have been glad to insert here.
+
+The following very interesting ones I have fortunately retained. I give
+them verbatim, only suppressing the names of the writers, as requested.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+LETTER I.
+
+
+_Aug. 18, 1854._
+
+MADAM,
+
+I have received your kind favor of the 15th, and I really feel that I
+must now apologize to you, for venturing so quickly to call in question
+the accuracy of your details. Being unaware, however, of the marvellous
+coincidence of the _two dreams_, I feel assured you at once appreciated
+the motives which alone impelled me to write.
+
+Allow me, then, to attempt a narration of the particulars referred to in
+my last, as having come under my own observation.
+
+Two intimate friends of mine (clergymen of the Church of England) and
+one of whom is unmarried, have for the last three years occupied a large
+old-fashioned house in the country. It is a very pretty place--stands
+within its own grounds--and is quite aloof from any other dwellings. It
+has long had the reputation in the neighbourhood of being haunted, in
+consequence, it is said, of a former proprietor having committed suicide
+there. The story goes thus, he was _laid out_ in a chamber which is now
+called the spare room, and is the scene of what I am about to relate. I
+may as well tell you that it was only on my last visit, some six weeks
+since, that I became at all aware of the _character_ of the mansion, for
+my friends felt so annoyed at what has taken place, that they purposely
+avoided communicating to their visitors what they thought might make
+them anything but comfortable.
+
+On that occasion there happened to be on a visit to my friend's wife, a
+lady very nearly related to him. She had the spare room assigned to her
+as a chamber, and on the very first night of her arrival was so
+terrified by what took place that she would not again sleep there
+without company.
+
+She stated that in the middle of the night she was alarmed by the most
+unearthly groanings and lamentations--the voice seemed close to her
+bedside. It was afterwards attended by a rustling noise, and she
+distinctly felt the curtains at the foot of the bed removed. Now, as my
+knowledge of what was going on could not be disputed, my friends
+admitted that it was not the _first_ time these noises had been heard,
+nay, that in two instances the apparition of a form in grave-clothes had
+been seen; the one occurring to a young gentleman of about twenty years
+of age, who happened to be visiting them, and the other to one of their
+own servants. In the former case, it appears that the young man was
+sitting rather late at night in the study reading--all the family being
+in bed--when the form emerged, apparently, from the wall dividing the
+study from the haunted chamber. It remained a short time only and then
+melted away. So great was the young man's terror that he has never been
+near the place since. The servant also described a similar appearance,
+and no one in the house who saw her terror could believe it acted.
+Independently of all this, no less than four gentlemen, two of them from
+the University, have experienced all the unearthly groanings and
+be-wailings before mentioned, and in nearly every instance the parties
+were, like myself, ignorant of the character attributed to the house.
+But I now come to my own experience.
+
+I was on a visit to my friends about twelve months since, when I met a
+gentleman who had just left the army for the church. He appeared about
+21 years of age, and there was that indescribable _something_ in his
+manner which charmed me immediately. Without any pretence to being set
+up--so to speak--in piety, there was yet _that_ in his sunny countenance
+and air of cheerfulness, which made you feel that he had been called to
+a brighter path of usefulness. I certainly very much admired him, and I
+have since learnt that he is a general favourite. On retiring to rest I
+found that he was to occupy the next room--not the study side.
+
+From a variety of causes I could not sleep--but the imaginative powers
+were not particularly aroused--my thoughts were of very prosy and
+worldly things. As near as I could recollect, about an hour after I had
+been in bed, I heard the most dreadful groans followed by exclamations
+of the most horrible kind. The voice certainly _seemed_ in the room, and
+was continued for at _least two hours_, at intervals of about ten
+minutes. It was that of a man who had committed a deadly sin which could
+never be pardoned! The agony seemed to me to be intense.
+
+Will you believe it, Madam, in spite of what I thought of my
+acquaintance of the next chamber, I ascribed it to him. I believed
+little in the supernatural, and concluded it to be some dreadful dream.
+It is astonishing the thought never struck me that a _continuous_ dream
+of such a character was scarcely possible. It did not, however, and
+despite of its unearthly character, and the apparent woe of the
+unfortunate one--the despair, as I said before, of a lost soul--I
+continued to associate it all with my neighbour next door, until the
+events which occurred at my last visit entirely upset my conviction, and
+I became at once assured I had been doing him a great injustice.
+
+Like some of the cases in the "Night Side of Nature," you will perceive
+here a great difference in the manifestations--to some it was given to
+_hear_, to others to _see_. Are you still of opinion that this results
+from what you term comparative freedom of _rapport_! Do you not think
+there _are_ times when the material may give place to the supernatural?
+I admit freely the truth of spectral illusions--I have myself
+experienced one--but knew it to be nothing more. Still, notwithstanding
+this, and my further belief in a _certain_ connection of mind and
+matter, I cannot altogether cast from me the persuasion that the
+Almighty One may _at times_ think fit to exercise a power independent of
+all rule, for the attainment of certain ends to us, perhaps, unknown.
+
+I cannot conclude without telling you that with regard to what I have
+mentioned above, nothing in the shape of _trick_ could possibly have
+been practised. Trusting I may not have trespassed too much on your
+patience, I will now remain, Madam, yours very respectfully,
+
+J. H. H.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+LETTER II.
+
+
+_Gloucestershire, June 10, 1854._
+
+MADAM,
+
+Being not long ago on a visit of some days at the house of a friend, I
+happened to meet with your work, entitled "The Night side of Nature."
+
+The title struck my imagination, and opening the book I was delighted to
+find that it treated of subjects which had long engaged my serious
+thoughts. I was much pleased to see in you such an able and earnest
+protester against the cold scepticism of the age in reference to truths
+of the highest order, and those too sustained by a body of evidence
+which in any other case would be esteemed irresistible. I must also say
+that I never met with so great a number of well authenticated facts in
+any other work as you have given us, whilst the truly catholic spirit of
+your theological reflections, was to me pecularly refreshing. I once had
+a thought of making a similar collection, that design I have however
+abandoned, the state of my health not admitting of much literary labour.
+I could relate to you many things as remarkable as any you have
+described, for the truth of which I can vouch. I will mention one of a
+most singular nature, and should you be inclined to read anything more
+from me on these matters, I shall feel a pleasure in the communication.
+Writing letters I find to be a relief from a melancholy, induced some
+two years ago by a variety of heavy afflictions, and this must be my
+apology for addressing you. But to my narrative:--
+
+Shortly after I entered the ministry, I was introduced to a gentleman of
+very superior mind who belonged to the same profession, and whom I had
+never seen equalled for the genius and eloquence which his conversation
+displayed.
+
+I became at once attached to him, and for some reason or other he
+evinced a desire to cultivate my friendship. After some months of most
+agreeable intercourse had elapsed, he was taken seriously ill, and one
+evening I was hastily summoned to his house. On my entering his chamber
+he requested that we might be left alone, and he then told me that it
+was his impression that his disease was mortal--that many supernatural
+occurrances had marked his life, which he desired might be given to the
+world when he was gone, and that he wished me to perform this office.
+Having expressed my willingness to gratify him, he commenced the chapter
+of extraordinaries. Here is one event in his remarkable history. Prior
+to his becoming a minister and when in humble circumstances, he lodged
+at the house of a tradesman at a certain sea-port town in W--s. He was
+then in perfect health. One night he retired to rest in peculiarly good
+spirits, and as his custom was (for it was then summer) he sat near the
+window and gazed for some time on the beauties of nature. He then amused
+himself for a while by humming a tune, when presently on looking towards
+the door, he saw the figure of a man enter--his dress was a blood red
+night cap, flannel jacket, and breeches. The man approached the bed (his
+countenance and walk indicating extreme illness), threw himself upon it,
+gave several groans and apparantly expired. My friend was so filled with
+horror that he lost all power of speech and motion, and remained fixed
+on his seat till morning, when he told his landlord the occurrence of
+the night, and declared that unless they could find him other apartments
+he would leave them that very day. The honest people were disinclined to
+part with him and agreed to accommodate him on the ground-floor. About
+_twelve months after this_, he went out on a market day for the purpose
+of purchasing some provisions, and when he returned, he heard that his
+old room was taken; but what was his surprise to find in the new lodger
+the very form, with the very same dress that had so terrified him a year
+before!
+
+The man was then very ill: he died in a few weeks, and the circumstances
+were without _any exception_ the same as those which my friend had
+witnessed. This is one of those cases in which it is extremely difficult
+to ascertain the design of the appearance.
+
+I should much like to know what conjecture you would form, as to the
+_modus_ and end of such a singular incident.
+
+Of the veracity of the narrator it was impossible for me to doubt. As
+this minister is still _living_ I am not at liberty to mention his
+name.
+
+Pray excuse the freedom of thus addressing you, and believe me to be
+
+    Madam, with every sentiment
+    of respect and esteem,
+    Yours, very truly,
+    Mrs. C. Crowe.      R. I. O.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+LETTER III.
+
+
+_Gloucestershire, June 21, 1854._
+
+MADAM,
+
+As I find that another communication will not be unacceptable, I proceed
+to detail a few cases. My first relates to the minister, a part of whose
+history I have given you, and belongs to the class of prophetic dreams.
+When he had resolved to study for the ministry and through the influence
+of friends, had obtained admission to a Dissenting College; as the day
+affixed for his departure drew near, he was filled with anxiety, from
+the fact that he had not even money to pay his travelling expenses.
+
+He did not like to borrow, and he had no reason to conclude that any
+one suspected the miserable state of his finances. The evening before
+his expected removal, he laid down to rest with a troubled heart. This
+was in the very same seaport where the circumstance happened which I
+have already told you. After some hours of great mental suffering sleep
+came to his relief, and in his dream there seemed to approach him one of
+a most pleasing form, who told him that he not only saw that he was in
+distress, but that he well knew the cause of it, and that if he would
+walk down on the beach to a certain place which he pointed out as in a
+picture, he would find under some loose stones enough for his present
+necessities. In the morning, accordingly, almost as soon as it was light
+he hastened to the indicated spot and to his great surprise and delight
+found a sum amounting to a trifle more than was absolutely necessary for
+his journey. I would just, in passing, remark that he said that on
+another occasion, his father who died many years before appeared to him
+with an angry countenance, and assured him that he would suffer much
+from something he had done in reference to his family, but as this was
+evidently an unpleasant and even painful topic I did not wish him to
+enlarge upon it. The other fact I shall mention, happened to my
+grandfather who was also a minister. I am well aware that it is of such
+a nature that the relation of it would in most companies excite a burst
+of laughter or at least a contemptuous and sceptical smile, but I know I
+am addressing one who has studied in a very different school of
+philosophy. It was in the large town of B--m where my grandfather
+resided for many years, that the event took place. He himself my
+grandfather, my aunts, and my mother used often to tell it to their
+friends when the conversation turned on the supernatural. I have
+probably heard it a hundred times and I am not ashamed to say that on
+the testimony of such a man as my grandfather I cannot but yield to it
+my belief.
+
+One morning when _breakfast had just commenced_, my grandfather went
+from the table, at which my grandmother also was sitting, into the
+passage, for what purpose I have now forgotten, and there he found (for
+the front door had been standing open,) a strange looking man in black,
+with a shuffling gait and a club foot. He declared that he had an
+instantaneous conviction that this was a supernatural appearance, and
+that a spirit of evil stood before him. The man in black exclaimed,
+moving towards the breakfast room, "I am come to take breakfast with you
+this morning." My grandfather convulsively seizing the handle of the
+door, said, with a stern look, "you are too late sir," to which the
+other instantly replied, "I am not too late for the remnant," and then
+rushed into the street. My grandfather followed, and to his amazement
+saw this creature at the top of the street, which was of great length,
+and in a moment or two he vanished. My grandmother heard a loud talking,
+and when my grandfather returned to the table in considerable agitation,
+she naturally wished to know what had occurred, but as she was near her
+confinement he of course concealed the matter from her. The mysterious
+words of the stranger followed him continually, and he puzzled himself
+in seeking to explain their meaning. In a few days my grandmother was
+confined. The child was dead-born and her life for some time hung in
+jeopardy. He now believed he had arrived at the solution of the
+difficulty--the infant was the "remnant" referred to.
+
+I am not the subject of remarkable dreams. I had one, however, lately,
+and I give it you because it stands connected in my mind with the
+knowledge of a singular psychical fact which I am confident will greatly
+interest you, if you have not yet fallen upon it in the course of your
+reading. About a fortnight ago I thought I saw in my sleep, a young man,
+who is assistant to our principal surgeon, come into my room, looking
+exceedingly unwell. He laid himself on the other bed in my chamber, and
+I thought that he had come there to linger out his last illness, at
+which I felt not the least surprise or objection. He seemed to be
+perfectly resigned, and presently he began to converse with me, and
+after we had talked for some time, whilst he was replying to something I
+had said, I distinctly saw his spirit rise up out of his body. He gazed
+at the corpse with the deepest interest and pleasure. One moment he
+would stand by the head and survey the face, and the next move to the
+feet, and then gaze at the entire body. He called me to come and stand
+by his side and view this lifeless frame, which I did with as much
+placidity as he seemed himself to possess, and without the slightest
+idea of their being anything absurd in what I saw. I could not,
+however, help saying "O, that I could leave my body and have such a view
+of it as you have now of yours!" I remember no more. In the morning I
+had occasion to call on a friend, who has a large library containing
+many rare books. Not being in the humour for close reading (for I spend
+many hours at a time there) I took up from a centre table a volume of a
+lighter kind. It happened to be Mrs. Child's "Letters from New York."
+Turning the leaves over carelessly, my eye lighted on a chapter headed
+"The spirit surveying its own body!" She there says that she was told by
+a pious lady, that when once in a swoon, she felt that she left the body
+and was _standing by it_ during the whole time it lasted; that she
+distinctly heard every word spoken by the doctor and her family, and saw
+every movement of their countenances, and all that was done with her
+body. I may observe that I have not heard that anything has occurred to
+the young man I saw. If I have not already tired your patience you may
+draw on my memory for something more. A line to that effect will oblige,
+
+    Yours very truly,
+    Mrs. Crowe,      R. I. O.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+LETTER IV.
+
+
+_Edinburgh, Aug. 10th._
+
+MADAM,
+
+In consequence of a long absence abroad, I never had, till recently, an
+opportunity of reading your agreeable work, "The Night side of Nature,"
+which contains a mass of evidence in favour of your theories, to which I
+take the liberty of adding a few cases from my own experience.
+
+Many years ago I lived in a house in Edinburgh, which belonged to my
+mother's relatives, and in which my maternal grandfather had died,
+several years antecedent to my own birth. The room in which I slept was
+that (but at the time unknown to me) in which my relative had expired.
+There were two beds in the room--one a large four-poster and the other a
+sort of couch. The latter was next the door, and both lay between it and
+the window, which was barred and bolted, and opposite to them was the
+fireplace, with rather a high mantlepiece. Being summer, the "board" was
+on the chimney. It was about eleven o'clock at night; the rest of the
+family had retired to rest. As there were only about two inches of
+candle left, I placed the candlestick on the mantlepiece, intending to
+allow it to burn out, and went to my bed, which was on the couch. I had
+just lain down, and was looking towards the candle, when, to my extreme
+horror, I perceived a tall old man in his night dress, standing by the
+mantlepiece. His sight seemed impaired, for he put forth his hand _and
+felt for something_, and then moved across the fireplace, in doing
+which, _he obscured the light on passing it_. My gaze was riveted on
+him. He then turned towards the large bed on my left, and stretching out
+his hands attempted with a feeble effort to lay himself down, and in
+doing so I heard him _sigh_ distinctly. He disappeared almost at the
+same moment. He did not appear to have noticed me. I immediately sprang
+out of bed and opening the door on my right hand, called out loudly, but
+_never left the doorway_, as I was resolved that if the figure were that
+of a living person there should be no means of egress. On the assembling
+of the family in my room, a search was made; but there was nothing to be
+seen, and there had been no possibility of a human being having been in
+the room; the affair was put down to an _illusion_. Yet so strong an
+impression did it leave on my mind, that a few years since (1851 or 52),
+when in India, I published in "Saunder's Magazine," printed at the Delhi
+Gazette press, an account of this apparition, in a narrative, which I
+wrote called "Idone, or Incidents in the life of a dreamer," and which
+with the exception of this introductory vision, was, in reality, a
+series of actual dreams of which I had kept a record, and this I
+endeavoured to weave into a vague story, with the view of illustrating
+how a person might live _two distinct lives_!
+
+Sometime after the above were published, I read with much interest,
+"Swedenborg's Theory of the Spiritual World;" and lately when reading
+your work, I was struck with some peculiar resemblances between my own
+experience and the cases you cite.
+
+But to return to the family and house in Edinburgh, of my grandfather.
+Other members of the family have seen unaccountable figures in the same
+house. An aunt of mine and a cousin, one night, met an old woman on the
+stairs with a large bunch of keys, and were in the greatest alarm. On
+another occasion, on going to open a room which had been locked up for
+some time, in order to prepare it for the reception of my eldest uncle,
+who had just returned that night from abroad, two members of the family
+started back and locked the door again, for on entering they had both
+seen the _mattrass &c. violently heaved up_. On returning with the
+servants, nothing was visible of an unusual description. Again, two
+relatives occupied the same room, and one night, as the fire was burning
+low, after they had gone to bed (the door being locked) they were
+alarmed by a sound like wings, over their beds, and by a _dusky form_
+moving about the room. It walked up to the fireplace and seemed
+restless. When it had disappeared, they both rose and _unlocked_ the
+door, called for assistance, but, as usual, nothing of their visitor was
+to be seen. A still more remarkable incident occurred in the same house.
+As two of my aunts were sitting opposite the window, at night, they were
+startled by the apparition of an absent brother-in-law looking in, and
+with a pen in his hand. A few days afterwards the intelligence of his
+death arrived. He had been _signing his will_ at the exact time they
+had seen his apparation. My eldest uncle shortly after his return from
+abroad went to Musselburgh to visit an old school-master, and as he
+entered the yard he observed him limping into the school. He tried to
+overtake him, and on reaching the door he met one of the tutors, who
+informed him that the Dr. had been confined to his bed for some time
+with a broken leg.
+
+The same uncle, who was an officer in the army, dreamt that he had
+obtained his captaincy by the retirement of an officer of the name of
+Patterson (so far as I remember.) There was no such officer then in the
+regiment, and he mentioned it as strange that he should have dreamt of a
+_particular_ name. A few Gazettes afterwards my uncle obtained his
+promotion by an officer of _this_ name being _brought in from the
+half-pay to sell out in the same Gazette_.
+
+I have myself heard the most remarkable and unaccountable noises in my
+grandfather's house. The servants were often in the greatest terror. I
+have heard, seemingly, the whole of the furniture, in a particular room,
+thrown violently about, accompanied with the noise of something rolling
+on the floor. At other times I have distinctly heard, as it were, a
+boy's marble falling step by step down the stairs and striking against
+my door, which was at the foot of them, and yet this was at night, and
+there were no children in the house. This annoyance, with that of steps
+heard round my bed, was so common as to cease to make any impression on
+me.
+
+I may mention that my grandfather was not happy in his family relations,
+and died in an uneasy frame of mind, on Christmas eve, 1820. Since my
+family sold his house, I have never heard that its new occupants were
+disturbed.
+
+I have at different periods of my life had _groups_, as it were, of very
+remarkable allegorical dreams.
+
+It is somewhat singular that involuntary efforts may be made during
+sleep, which are I believe beyond the bounds of possibility during
+waking moments. Indeed the curious phenomena which you have so ably
+criticised, are without limit.
+
+Though you do not approve of the concealment of names, I hope you will
+excuse my asking you to do so in the present instance as many of the
+parties concerned might be displeased.
+
+    I have the honour to remain,
+    Madam,
+    Your obedient servant,
+
+    Mrs. Catherine Crowe.      H. A.
+
+"P.S. I know two remarkable instances of prophetic denunciation or the
+power of will, under, of course, the control of Providence. In one
+instance, the death of the party denounced, followed on the week
+predicted, although at the time he was well. Moreover, the denunciation
+was never mentioned to him.
+
+"In the other instance, the accomplishment of the denunciation was
+accomplished to the exact day, and under very remarkable circumstances.
+I believe this power to be _involuntary_, and more of the nature of
+inspiration."
+
+
+
+
+SECOND PART.
+
+LEGENDS OF THE EARTHBOUND.
+
+
+
+
+THE ITALIAN'S STORY.
+
+
+"How well your friend speaks English!" I remarked one day to an
+acquaintance when I was abroad, alluding to a gentleman who had just
+quitted the room. "What is his name?"
+
+"Count Francesco Ferraldi."
+
+"I suppose he has been in England?"
+
+"Oh, yes; he was exiled and taught Italian there. His history is very
+curious and would interest you, who like wonderful things."
+
+"Can you tell it me."
+
+"Not correctly, as I never heard it from himself. But I believe he has
+no objection to tell it--with the exception of the political
+transactions in which he was concerned, and which caused his being sent
+out of the Austrian dominions; that part of it I believe he thinks it
+prudent not to allude to. We'll ask him to dinner, if you'll meet him,
+and perhaps we may persuade him to tell the story."
+
+Accordingly, the meeting took place; we dined _en petit comite_,--and
+the Count very good-naturedly yielded to our request; "but you must
+excuse me," he said, "beginning a long way back for my story commences
+three hundred years ago.
+
+"Our family claims to be of great antiquity, but we were not very
+wealthy till about the latter half of the 16th century, when Count
+Jacopo Ferraldi made very considerable additions to the property; not
+only by getting, but also by saving--he was in fact a miser. Before that
+period the Ferraldis had been warriors, and we could boast of many
+distinguished deeds of arms recorded in our annals; but Jacopo, although
+by the death of his brother, he ultimately inherited the title and the
+estates, had begun life as a younger son, and being dissatisfied with
+his portion, had resolved to increase it by commerce.
+
+"Florence then was a very different city to what it is now; trade
+flourished, and its merchants had correspondence and large dealings with
+all the chief cities of Europe. My ancestor invested his little fortune
+so judiciously, or so fortunately, that he trebled it in his first
+venture; and as people grow rapidly rich who gain and don't spend, he
+soon had wealth to his heart's content--but I am wrong in using that
+term as applied to him--he was never content with his gains but still
+worked on to add to them, for he grew to love the money for itself, and
+not for what it might purchase.
+
+"At length, his two elder brothers died, and as they left no issue he
+succeeded to their inheritance, and dwelt in the palace of his
+ancestors; but instead of circulating his riches he hoarded them; and
+being too miserly to entertain his friends and neighbours, he lived like
+an anchorite in his splendid halls, exulting in his possessions but
+never enjoying them. His great pleasure and chief occupation seems to
+have been counting his money, which he kept either hidden in strange
+out-of-the-way places, or in strong iron chests, clamped to the floors
+and walls. But notwithstanding those precautions and that he guarded it
+like a watch dog, to his great dismay he one day missed a sum of two
+thousand pounds which he had concealed in an ingeniously contrived
+receptacle under the floor of his dining-room, the existence of which
+was only known to the man who made it; at least, so he believed. Small
+as was this sum in proportion to what he possessed, the shock was
+tremendous; he rushed out of his house like a madman with the intention
+of dragging the criminal to justice, but when he arrived at the man's
+shop he found him in bed and at the point of death. His friends and the
+doctor swore that he had not quitted it for a fortnight; in short,
+according to their shewing, he was taken ill on his return from working
+at the Count's, the very day he finished the job.
+
+"If this were true, he could not be the thief, as the money was not
+deposited there till some days afterwards, and although the Count had
+his doubts, it was not easy to disprove what everybody swore, more
+especially as the man died on the following day, and was buried. Baffled
+and furious, he next fell foul of his two servants--he kept but two, for
+he only inhabited a small part of the palace. There was not the smallest
+reason to suspect them, nor to suppose they knew anything of the hiding
+place, for every precaution had been used to conceal it; moreover, he
+had found it locked as he himself had locked it after depositing the
+money, and he was quite sure the key had never been absent from his own
+person. Nevertheless, he discharged them and took no others. The thief,
+whoever he was, had evinced so much ingenuity, that he trembled to think
+what such skill might compass with opportunity. So he resolved to afford
+none; and henceforth to have his meals sent in from a neighbouring
+eating-house, and to have a person once a week to sweep and clean his
+rooms, whom he could keep an eye on while it was doing. As he had no
+clue to the perpetrators of the robbery, and the man whom he had most
+reason to suspect was dead, he took no further steps in the business,
+but kept it quiet lest he should draw too much attention towards his
+secret hoards; nevertheless, though externally calm, the loss preyed
+upon his mind and caused him great anguish.
+
+"Shortly after this occurrence, he received a letter from a sister of
+his who had several years before married an Englishman, saying that her
+husband was dead, and it being advisable that her dear and only son
+should enter into commerce, that she was going to send him to Florence,
+feeling assured that her brother would advise him for the best, and
+enable him to employ the funds he brought with him advantageously.
+
+"This was not pleasing intelligence; he did not want to promote any
+body's interest but his own, and he felt that the young man would be a
+spy on his actions, an intruder in his house, and no doubt an expectant
+and greedy heir, counting the hours till he died; for this sister and
+her family were his nearest of kin, and would inherit if he left no will
+to the contrary. However, his arrival could not be prevented; letters
+travelled slowly in those days, and ere his could reach England his
+nephew would have quitted it, so he resolved to give him a cold
+reception and send him back as soon as he could.
+
+"In the mean time, the young man had started on his journey, full of
+hope and confidence, and immediately on his arrival hastened to present
+himself to this rich uncle who was to shew him the path he had himself
+followed to fortune. It was not for his own sake alone he coveted
+riches, but his mother and sister were but poorly provided for, and they
+had collected the whole of their little fortune and risked it upon this
+venture, hoping, with the aid of their relative, to be amply repaid for
+the present sacrifice.
+
+"A fine open countenanced lad was Arthur Allen, just twenty years of
+age; such a face and figure had not beamed upon those old halls for many
+a day. Well brought up and well instructed too; he spoke Italian as well
+as English, his mother having accustomed him to it from infancy.
+
+"Though he had heard his uncle was a miser, he had no conception of the
+amount to which the mania had arisen; and his joyous anticipations were
+somewhat damped when he found himself so coldly received, and when he
+looked into those hard grey eyes and contracted features that had never
+expanded with a genial smile; so fearing the old man might be
+apprehensive that he had come as an applicant for assistance to set him
+up in trade, he hastened to inform him of the true state of the case,
+saying that they had got together two thousand pounds.
+
+"'Of course, my mother,' he said, 'would not have entrusted my
+inexperience with such a sum; but she desired me to place it in your
+hands, and to act entirely under your direction.
+
+"To use the miser's own expression--for we have learnt all these
+particulars from a memoir left by himself--'When I heard these words the
+devil entered into me, and I bade the youth bring the money and dine
+with me on the following day.'
+
+"I daresay you will think the devil had entered into him long before;
+however, now he recognized his presence, but that did not deter him from
+following his counsel.
+
+"Pleased that he had so far thawed his uncle's frigidity, Arthur arrived
+the next day with his money bags at the appointed hour, and was received
+in an inner chamber; their contents were inspected and counted, and then
+placed in one of the old man's iron chests. Soon afterwards the tinkle
+of a bell announced that the waiter from the neighbouring traiteur's had
+brought the dinner, and the host left the room to see that all was
+ready. Presently he re-entered, and led his guest to the table. The
+repast was not sumptuous, but there was a bottle of old Lacryma Christi
+which he much recommended, and which the youth tasted with great
+satisfaction. But strange! He had no sooner swallowed the first glass,
+than his eyes began to stare--there was a gurgle in his throat--a
+convulsion passed over his face--and his body stiffened.
+
+"'I did not look up,' says the old man in his memoir, 'for I did not
+like to see the face of the boy that had sat down so hearty to his
+dinner, so I kept on eating mine--but I heard the gurgle, and I knew
+what had happened; and presently lest the servant should come to fetch
+the dinner things, I pushed the table aside and opened the receptacle
+from which my two thousand pounds had been stolen--curses on the thief!
+and I laid the body in it, and the wine therewith. I locked it and drove
+in two strong nails. Then I put back the table--moved away the lad's
+chair and plate, unlocked the door which was fast, and sat down to
+finish my dinner. I could not help chuckling as I ate, to think how his
+had been spoilt.
+
+"'I closed up that apartment, as I thought there might be a smell that
+would raise observation, and I selected one on the opposite side of the
+gallery for my dining-room. All went well till the following day. I
+counted my two thousand pounds again and again, and I kept gloating
+over the recovery of it--for I felt as if it was my own money, and that
+I had a right to seize it where I could. I wrote also to my sister,
+saying, that her son had not arrived; but that when he did, I would do
+my best to forward his views. My heart was light that day--they say
+that's a bad sign.
+
+"'Yes, all was so far well; but the next day we were two of us at
+dinner! And yet I had invited no guest; and the next and the next, and
+so on always! As I was about to sit down, he entered and took a chair
+opposite me, an unbidden guest. I ceased dining at home, but it made no
+difference; he came, dine where I would. This preyed upon me; I tried
+not to mind, but I could not help it. Argument was vain. I lost my
+appetite, and was reduced nearly to death's door. At last, driven to
+desperation, I consulted Fra Guiseppe. He had been a fast fellow in his
+time, and it was said had been too impatient for his father's
+succession; howbeit, the old man died suddenly; Guiseppe spent the money
+and then took to religion. I thought he was a proper person to consult,
+so I told him my case. He recommended repentance and restitution. I
+tried, but I could not repent, for I had got the money; but I thought,
+perhaps, if I parted with it to another, I might be released; so I
+looked about for an advantageous purchase, and hearing that Bartolomeo
+Malfi was in difficulties, I offered him two thousand pounds, money
+down, for his land--I knew it was worth three times the sum. We signed
+the agreement, and then I went home and opened the door of the room
+where it was; but lo! he sat there upon the chest where the money was
+fast locked, and I could not get it. I peeped in two or three times, but
+he was always there; so I was obliged to expend other moneys in this
+purchase, which vexed me, albeit the bargain was a good one. Then I
+consulted friend Guiseppe again, and he said nothing would do but
+restitution--but that was hard, so I waited; and I said to myself, I'll
+eat and care not whether he sit there or no. But woe be to him! he
+chilled the marrow of my bones, and I could not away with him; so I said
+one day, "What if I go to England with the money?" and he bowed his
+head.'
+
+"The old man accordingly took the moneybags from the chest and started
+for England. His sister and her daughter were still living in the house
+they had inhabited during the husband's lifetime; in short, it was their
+own; and being attached to the place they hoped, if the young man
+succeeded in his undertakings, to be able to keep it. It was a small
+house with a garden full of flowers, which the ladies cultivated
+themselves. The village church was close at hand, and the churchyard
+adjoined the garden. The poor ladies had become very uneasy at not
+hearing of Arthur's arrival; and when the old man presented himself and
+declared he had never seen anything of him, great was their affliction
+and dismay; for it was clear that either some misfortune had happened to
+the boy, or he had appropriated the money and gone off in some other
+direction. They scarcely admitted the possibility of the last
+contingency, although it was the one their little world universally
+adopted, in spite of his being a very well conducted and affectionate
+youth; but people said it was too great a temptation for his years, and
+blamed his mother for entrusting him with so much money. Whichever it
+was, the blow fell very heavy on them in all ways, for Arthur was their
+sole stay and support, and they loved him dearly.
+
+"Since he had set out on this journey, the old man had been relieved
+from the company of his terrible guest, and was beginning to recover
+himself a little, but it occasioned him a severe pang when he remembered
+that this immunity was to be purchased with the sacrifice of two
+thousand pounds, and he set himself to think how he could jockey the
+ghost. But while he was deliberating on this subject, an event happened
+that alarmed him for the immediate safety of the money.
+
+"He had found on the road, that the great weight of a certain chest he
+brought with him, had excited observation whenever his luggage had to be
+moved; on his arrival two labouring men had been called in to carry it
+into the house, and he had overheard some remarks that induced him to
+think they had drawn a right conclusion with regard to its contents.
+Subsequently, he saw these two men hovering about the house in a
+suspicious manner, and he was afraid to leave it or to go to sleep at
+night, lest he should be robbed.
+
+"So far we learn from Jocopo Ferraldi himself; but there the memoir
+stops. Tradition says that he was found one morning murdered in his bed
+and his chest rifled. All the family, that is the mother and daughter
+and their one servant, were accused of the murder; and notwithstanding
+their protestation of innocence were declared guilty and executed.
+
+"The memoir I have quoted was found on his dressing table, and he
+appears to have been writing it when he was surprised by the assassins;
+for the last words were--'I think I've baulked them, and nobody will
+understand the--' then comes a large blot and a mark, as if the pen had
+fallen out of his hand. It seems wonderful that this man, so suspicious
+and secretive, should thus have entrusted to paper what it was needful
+he should conceal; but the case is not singular; it has been remarked in
+similar instances, when some dark mystery is pressing on a human soul,
+that there exists an irresistible desire to communicate it,
+notwithstanding the peril of betrayal; and when no other confident can
+be found, the miserable wretch has often had recourse to paper.
+
+"The family of Arthur Allen being now extinct, a cousin of Jacopo's,
+who was a penniless soldier, succeeded to the title and estate, and the
+memoir, with a full account of what had happened, being forwarded to
+Italy, enquiries were made about the missing two thousand pounds; but it
+was not forthcoming; and it was at first supposed that the ladies had
+had some accomplice who had carried it off. Subsequently, however, one
+of the two men who had borne the money chest into the house, at the
+period of the old man's arrival, was detected in endeavouring to dispose
+of some Italian gold coin and a diamond ring, which Jacopo was in the
+habit of wearing. This led to investigation, and he ultimately confessed
+to the murder committed by himself and his companion, thus exonerating
+the unfortunate woman. He nevertheless declared that they had not rifled
+the strong box, as they could not open it, and were disturbed by the
+barking of a dog before they could search for the keys. The box itself
+they were afraid to carry away, it being a remarkable one and liable to
+attract notice; and that therefore their only booty was some loose coin
+and some jewels that were found on the old man's person. But this was
+not believed, especially as his accomplice was not to be found, and
+appeared, on enquiry, to have left that part of the country immediately
+after the catastrophe.
+
+"There the matter rested for nearly two centuries and a half. Nobody
+sorrowed for Jacopo Ferraldi, and the fate of the Allens was a matter of
+indifference to the public, who was glad to see the estate fall into the
+hands of his successor, who appears to have made a much better use of
+his riches. The family in the long period that elapsed, had many
+vicissitudes; but at the period of my birth my father inhabited the same
+old palace, and we were in tolerably affluent circumstances. I was born
+there, and I remember as a child the curiosity I used to feel about the
+room with the secret receptacle under the floor where Jacopo had buried
+the body of his guest. It had been found there and received Christian
+burial; but the receptacle still remained, and the room was shut up
+being said to be haunted. I never _saw_ anything extraordinary, but I
+can bear witness to the frightful groans and moans that issued from it
+sometimes at night, when, if I could persuade anybody to accompany me, I
+used to stand in the gallery and listen with wonder and awe. But I
+never passed the door alone, nor would any of the servants do so after
+dark. There had been an attempt made to exclude the sounds by walling up
+the door; but so far from this succeeding they became twenty times
+worse, and as the wall was a disfigurement as well as a failure, the
+unquiet spirit was placated by taking it down again.
+
+"The old man's memoir is always preserved amongst the family papers, and
+his picture still hangs in the gallery. Many strangers who have heard
+something of this extraordinary story, have asked to see it. The palace
+is now inhabited by an Austrian nobleman,--whether the ghost continues
+to annoy the inmates by his lamentations I do not know.
+
+"'I now,' said Count Francesco, 'come to my personal history. Political
+reasons a few years since obliged me to quit Italy with my family. I had
+no resources except a little ready money that I had brought with me, and
+I had resolved to utilise some musical talent which I had cultivated for
+my amusement. I had not voice enough to sing in public, but I was
+capable of giving lessons and was considered, when in Italy, a
+successful amateur. I will not weary you with the sad details of my
+early residence in England; you can imagine the difficulties that an
+unfortunate foreigner must encounter before he can establish a
+connexion. Suffice it to say that my small means were wholly exhausted,
+and that very often I, and what was worse, my wife and child were in
+want of bread, and indebted to one of my more prosperous countrymen for
+the very necessaries of life. I was almost in despair, and I do not know
+what rash thing I might have done if I had been a single man; but I had
+my family depending on me, and it was my duty not to sink under my
+difficulties however great they were.
+
+"One night I had been singing at the house of a nobleman, in St. James's
+Square, and had received some flattering compliments from a young man
+who appeared to be very fond of Italian music, and to understand it. My
+getting to this party was a stroke of good luck in the first instance,
+for I was quite unknown to the host, but Signor A. an acquaintance of
+mine, who had been engaged for the occasion, was taken ill at the last
+moment, and had sent me with a note of introduction to supply his
+place.
+
+"I knew, of course, that I should be well paid for my services, but I
+would have gladly accepted half the sum I expected if I could have had
+it that night, for our little treasury was wholly exhausted, and we had
+not sixpence to purchase a breakfast for the following day. When the
+great hall door shut upon me, and I found myself upon the pavement, with
+all that luxury and splendour on one side, and I and my desolation on
+the other, the contrast struck me cruelly, for I too had been rich, and
+dwelt in illuminated palaces, and had a train of liveried servants at my
+command, and sweet music had echoed through my halls. I felt desperate,
+and drawing my hat over my eyes I began pacing the square, forming wild
+plans for the relief or escape from my misery. No doubt I looked
+frantic; for you know we Italians have such a habit of gesticulating,
+that I believe my thoughts were accompanied by movements that must have
+excited notice; but I was too much absorbed to observe anything, till I
+was roused by a voice saying, 'Signor Ferraldi, still here this damp
+chilly night! Are you not afraid for your voice--it is worth taking care
+of.'
+
+"'To what purpose,' I said savagely, 'It will not give me bread!'
+
+"If the interruption had not been so sudden, I should not have made such
+an answer, but I was surprised into it before I knew who had addressed
+me. When I looked up I saw it was the young man I had met at Lord L.'s,
+who had complimented me on my singing. I took off my hat and begged his
+pardon, and was about to move away, when he took my arm.
+
+"'Excuse me,' he said, 'let us walk together,' and then after a little
+pause, he added, with an apology, 'I think you are an exile.'
+
+"'I am,' I said.
+
+"'And I think,' he continued, 'I have surprised you out of a secret that
+you would not voluntarily have told me. I know well the hardships that
+beset many of your countrymen--as good gentlemen as we are
+ourselves--when you are obliged to leave your country; and I beg
+therefore you will not think me impertinent or intrusive, if I beg you
+to be frank with me and tell me how you are situated!'
+
+"This offer of sympathy was evidently so sincere, and it was so welcome,
+at such a moment, that I did not hesitate to comply with my new friend's
+request--I told him everything--adding that in time I hoped to get
+known, and that then I did not fear being able to make my way; but that
+meanwhile we were in danger of starving.
+
+"During this conversation we were walking round and round the square,
+where in fact he lived. Before we parted at his own door, he had
+persuaded me to accept of a gift, I call it, for he had then no reason
+to suppose I should ever be able to repay him, but he called it an
+advance of ten guineas upon some lessons I was to give him; the first
+instalment of which was to be paid the following day.
+
+"I went home with a comparitively light heart, and the next morning
+waited on my friendly pupil, whom I found, as I expected, a very
+promising scholar. He told me with a charming frankness, that he had not
+much influence in fashionable society, for his family, though rich, was
+_parvenue_, but he said he had two sisters, as fond of music as himself,
+who would be shortly in London, and would be delighted to take lessons,
+as I had just the voice they liked to sing with them.
+
+"This was the first auspicious incident that had occurred to me, nor did
+the omen fail in its fulfilment. I received great kindness from the
+family when they came to London. I gave them lessons, sung at their
+parties, and they took every opportunity of recommending me to their
+friends.
+
+"When the end of the season approached, however, I felt somewhat anxious
+about the future--there would be no parties to sing at, and my pupils
+would all be leaving town; but my new friends, whose name, by the way,
+was Greathead, had a plan for me in their heads, which they strongly
+recommended me to follow. They said they had a house in the country with
+a large neighbourhood--in fact, near a large watering-place; and that if
+I went there during the summer months, they did not doubt my getting
+plenty of teaching; adding, 'We are much greater people there than we
+are here, you see; and our recommendation will go a great way.'
+
+"I followed my friend's advice, and soon after they left London, I
+joined them at Salton, which was the name of their place. As I had left
+my wife and children in town, with very little money, I was anxious that
+they should join me as soon as possible; and therefore the morning after
+my arrival, I proceeded to look for a lodging at S., and to take
+measures to make my object known to the residents and visitors there.
+My business done, I sent my family directions for their journey, and
+then returned to Salton to spend a few days, as I had promised my kind
+patrons.
+
+"The house was modern, in fact it had been built by Mr. Greathead's
+grandfather, who was the architect of their fortunes; the grounds were
+extensive, and the windows looked on a fine lawn, a picturesque ruin, a
+sparkling rivulet, and a charming flower-garden; there could not be a
+prettier view than that we enjoyed while sitting at breakfast. It was my
+first experience of the lovely and graceful English homes, and it fully
+realised all my expectations, both within doors and without. After
+breakfast Mr. Greathead and his son asked me to accompany them round the
+grounds, as they were contemplating some alterations.
+
+"'Among other things,' said Mr. G., 'we want to turn this rivulet; but
+my wife has a particular fancy for that old hedge, which is exactly in
+the way, and she won't let me root it up.'
+
+"The hedge alluded to enclosed two sides of the flower-garden, but
+seemed rather out of place, I thought.
+
+"'Why?' said I. 'What is Mrs. Greathead's attachment to the hedge?'
+
+"'Why? it's very old; it formerly bordered the churchyard, for that old
+ruin you see there, is all that remains of the parish church; and this
+flower-garden, I fancy, is all the more brilliant for the rich soil of
+the burial-ground. But what is remarkable is, that the hedge and that
+side of the garden are full of Italian flowers, and always have been so
+as long as anybody can remember. Nobody knows how it happens, but they
+must spring up from some old seeds that have been long in the ground.
+Look at this cyclamen growing wild in the hedge.'
+
+"The subject of the alterations was renewed at dinner, and Mrs.
+Greathead, still objecting to the removal of the hedge, her younger son,
+whose name was Harry, said, 'It is very well for mamma to pretend it is
+for the sake of the flowers, but I am quite sure that the real reason is
+that she is afraid of offending the ghost.'
+
+"'What nonsence, Harry,' she said. 'You must not believe him, Mr.
+Ferraldi.'
+
+"'Well mamma,' said the boy, 'you know you will never be convinced that
+that was not a ghost you saw.'
+
+"'Never mind what it was,' she said; 'I won't have the hedge removed.
+Presently,' she added, 'I suppose you would laugh at the idea of anybody
+believing in a ghost, Mr. Ferraldi.'
+
+"'Quite the contrary,' I answered; 'I believe in them myself, and upon
+very good grounds, for we have a celebrated ghost in our family.'
+
+"'Well,' she said, 'Mr. Greathead and the boys laugh at me; but when I
+came to live here, upon the death of Mr. Greathead's grandfather,--for
+his father never inhabited the place, having died by an accident before
+the old gentleman,--I had never heard a word of the place being haunted;
+and, perhaps, I should not have believed it if I had. But, one evening,
+when the younger children were gone to bed, and Mr. Greathead and George
+were sitting with some friends in the dining-room, I, and my sister, who
+was staying with me, strolled into the garden. It was in the month of
+August, and a bright starlight night. We were talking on a very
+interesting matter, for my sister had that day, received an offer from
+the gentleman she afterwards married. I mention that, to show you that
+we were not thinking of anything supernatural, but, on the contrary,
+that our minds were quite absorbed with the subject we were discussing.
+I was looking on the ground, as one often does, when listening intently
+to what another person is saying; my sister was speaking, when she
+suddenly stopped, and laid her hand on my arm, saying, 'Who's that?'
+
+"'I raised my eyes and saw, not many yards from us, an old man, withered
+and thin, dressed in a curious antique fashion, with a high peaked hat
+on his head. I could not conceive who he could be, or what he could be
+doing there, for it was close to the flower-garden; so we stood still to
+observe him. I don't know whether you saw the remains of an old
+tombstone in a corner of the garden? It is said to be that of a former
+rector of the parish; the date, 1550, is still legible upon it. The old
+man walked from one side of the hedge to that stone, and seemed to be
+counting his steps. He walked like a person pacing the ground, to
+measure it; then he stopped, and appeared to be noting the result of
+his measurement with a pencil and paper he held in his hand; then he did
+the same thing, the other side of the hedge, pacing up to the tombstone
+and back.
+
+"'There was a talk, at that time, of removing the hedge, and digging up
+the old tombstone; and it occurred to me, that my husband might have
+been speaking to somebody about it, and that this man might be concerned
+in the business, though, still, his dress and appearance puzzled me. It
+seemed odd, too, that he took no notice of us; and I might have
+remarked, that we heard no footsteps, though we were quite close enough
+to do so; but these circumstances did not strike me then. However, I was
+just going to advance, and ask him what he was doing? when I felt my
+sister's hand relax the hold she had of my arm, and she sank to the
+ground; at the same instant I lost sight of the mysterious old man, who
+suddenly disappeared.
+
+"'My sister had not fainted; but she said her knees had bent under her,
+and she had slipt down, collapsed by terror. I did not feel very
+comfortable myself, I assure you; but I lifted her up, and we hastened
+back to the house and told what we had seen. The gentlemen went out,
+and, of course, saw nothing, and laughed at us; but shortly afterwards,
+when Harry was born, I had a nurse from the village, and she asked me
+one day, if I had ever happened to see "the old gentleman that walks!" I
+had ceased to think of the circumstance, and inquired what old gentleman
+she meant? and then she told me that, long ago, a foreign gentleman had
+been murdered here; that is, in the old house that Mr. Greathead's
+grandfather pulled down when he built this; and that, ever since, the
+place has been haunted, and that nobody will pass by the hedge, and the
+old tombstone after dark; for that is the spot to which the ghost
+confines himself.'
+
+"'But I should think,' said I, 'that so far from desiring to preserve
+these objects, you would rather wish them removed, since the ghost
+would, probably, cease to visit the spot at all.'
+
+"'Quite the contrary,' answered Mrs. G. 'The people of the neighbourhood
+say, that the former possessor of the place entertained the same idea,
+and had resolved to remove them; but that then, the old man became very
+troublesome, and was even seen in the house; the nurse positively
+assured me, that her mother had told her, old Mr. Greathead had also
+intended to remove them; but that he quite suddenly counter-ordered the
+directions he had given, and, though he did not confess to anything of
+the sort, the people all believed that he had seen the ghost. Certain,
+it is, that this hedge has always been maintained by the proprietors of
+the place.'
+
+"The young men laughed and quizzed their mother for indulging in such
+superstitions; but the lady was quite firm in her opposition, alledging,
+that independently of all considerations connected with the ghost, she
+liked the hedge on account of the wild Italian flowers; and she liked
+the old tombstone on account of its antiquity.
+
+"Consequently, some other plan was devised for Mr. Greathead's
+alterations, which led the course of the rivulet quite clear of the
+hedge and the tombstone.
+
+"In a few days, my family arrived, and I established myself at S., for
+the summer. The speculation answered very well, and through the
+recommendations of Mr. and Mrs. Greathead, and their personal kindness
+to myself and my wife, we passed the time very pleasantly. When the
+period for our returning to London approached, they invited us to spend
+a fortnight with them before our departure, and, accordingly, the day we
+gave up our lodgings, we removed to Salton.
+
+"Preparations for turning the rivulet had then commenced; and soon after
+my arrival, I walked out with Mr. Greathead to see the works. There was
+a boy, about fourteen, amongst the labourers; and while we were standing
+close to him, he picked up something, and handed it to Mr. G., saying,
+'Is this yours, sir?' which, on examination, proved to be a gold coin of
+the sixteenth century,--the date on it was 1545. Presently, the boy who
+was digging, picked up another, and then several more.
+
+"'This becomes interesting,' said Mr. Greathead, 'I think we are coming
+upon some buried treasure;' and he whispered to me, that he had better
+not leave the spot.
+
+"Accordingly, he did stay, till it was time to dress for dinner; and,
+feeling interested, I remained also. In the interval, many more coins
+were found; and when he went in, he dismissed the workmen, and sent a
+servant to watch the place,--for he saw by their faces, that if he had
+not happened to be present he would, probably, never have heard of the
+circumstance. A few more turned up the following day, and then the store
+seemed exhausted. When the villagers heard of this money being
+discovered, they all looked upon it as the explanation of the old
+gentleman haunting that particular spot. No doubt he had buried the
+money, and it remained to be seen, whether now, that it was found, his
+spirit would be at rest.
+
+"My two children were with me at Salton on this occasion. They slept in
+a room on the third floor, and one morning, my wife having told me that
+the younger of the two seemed unwell, I went up stairs to look at her.
+It was a cheerful room, with two little white beds in it, and several
+old prints and samplers, and bits of work such as you see in nurseries,
+framed and hung against the wall. After I had spoken to the child, and
+while my wife was talking to the maid, I stood with my hands in my
+pockets, idly looking at these things. Amongst them was one that
+arrested my attention, because at first I could not understand it, nor
+see why this discoloured parchment, with a few lines and dots on it,
+should have been framed and glazed. There were some words here and there
+which I could not decipher; so I lifted the frame off the nail and
+carried it to the window. Then I saw that the words were Italian,
+written in a crabbed, old-fashioned hand, and the whole seemed to be a
+plan, or sketch, rudely drawn, of what I at first thought was a
+camp--but, on closer examination, I saw was part of a churchyard, with
+tomb stones, from one of which lines were drawn to various dots, and
+along these lines were numbers, and here and there a word as _right_,
+_left_, &c. There were also two lines forming a right angle, which
+intersected the whole, and after contemplating the thing for some time,
+it struck me that it was a rude sort of map of the old churchyard and
+the hedge, which had formed the subject of conversation some days
+before.
+
+"At breakfast, I mentioned what I had observed to Mr. and Mrs.
+Greathead, and they said they believed it was; it had been found when
+the old house was pulled down, and was kept on account of its
+antiquity.
+
+"'Of what period is it,' I asked, 'and how happens it to have been made
+by an Italian?'
+
+"'The last question I can't answer,' said Mr. Greathead; 'but the date
+is on it, I believe.'
+
+"'No,' said I, 'I examined it particularly--there is no date.'
+
+"'Oh, there is a date and name, I think--but I never examined it
+myself;' and to settle the question he desired his son Harry to run up
+and fetch it, adding, 'you know Italian architects and designers of
+various kinds, were not rare in this country a few centuries ago.'
+
+"Harry brought the frame, and we were confirmed in our conjectures of
+what it represented, but we could find no date or name.
+
+"'And yet I think I've heard there was one,' said Mr. Greathead. 'Let us
+take it out of the frame?'
+
+"This was easily done, and we found the date and the name; the count
+paused, and then added, 'I dare say you can guess it?'
+
+"'Jacopo Ferraldi?' I said.
+
+"'It was,' he answered; and it immediately occurred to me that he had
+buried the money supposed to have been stolen on the night he was
+murdered, and that this was a plan to guide him in finding it again. So
+I told Mr. Greathead the story I have now told you, and mentioned my
+reasons for supposing that if I was correct in my surmise, more gold
+would be found.
+
+"With the old man's map as our guide, we immediately set to work--the
+whole family vigorously joining in the search; and, as I expected, we
+found that the tombstone in the garden was the point from which all the
+lines were drawn, and that the dots indicated where the money lay. It
+was in different heaps, and appeared to have been enclosed in bags,
+which had rotted away with time. We found the whole sum mentioned in the
+memoir, and Mr. Greathead being lord of the manor, was generous enough
+to make it all over to me, as being the lawful heir, which, however, I
+certainly was not, for it was the spoil of a murderer and a thief, and
+it properly belonged to the Allens. But that family had become extinct;
+at least, so we believed, when the two unfortunate ladies were executed,
+and I accepted the gift with much gratitude and a quiet conscience. It
+relieved us from our pressing difficulties, and enabled me to wait for
+better times.
+
+"'And,' said I, 'how of the ghost? was he pleased or otherwise, by the
+_denouement_?'
+
+"'I cannot say,' replied the count; 'I have not heard of his being seen
+since; I understand, however, that the villagers, who understand these
+things better than we do, say, that they should not be surprised if he
+allowed the hedge and tombstone to be removed now without opposition;
+but Mr. Greathead, on the contrary, wished to retain them as mementoes
+of these curious circumstances.'"
+
+
+
+
+THE DUTCH OFFICER'S STORY.
+
+
+"Well, I think nothing can be so cowardly as to be afraid to own the
+truth?" said the pretty Madame de B., an Englishwoman, who had married a
+Dutch officer of distinction.
+
+"Are you really venturing to accuse the General of cowardice?" said
+Madame L.
+
+"Yes," said Madame de B., "I want him to tell Mrs. Crowe a ghost
+story--a thing that he saw himself--and he pooh, poohs it, though he
+owned it to me before we were married, and since too, saying that he
+never could have believed such a thing if he had not seen it himself."
+
+While the wife was making this little _tirade_, the husband looked as if
+she was accusing him of picking somebody's pocket--_il perdait
+contenance_ quite. "Now, look at him," she said, "don't you see guilt in
+his face, Mrs. Crowe?"
+
+"Decidedly," I answered; "so experienced a seeker of ghost stories as
+myself cannot fail to recognise the symptoms. I always find that when
+the circumstances is mere hearsay, and happened to nobody knows who,
+people are very ready to tell it; when it has happened to one of their
+own family, they are considerably less communicative, and will only tell
+it under protest; but when they are themselves the parties concerned, it
+is the most difficult thing imaginable to induce them to relate the
+thing seriously, and with its details; they say they have forgotten it,
+and don't believe it; and as an evidence of their incredulity, they
+affect to laugh at the whole affair. If the General will tell me the
+story, I shall think it quite as decisive a proof of courage as he ever
+gave in the field."
+
+Betwixt bantering and persuasion, we succeeded in our object, and the
+General began as follows:--
+
+"You know the Belgian Rebellion (he always called it so) took place in
+1830. It broke out at Brussels on the 28th of August, and we immediately
+advanced with a considerable force to attack that city; but as the
+Prince of Orange hoped to bring the people to reason, without bloodshed,
+we encamped at Vilvorde, whilst he entered Brussels alone, to hold a
+conference with the armed people. I was a Lieutenant-Colonel then, and
+commanded the 20th foot, to which regiment I had been lately appointed.
+
+"We had been three or four days in cantonment, when I heard two of the
+men, who were digging a little drain at the back of my tent, talking of
+Jokel Falck, a private in my regiment, who was noted for his
+extraordinary disposition to somnolence, one of them remarked that he
+would certainly have got into trouble for being asleep on his post the
+previous night, if it had not been for Mungo. 'I don't know how many
+times he has saved him,' added he.
+
+"To which the other answered, that Mungo was a very valuable friend, and
+had saved many a man from punishment.
+
+"This was the first time I had ever heard of Mungo, and I rather
+wondered who it was they alluded to; but the conversation slipt from my
+mind and I never thought of asking any body.
+
+"Shortly after this I was going my rounds, being field-officer of the
+day, when I saw by the moonlight, the sentry at one of the outposts
+stretched upon the ground. I was some way off when I first perceived
+him; and I only knew what the object was from the situation, and because
+I saw the glitter of his accoutrements; but almost at the same moment
+that I discovered him, I observed a large black Newfoundland dog
+trotting towards him. The man rose as the dog approached, and had got
+upon his legs before I reached the spot. This occupied the space of
+about two minutes--perhaps, not so much.
+
+"'You were asleep on your post,' I said; and turning to the mounted
+orderly that attended me, I told him to go back and bring a file of the
+guard to take him prisoner, and to send a sentry to relieve him.
+
+"'Non, mon colonel,' said he, and from the way he spoke I perceived he
+was intoxicated, 'it's all the fault of that _damne_ Mungo. Il m'a
+manque.'
+
+"But I paid no attention to what he said and rode on, concluding _Mungo_
+was some slang term of the men for drink.
+
+"Some evenings after this, I was riding back from my brother's
+quarter--he was in the 15th, and was stationed about a mile from
+us--when I remarked the same dog I had seen before, trot up to a sentry
+who, with his legs crossed, was leaning against a wall. The man started,
+and began walking backwards and forwards on his beat. I recognised the
+dog by a large white streak on his side--all the rest of his coat being
+black.
+
+"When I came up to the man, I saw it was Jokel Falck, and although I
+could not have said he was asleep, I strongly suspected that that was
+the fact.
+
+"'You had better take care of yourself, my man,' said I. 'I have half a
+mind to have you relieved, and make a prisoner of you. I believe I
+should have found you asleep on your post, if that dog had not roused
+you.'
+
+"Instead of looking penitent, as was usual on these occasions, I saw a
+half smile on the man's face, as he saluted me.
+
+"'Whose dog is that?' I asked my servant, as I rode away.
+
+"'Je ne sais pas mon, Colonel,' he answered, smiling too.
+
+"On the same evening at mess, I heard one of the subalterns say to the
+officer who sat next him, 'It's a fact, I assure you, and they call him
+Mungo.'
+
+"'That's a new name they've got for Schnapps, isn't it?' I said.
+
+"'No, sir; it's the name of a dog,' replied the young man, laughing.
+
+"'A black Newfoundland, with a large white streak on his flank?'
+
+"'Yes, sir, I believe that is the description,' replied he, tittering
+still.
+
+"'I have seen that dog two or three times,' said I. 'I saw him this
+evening--who does he belong to?'
+
+"'Well, sir, that is a difficult question,' answered the lad; and I
+heard his companion say, 'To Old Nick, I should think.'
+
+"'Do you mean to say you've really seen Mungo?' said somebody at the
+table.
+
+"'If Mungo is a large Newfoundland--black, with a white streak on its
+side--I saw him just now. Who does he belong to?'
+
+"By this time, the whole mess table was in a titter, with the exception
+of one old captain, a man who had been years in the regiment. He was of
+very humble extraction, and had risen by merit to his present position.
+
+"'I believe Captain T. is better acquainted with Mungo than anybody
+present,' answered Major R., with a sneer. 'Perhaps he can tell you who
+he belongs to.'
+
+"The laughter increased, and I saw there was some joke, but not
+understanding what it meant, I said to Captain G., 'Does the dog belong
+to Jokel Falck?'
+
+"'No, sir,' he replied, 'the dog belongs to nobody now. He once belonged
+to an officer called Joseph Atveld.'
+
+"'Belonging to this regiment?'
+
+"'Yes, sir.'
+
+"'He is dead, I suppose?'
+
+"'Yes, sir, he is.'
+
+"'And the dog has attached himself to the regiment?'
+
+"'Yes, sir.'
+
+"During this conversation, the suppressed laughter continued, and every
+eye was fixed on Captain T., who answered me shortly, but with the
+utmost gravity.
+
+"'In fact,' said the major, contemptuously, 'according to Captain T.,
+Mungo is the ghost of a deceased dog.'
+
+"This announcement was received with shouts of laughter, in which I
+confess I joined, whilst Captain T. still retained an unmoved gravity.
+
+"'It is easier to laugh at such a thing than to believe it, sir,' said
+he. '_I_ believe it, because I know it.'
+
+"I smiled, and turned the conversation.
+
+"If anybody at the table except Captain T. had made such an assertion as
+this, I should have ridiculed them without mercy; but he was an old man,
+and from the circumstances I have mentioned regarding his origin, we
+were careful not to offend him; so no more was said about Mungo, and in
+the hurry of events that followed. I never thought of it again. We
+marched on to Brussels the next day; and after that, had enough to do
+till we went to Antwerp, where we were besieged by the French the
+following year.
+
+"During the siege, I sometimes heard the name of Mungo again; and, one
+night, when I was visiting the guards and sentries as grand rounds, I
+caught a glimpse of him, and I felt sure that the man he was approaching
+when I observed him, had been asleep; but he was screened by an angle of
+the bastion, and by the time I turned the corner, he was moving about.
+
+"This brought to my mind all I had heard about the dog; and as the
+circumstance was curious, in any point of view, I mentioned what I had
+seen to Captain T. the next day, saying, 'I saw your friend Mungo, last
+night.'
+
+"'Did you, sir?' said he. 'It's a strange thing! No doubt, the man was
+asleep!'
+
+"'But do you seriously mean to say, that you believe this to be a
+visionary dog, and not a dog of flesh and blood?'
+
+"'I do, sir; I have been quizzed enough about it; and, once or twice,
+have nearly got into a quarrel, because people will persist in laughing
+at what they know nothing about; but as sure as that is a sword you hold
+in your hand, so sure is that dog a spectre, or ghost--if such a word is
+applicable to a fourfooted beast!'
+
+"'But, it's impossible!' I said. 'What reason have you for such an
+extraordinary belief?'
+
+"'Why, you know, sir, man-and-boy, I have been in the regiment all my
+life. I was born in it. My father was pay-serjeant of No. 3 company,
+when he died; and I have seen Mungo myself, perhaps twenty times, and
+known, positively, of others seeing him twice as many more.'
+
+"'Very possibly; but that is no proof, that it is not some dog that has
+attached himself to the regiment.'
+
+"'But I have seen and heard of the dog for fifty years, sir; and my
+father before me, had seen and heard of him as long!'
+
+"'Well, certainly, that is extraordinary,--if you are sure of it, and
+that it's the same dog!'
+
+"'It's a remarkable dog, sir. You won't see another like it with that
+large white streak on his flank. He won't let one of our sentries be
+found asleep, if he can help; unless, indeed, the fellow is drunk. He
+seems to have less care of drunkards, but Mungo has saved many a man
+from punishment. I was once, not a little indebted to him myself. My
+sister was married out of the regiment, and we had had a bit of a
+festivity, and drank rather too freely at the wedding, so that when I
+mounted guard that night--I wasn't to say, drunk, but my head was a
+little gone, or so; and I should have been caught nodding; but Mungo,
+knowing, I suppose, that I was not an habitual drunkard, woke me just
+in time.'
+
+"'How did he wake you?' I asked.
+
+"'I was roused by a short, sharp bark, that sounded close to my ears. I
+started up, and had just time to catch a glimpse of Mungo before he
+vanished!'
+
+"'Is that the way he always wakes the men?'
+
+"'So they say; and, as they wake, he disappears.'
+
+"I recollected now, that on each occasion when I had observed the dog, I
+had, somehow, lost sight of him in an instant; and, my curiosity being
+awakened, I asked Captain T., if ours were the only men he took charge
+of, or, whether he showed the same attention to those of other
+regiments?
+
+"'Only the 20th, sir; the tradition is, that after the battle of
+Fontenoy, a large black mastiff was found lying beside a dead officer.
+Although he had a dreadful wound from a sabre cut on his flank, and was
+much exhausted from loss of blood, he would not leave the body; and even
+after we buried it, he could not be enticed from the spot. The men,
+interested by the fidelity and attachment of the animal, bound up his
+wounds, and fed and tended him; and he became the dog of the regiment.
+It is said, that they had taught him to go his rounds before the guards
+and sentries were visited, and to wake any men that slept. How this may
+be, I cannot say; but he remained with the regiment till his death, and
+was buried with all the respect they could show him. Since that, he has
+shown his gratitude in the way I tell you, and of which you have seen
+some instances.'
+
+"'I suppose the white streak is the mark of the sabre cut. I wonder you
+never fired at him.'
+
+"'God forbid sir, I should do such a thing,' said Captain T., looking
+sharp round at me. 'It's said that a man did so once, and that he never
+had any luck afterwards; that may be a superstition, but I confess I
+wouldn't take a good deal to do it.'
+
+"'If, as you believe, it's a spectre, it could not be hurt, you know; I
+imagine ghostly dogs are impervious to bullets.'
+
+"'No doubt, sir; but I shouldn't like to try the experiment. Besides,
+it would be useless, as I am convinced already.'
+
+"I pondered a good deal upon this conversation with the old captain. I
+had never for a moment entertained the idea that such a thing was
+possible. I should have as much expected to meet the minotaur or a
+flying dragon as a ghost of any sort, especially the ghost of a dog; but
+the evidence here was certainly startling. I had never observed anything
+like weakness and credulity about T.; moreover, he was a man of known
+courage, and very much respected in the regiment. In short, so much had
+his earnestness on the subject staggered me, that I resolved whenever it
+was my turn to visit the guards and sentries, that I would carry a
+pistol with me ready primed and loaded, in order to settle the question.
+If T. was right, there would be an interesting fact established, and no
+harm done; if, as I could not help suspecting, it was a cunning trick of
+the men, who had trained this dog to wake them, while they kept up the
+farce of the spectre, the animal would be well out of the way; since
+their reliance on him no doubt led them to give way to drowsiness when
+they would otherwise have struggled against it; indeed, though none of
+our men had been detected--thanks, perhaps, to Mungo--there had been so
+much negligence lately in the garrison that the general had issued very
+severe orders on the subject.
+
+"However, I carried my pistol in vain; I did not happen to fall in with
+Mungo; and some time afterwards, on hearing the thing alluded to at the
+mess-table, I mentioned what I had done, adding, 'Mungo is too knowing,
+I fancy, to run the risk of getting a bullet in him.'
+
+"'Well,' said Major R., 'I should like to have a shot at him, I confess.
+If I thought I had any chance of seeing him, I'd certainly try it; but
+I've never seen him at all.'
+
+"'Your best chance,' said another, 'is when Jokel Falck is on duty. He
+is such a sleepy scoundrel, that the men say if it was not for Mungo
+he'd pass half his time in the guard house.'
+
+"'If I could catch him I'd put an ounce of lead into him; that he may
+rely on.'
+
+"'Into Jokel Falck, sir?' said one of the subs, laughing.
+
+"'No, sir,' replied Major R.; 'into Mungo--and I'll do it, too.'
+
+"'Better not, sir,' said Captain T., gravely; provoking thereby a
+general titter round the table.
+
+"Shortly after this, as I was one night going to my quarter, I saw a
+mounted orderly ride in and call out a file of the guard to take a
+prisoner.
+
+"'What's the matter?' I asked.
+
+"'One of the sentries asleep on his post, sir; I believe it's Jokel
+Falck.'
+
+"'It will be the last time, whoever it is,' I said; 'for the general is
+determined to shoot the next man that's caught.'
+
+"'I should have thought Mungo had stood Jokel Falck's friend, so often
+that he'd never have allowed him to be caught,' said the adjutant.
+'Mungo has neglected his duty.'
+
+"'No, sir,' said the orderly, gravely. 'Mungo would have waked him, but
+Major R. shot at him.'
+
+"'And killed him,' I said.
+
+"The man made no answer, but touched his cap and rode away.
+
+"I heard no more of the affair that night; but the next morning, at a
+very early hour, my servant woke me, saying that Major R. wished to
+speak to me. I desired he should be admitted, and the moment he entered
+the room, I saw by his countenance that something serious had occurred;
+of course, I thought the enemy had gained some unexpected advantage
+during the night, and sat up in bed inquiring eagerly what had happened.
+
+"To my surprise he pulled out his pocket-handkerchief and burst into
+tears. He had married a native of Antwerp, and his wife was in the city
+at this time. The first thing that occurred to me was, that she had met
+with some accident, and I mentioned her name.
+
+"'No, no,' he said; 'my son, my boy, my poor Fritz!'
+
+"'You know that in our service, every officer first enters his regiment
+as a private soldier, and for a certain space of time does all the
+duties of that position. The major's son, Fritz, was thus in his
+noviciate. I concluded he had been killed by a stray shot, and for a
+minute or two I remained in this persuasion, the major's speech being
+choked by his sobs. The first words he uttered were--
+
+"'Would to God I had taken Captain T.'s advice!'
+
+"'About what?' I said. 'What has happened to Fritz?'
+
+"'You know,' said he, 'yesterday I was field officer of the day; and
+when I was going my rounds last night, I happened to ask my orderly, who
+was assisting to put on my sash, what men we had told off for the guard.
+Amongst others, he named Jokel Falck, and remembering the conversation
+the other day at the mess table, I took one of my pistols out of the
+holster, and, after loading, put it in my pocket. I did not expect to
+see the dog, for I had never seen him; but as I had no doubt that the
+story of the spectre was some dodge of the men, I determined if ever I
+did, to have a shot at him. As I was going through the Place de Meyer, I
+fell in with the general, who joined me, and we rode on together,
+talking of the siege. I had forgotten all about the dog, but when we
+came to the rampart, above the Bastion du Matte, I suddenly saw exactly
+such an animal as the one described, trotting beneath us. I knew there
+must be a sentry immediately below where we rode, though I could not see
+him, and I had no doubt that the animal was making towards him; so
+without saying a word, I drew out my pistol and fired, at the same
+moment jumping off my horse, in order to look over the bastion, and get
+a sight of the man. Without comprehending what I was about, the general
+did the same, and there we saw the sentry lying on his face, fast
+asleep.'
+
+"'And the body of the dog?' said I.
+
+"'Nowhere to be seen,' he answered, 'and yet I must have hit him--I
+fired bang into him. The general says it must have been a delusion, for
+he was looking exactly in the same direction, and saw no dog at all--but
+I am certain I saw him, so did the orderly.'
+
+"'But Fritz?' I said.
+
+"'It was Fritz--Fritz was the sentry,' said the major, with a fresh
+burst of grief. The court-martial sits this morning, and my boy will be
+shot, unless interest can be made with the general to grant him a
+pardon.'
+
+"I rose and drest myself immediately, but with little hope of success.
+Poor Fritz being the son of an officer, was against him rather than
+otherwise--it would have been considered an act of favouritism to spare
+him. He was shot; his poor mother died of a broken heart, and the major
+left the service immediately after the surrender of the city."
+
+"And have you ever seen Mungo again?" said I.
+
+"No," he replied; "but I have heard of others seeing him."
+
+"And are you convinced that it was a spectre, and not a dog of flesh and
+blood?"
+
+"I fancy I was then--but, of course, one can't believe--"
+
+"Oh, no;" I rejoined; "Oh, no; never mind facts, if they don't fit into
+our theories."
+
+
+
+
+THE OLD FRENCH GENTLEMAN'S STORY.
+
+
+I spent the summer of fifty-six at Dieppe--a charming watering-place for
+those who can bear an exciting air, and are not very particular about
+what they eat. Dieppe, as travellers see it who are hurrying through to
+Paris, has a most unpromising aspect, with its muddy basins and third
+and fourth rate inns on the quays, but if you are not hastening from the
+packet to the train, which the great proportion of people do; you have
+only to pass up one of the short streets you will see _en face_, when
+you issue from the Custom-house, into which you have been introduced on
+landing, and you will find yourself on an esplanade of considerable
+extent, with a wide expanse of clear salt water before you, a fine
+terrace walk along the shore, and several newly erected hotels opposite
+the sea. Of course, there is an _etablissement_ where the usual
+amusements are provided; the bathing is excellent, and the company
+numerous, for Dieppe is the favourite watering place of the fashionable
+world of Paris. The beauty of the place is greatly increased by a
+judicious suggestion of the Emperor's. I was told that when he and the
+Empress were there in '55, they complained of the absence of flowers on
+the esplanade; it was objected that none would grow there; however, he
+recommended them to try hollyhocks, china-asters, and poppies, the
+latter are the finest I ever saw, and the brilliant and varied masses of
+colour produce a very good effect. But they do not feed you well here;
+'_La Viande est longue a Dieppe_' as the Garcon of the Hotel Royal urged
+when I objected to the meat which, on application of the knife fell into
+strips of pack-thread; the poultry is lean and bad; fish scarce, because
+it all goes to London or Paris, by contract, and everything dear.
+Nevertheless, Dieppe is a very nice place and the surrounding country is
+exceedingly pretty and picturesque.
+
+Some members of the Jockey Club were in the Hotel Royal, living very
+fast indeed. They all bore very aristocratic names and titles, but not
+the impress of high blood. How should they? Judging from what I saw,
+such a course of profligate self-indulgence, unredeemed, even by good
+breeding, must have effaced the stamp, if it ever was there. They
+inhabited a pavilion in the cour, and the luxurious repasts that we
+constantly saw served to them gave us an awful idea of the amount of
+their bill. They played at cards all day--the live long summer day! And
+only suspended this amusement when the garcons appeared with their trays
+loaded with expensive wines and high-seasoned dishes. One other
+amusement they had, which was no less an amusement to us--they had a
+drag--a regular English four-in-hand. The cour of the hotel was divided
+from the road by iron rails, with a large gate at each extremity for
+carriages, so that to an English whip, nothing would have been easier
+than to drive in at one of these gates, and round the sweep, and out at
+the other; but this the jockey club could never accomplish; when the
+gentlemen took the reins from the coachman, if they were in, they could
+not get out; and if they were out, they could not get in; so after a few
+ambitious attempts and ignominious failures, they submitted to the
+inglorious expediency of mounting and dismounting outside the gates.
+The French have certainly a remarkable incapacity for riding or driving,
+which is strange, as they are active men and have generally light
+figures. The Emperor is almost the only Frenchman I ever saw ride well;
+but he rides like an English gentleman.
+
+There were many elegantly drest women, of all nations, at Dieppe, but
+there was one who particularly attracted my attention, and for whom,
+when I afterwards heard her story, I felt an extraordinary interest.
+This was the Countess Adeline de-Givry-Monjerac, at least so I will call
+her here. When I first saw her she was going down to bathe, attended by
+her maid, a grave elderly person, and I was so much struck by her
+appearance, that I took the first opportunity of enquiring her name. She
+was tall and very pale, with fine, straight features, and an expression
+of countenance at once noble and melancholy. Her figure was so good, and
+her bearing at once so graceful and dignified, that her unusual height
+did not strike you till you saw her standing beside other women. She was
+leaning on her maid's arm, and stooped a little, apparently from
+feebleness. Her attire was a peignoir of grey taffetas, lined with
+blue, and on her head she wore a simple capote of the same. Her age, I
+judged to be about forty.
+
+She lodged in the Hotel Royal, as I did also, but lived entirely in
+private; and we only saw her there as she went in and out. Later in the
+season, the Duchesse de B., and other persons, arrived from Paris, with
+whom she was acquainted, and I often observed her in conversation with
+them on the promenade; but her countenance never lost its expression of
+melancholy. However, I should have left Dieppe, ignorant of the singular
+circumstances I am about to relate, but for an accident.
+
+There was a verandah in the court of the hotel, in which many of us
+preferred to breakfast, rather than in the salon; and the verandah not
+being very extensive, and the candidates numerous, there was often a
+little difficulty in securing a table. One morning, I had just laid my
+parasol on the only one I saw vacant, when the garcon warned me that it
+was already engaged by _ce monsieur_, indicating an old gentleman, who
+was standing with his back to me, in conversation with one of a
+sisterhood called _Soeurs de la Providence_, who was soliciting him to
+buy some of the lottery tickets she held in her hand; they were for the
+_Loterie de Bienfaisance_, the proceeds of which are devoted to
+charitable purposes. There are innumerable lotteries of this sort in
+France, authorized by the government; and they seem to me to be the
+substitute for our magnificent private charities in England, for very
+large sums are collected. The tickets only cost a franc. I believe the
+_tirage_ is conducted with perfect fairness; and people thus subscribe a
+franc for the poor, with the agreeable, but very remote, chance of being
+repaid, _meme ici bas_, a hundred thousand-fold.
+
+The old gentleman turned his head on hearing my conversation with the
+waiter; and, begging I would not derange myself on his account, desired
+that I might have the table. Grateful for such an unusual exertion of
+politeness--for the politeness of the modern French gentleman does not
+include the smallest modicum of self-sacrifice--I modestly declined, and
+said, "I would wait." He answered, "by no means." And while we were
+engaged in this amicable contest, the waiter brought his breakfast, and
+placed it on the table; seeing which, he proposed, that as he was denied
+the pleasure of making way for me, I should have my coffee placed on the
+other side, and we should breakfast together; an offer which I gladly
+accepted.
+
+He was a pleasant, garrulous, old gentleman. Monsieur de Vennacour was
+his name, _proprietaire a Paris_, and he told me how he had lost his
+fortune by the revolutions, and how he lived now in a _petit apartment_
+in the _Rue des Ecuries d'Anjou_, and belonged to a coterie of old
+ladies and gentlemen like himself, who had a _petit whisk_ every night
+during the winter. While we were talking, the Countess passed us on her
+way to the bath; and, happening to catch her eye as she crossed the
+court, he bowed to her; whereupon I asked him if he knew her?
+
+"A little," he said; "but I knew her husband well; and her mother's
+hotel was next to that my family formerly inhabited. She was a beautiful
+woman, Madame de Lignerolles."
+
+"Then, she is dead?" said I.
+
+"No," he replied. "She has retired from the world,--she is in a convent.
+C'est une histoire bien triste celle de Madame de Lignerolles et sa
+fille, et aussi bien etrange!"
+
+"If it is not a secret, perhaps you will tell it to me?" said I; for I
+saw that my new acquaintance desired nothing better. He was a famous
+raconteur; and I wish I could tell the story in English as well, and as
+dramatically, as he told it to me in French; however, I'll repeat it as
+faithfully as I can.
+
+"Madame de Lignerolles nee Hermione de Givry, was married early to the
+Marquis de Lignerolles, without any particular _penchant_ for or against
+the union. The Marquis was a great deal older than herself, but it was
+considered a good match, for he was very rich, and his genealogy was
+unexceptionable. Not more so, however, than the young lady's; for the de
+Givry's heraldic tree had apparently sprung from an acorn floated to the
+west by Deucalion himself. At the period of Hermione's marriage her
+father, mother, and two brothers, older than herself, still lived. Her
+father, the Comte de Givry had been a younger son, and had inherited the
+fortune on the death of his elder brother who was killed in a duel the
+day before he was to have been married to a woman he passionately
+loved. He died by the hand of one of his most intimate friends, with
+whom he had never had a word of difference before, and the subject of
+quarrel was a peacock! But it was always remarked by the world, that the
+eldest scions of the house of Givry were singularly unfortunate; they
+seldom prospered in their loves, and if they did, they were sure to die
+before their hopes were realised. People in general called it _a
+destiny_; others whispered that it was a curse; but the family laughed
+contemptuously if any one presumed to hint such a thing in their
+presence, and asserted that it was merely _le hazard_; and as the world
+in these days is very much disposed to believe in _le hazard_, few
+persons sought to penetrate further into the cause of these
+misadventures. However, Hermione's elder brother, Etienne, did not
+escape his _mauvais destin_; the lady he was engaged to marry was seized
+with the smallpox, and, from being a pretty person, became a very ugly
+one. During her illness, he had sworn nothing should break his
+engagement, and accordingly, disfigured as she was, he married her; but
+he had better, for both their sakes, have left it alone. He was
+disgusted and she was jealous; they parted within a month after the
+wedding, and he was soon after killed by a fall from his horse in the
+Bois de Boulogne, and died, leaving no issue. Upon his decease, the
+second son, Armande, now the heir, was recalled from Prussia, whither he
+had gone with his regiment, but they were on the eve of a battle, and it
+was not consistent with his honour to leave till it was over. He was the
+first officer that fell in the fight, and thus the hopes of the ancient
+family of Givry became centered in the offspring of Hermione. But,
+Adeline, the fair object of my admiration, was the sole fruit of the
+marriage, and great were the lamentations of the old Count and Countess
+that the continuation of this noble stock rested on so frail a tenure,
+for the child was exceedingly delicate; she outgrew her strength, and
+for some years was supposed to be _poitrinaire_. But, either, thanks to
+the wonderful care that was bestowed upon her, or to an inherent good
+constitution, she survived this trying period and grew up to
+marriageable years, rewarding all the solicitude of her family by her
+charms and amiability. She was not so beautiful as her mother had
+been--and even was still--but she was quite sufficiently handsome; and
+there was so much grace in her movements and her manners, and she had
+such a noble and pure expression of countenance--a true indication of
+her character--that Adeline de Lignerolle's perfections were universally
+admitted by the men, and scarcely denied by the women, insomuch, that
+these attractions, added to her lineage and fortune, caused her to be
+looked upon as one of the most desirable matches in the kingdom.
+
+"Her father, the old Marquis de Lignerolles-Givry--for he was
+constrained to adopt the latter name--had died previous to this period;
+and as her grandfather Monsieur de Givry undertook the affair of her
+marriage, numerous were the propositions he privately received, and
+frequent the closettings and consultations on the subject. In these
+cases, the more people have, the more they require; and as Adeline had
+better blood, and more money, than most people, the family exigence in
+these respects was considerable, and the difficulties that lay in the
+way of procuring a suitable alliance, manifold.
+
+"She had reached the age of seventeen, and this important point was
+still unsettled, when she and her mother went to visit a relative of
+Madame de Lignerolles, who was united to a Portuguese nobleman. On her
+marriage, she had followed her husband to his own country; but he was
+now on a mission to the French court; and the Paris season being over,
+they had taken a chateau on the Loire, for the summer months. There were
+other young people in the house, and all sorts of amusements going on,
+which no one seemed to enjoy, at first, more than Adeline de Givry; but,
+at the end of a fortnight, a change began to be observable in her
+spirits and demeanour, which did not escape the observation of her young
+companions; and by their means awakened the attention of Madame de
+Saldanha, their hostess; who hinted to her cousin, Madame de
+Lignerolles, that Adeline was falling in love with the young Count de la
+Cruz; at least, such was the opinion of her own daughter, Isabella;
+adding, that if so abnormal a circumstance, as a young lady choosing her
+own husband _was_ to happen, she could not have fixed on a more
+desirable individual than Rodriguez de la Cruz,--a man unexceptionable
+in person, mind, and manners whose genealogy might vie with that of the
+De Givry's themselves; and whose name was associated with distinguished
+deeds of arms during the Holy Wars.
+
+"But this indulgent view of the case was not shared by Madame de
+Lignerolles. She seemed exceedingly surprised and incredulous; but when
+the other insisted on the probability of such a result, since the two
+young people had been residing for six weeks under the same roof; and
+pointed out to the lady that the assiduous attentions paid by De la Cruz
+to herself were, doubtless, not without an object, suggesting that that
+object was to gain her interest in his favour, she evinced so much
+displeasure and indignation, that Madame de Saldanha apologized and gave
+up the point, saying, she was very likely mistaken, and that it was a
+mere fancy of Isabella's.
+
+"Nevertheless, these suspicions were perfectly well founded. De la Cruz
+was waiting for his father's consent to make his proposals in form; and
+this consent was only delayed till the old gentleman had time to come to
+Paris and make the needful inquiries regarding fortune and family; about
+which, he considered himself entitled to be quite as particular as the
+De Givry's.
+
+"It was remarked that, from this time, Madame de Lignerolles observed
+her daughter with a jealous eye, and sought every means of keeping her
+away from the young Portuguese; added to which, as it afterwards
+appeared, she severely reproved Adeline for what she called the levity
+of her conduct.
+
+"Moreover, she hastened her departure; and in a few days after the
+conversation with Madama de Saldanha, took her leave; alleging, that her
+presence was required by her father, in Paris. To Paris, however, she
+did not immediately go. There was in Brittany an ancient chateau
+belonging to the family, which, for some reason or other, they very
+rarely visited; it was supposed, because they possessed others more
+agreeable. At all events, whatever might be the cause, it was known that
+the old count had a mortal aversion to this residence, insomuch, that
+his daughter had never been there since her infancy; when something very
+unpleasant was reported to have happened to her mother's eldest brother
+shortly before his death. Thither, however, they now travelled with all
+speed, accompanied only by two maids and a man.
+
+"Madame de Lignerolles was a person, in whom the maternal instinct had
+never been largely developed. She was even, still, at eight-and-thirty,
+a beautiful woman; and it was generally suspected, that she did not feel
+at all delighted at having this tall, handsome daughter, to proclaim her
+age; and, perhaps shortly, make her a grandmother. But, her manner to
+Adeline--usually, more indifferent than harsh--now assumed a new
+character; she seemed engrossed with her own thoughts; was cold and
+constrained; spoke little; and when she did, it was with a gravity truly
+portentous.
+
+"They were not unexpected at Chateau Noir--for such was the ominous name
+of the old castle, which frowned upon them in the gloom of a dusky
+November evening; but instead of the liveried servants, by whom they
+were accustomed to be greeted, an elderly housekeeper, a concierge, and
+a few rustic menials, appeared to be its only inhabitants. However, they
+had done their best to make ready for this visit; fires were lighted,
+and dinner was prepared and served, accompanied by plenty of apologies
+for its not being better.
+
+"The evening passed in silence; they were tired, and went early to bed.
+The next two days, Mdme. de Lignerolles kept her room, and Adeline
+strolled about the neglected grounds, occupied with her own thoughts of
+the future, not without wondering a little at her mother's mysterious
+behaviour. On the third day, she was summoned to the presence of Mdme.
+de Lignerolles, who received and bade her be seated, with the same
+significant solemnity, and then proceeded to inform her that she had a
+most painful secret to communicate--a secret that had long prest upon
+her conscience, but which she could never find resolution to disclose;
+that lately, however, her confessor had so strongly urged her to perform
+this act of duty, that, with the greatest reluctance, she had resolved
+to obey his injunctions--her doing so having become more imperative from
+the fact of Adeline's having arrived at marriageable years, as in the
+event of any alliance presenting itself, honour would constrain her to
+speak. The dreadful secret was, that Adeline was not her child; that the
+nurse who had had the charge of her infancy, confessed on her
+death-bed, that she had substituted her own infant for the countess's,
+that the latter had subsequently died, but that she could not leave the
+world in peace without avowing her crime.
+
+"'I did not believe her,' said Mdme. de Lignerolles, 'but she reminded
+me that my child had a mole under the left breast, which you, Adeline,
+have not. This cruel change was effected during our absence from France.
+Shortly after my confinement, I was ordered to spend the winter in
+Italy, and the child was left to the care of my father and mother, who
+by that time had nearly lost her eye-sight. To this circumstance, and
+the little notice men usually take of infants, the woman trusted to
+escape detection. Of course, I could not discern the difference between
+the child I had left and the one I found. I had no suspicion; and
+whatever alterations I remarked, I attributed to the lapse of
+time--though I must own that maternal instinct offered a strong
+confirmation of the nurse's confession. While I believed you my own
+offspring, I had none of those tender yearnings which I have heard other
+women speak of, and I often reproached myself for the want of them.
+However, I endeavoured to do my duty by you, and no pains or expense
+were spared on your education, which was already nearly completed, when
+I became acquainted with this dreadful secret, of which, when the nurse
+died, I was the sole possessor. But, aware of the intense grief such a
+disclosure would occasion my husband, who was then in exceedingly bad
+health, I determined during his lifetime to preserve silence. After his
+death, I ought to have exerted courage to speak; but my mother adored
+you--it would have killed her. She is now gone, and there is only your
+grandfather left. I well know the suffering it will cause him, and,
+believe me, I feel for _you_--but my duty is plain. You will be amply
+provided for--' but ere the sentence could be finished, Adeline, who had
+sat like a statue, listening to this harangue, with wondering eyes and
+open lips, suddenly rose and rushed out of the room. That she was not
+Mdme. de Lignerolles' daughter caused her little grief, nor was she of
+an age very highly to appreciate the position and splendours she was
+losing; but she thought of her grandfather, whom she really loved; she
+thought of De la Cruz, and her heart filled with anguish.
+
+"She was not pursued to her retreat; the whole day she kept her chamber,
+and Mdme. de Lignerolles kept hers. On the following morning, a note was
+handed to her from Mdme. de L., announcing that she was starting for
+Paris to communicate this distressing intelligence to M. de Givry; and
+desiring Adeline to remain where she was, under the care of Mdme.
+Vertot, the housekeeper, till she received further directions; assuring
+her, at the same time, that everything should be done for her happiness
+and welfare, and, in due time, a suitable _parti_ be provided for her."
+
+Just as Monsieur de Venacour reached this point of his story, Madame de
+Montjerac returned from bathing, and if I looked at her with interest
+before, it may be well imagined how much more she inspired now.
+
+"How extraordinary!" I said, as my eyes rested on her noble countenance
+and majestic figure, "that that distinguished-looking woman is really
+the daughter of a good-for-nothing servant; and yet I should have said,
+if ever there was a person who bore the unmistakeable impress of
+aristocracy, it is she."
+
+He nodded his head, and significantly lifting his fore-finger to the
+side of his nose, said "Ecoutez!" and forthwith proceeded with his
+narration as follows.
+
+"On Madam de Lignerolle's arrival in Paris, she sent for her father,
+threw herself at his feet, and with tears and lamentations, disclosed
+this dreadful secret, which, she said, had been making the misery of her
+life for the last two years; but whatever distress it occasioned her, it
+was quite evident that that of Monsieur de Givry was much more severe.
+He was wounded on all sides; his pride, his love of lineage, his
+personal affection for Adeline, and his horror of the notoriety such an
+extraordinary event must naturally acquire. So powerful were the two
+last sentiments, that for a moment he even entertained the idea of
+accepting Adeline as the heiress of Givry, and concealing the whole
+affair from her and every body else; but to this proposition his
+daughter objected that the poor girl was already in possession of the
+truth, and that it was impossible to make her a party to such a
+deception.
+
+"'Then,' said Monsieur de Givry, 'she must die! There is no other
+expedient.'
+
+"'Mais, non, mon pere!' cried Hermione, starting from her seat,
+evidently taken quite aback by this unexpected proposition.
+
+"De Givry waved his hand with a melancholy smile; 'Enfant!' he said. 'Do
+you think I intend to become an assassin? God forbid!' And then he
+explained that he did not mean a real but a fictitious death, for which
+purpose she must be removed to a foreign country, under the pretence of
+the re-appearance of pulmonary symptoms; that a husband must be found
+for her who would bind himself to leave France for ever, and to keep
+this secret, under pain of forfeiting the very handsome allowance he
+proposed to make them; for the safe conduct of which part of the
+business, it would be necessary to confide their unhappy circumstances
+to the family physician and lawyer. In the meantime, as these
+arrangements could not be made in a day, it was decided that Adeline
+should remain where she was till all was ready for their completion.
+
+"'I shall take her out of the country myself,' he said, 'and you must
+accompany us. Every consideration must be shown her; she is the victim,
+and not the criminal.'
+
+"In the course of this conversation, as may be imagined, Monsieur de
+Givry more than once lamented the extinction of his race; his daughter,
+however, on that point, offered him some consolation, by suggesting that
+she was still a young woman, and that for her father's sake, although
+she had never intended to marry again, she would consent to do so
+provided she could meet with an unobjectionable _parti_.
+
+"Shortly after this melancholy disclosure, De la Cruz arrived with his
+father in Paris; where they were so well received by Madame de
+Lignerolles, that the old gentleman, fascinated by her beauty and
+manners, expressed his surprise that his son had not fallen in love with
+the mother, instead of the daughter. However, at his son's desire, he
+made formal propositions for the young lady's hand; which, to the
+surprise of the young man, Monsieur de Livry said, was already promised;
+adding, however, that his granddaughter's state of health would,
+probably, retard the union; the physicians having discovered that the
+seeds of consumption were beginning to develope themselves in her
+constitution, and, consequently, recommended her removal to a warmer
+climate.
+
+"In the meanwhile, the poor young girl was pining alone in the dreary,
+old chateau, with no companion but her own maid,--receiving no
+intelligence, and ignorant of her future fate. All she knew was, that
+she never could be the wife of Rodriguez de la Cruz. She supposed, that
+when he made his proposals, he would be informed of the circumstances
+above related, and that she should never hear more of him. But, in this,
+she was mistaken. About three weeks after her mother had left her, a
+letter from him arrived, saying, that he had succeeded in discovering
+where she was, and that he had lost no time in writing to inform her of
+the ill fortune that had attended his proposals; adding, that if her
+sentiments continued unchanged, he would come to Chateau Noir,
+accompanied by his own chaplain, who would unite them; after which, he
+had no doubt, it would be easy to obtain her grandfather's forgiveness;
+he, probably, having only refused his consent because he was trammelled
+by a prior engagement.
+
+"But this letter was addressed to Mademoiselle de Lignerolles; and it
+was evident, from the whole tenour of it, that the writer knew nothing
+of the change in her fortunes. Honour forbad her to take advantage of
+this ignorance; but the struggle threw her into agonies of grief. She
+passed a miserable day, and retired early to bed; where she might
+indulge her tears, and avoid the curious eyes of her maid, who was
+greatly perplexed at these unusual proceedings. Sleep was far from her
+eyes, and her mind was busy, framing the answer she had to write on the
+following day to De la Cruz, when she heard a knock at her chamber door.
+'Come in,' she said; not doubting that it was her maid, or Madame
+Vertot. Immediately, she heard the handle turned, and she saw
+in a mirror that was opposite, the door open, and a miserable,
+haggard-looking woman enter. She was attired in rags, and she led by the
+hand two naked children. They approached the foot of the bed, and the
+woman held out a letter, as if she wished Adeline to take it, which she
+made an effort to do; but a sudden horror seized her, and she uttered a
+scream which roused her maid who slept in the adjoining apartment. She
+was found insensible; but the usual applications restored her; and,
+without telling what had happened, she requested the servant to pass the
+rest of the night in her room. The next day, she felt very poorly in
+consequence of this horrid vision; but she wrote to De la Cruz such a
+letter, as she felt her altered circumstances demanded. She could not
+bring herself to avow that she was the daughter of Robertine Collet; but
+sent him, simply, a cold, haughty refusal, which precluded all
+possibility of any further advances. The next day, she changed her room,
+and she saw no more of the frightful apparition.
+
+"She had done her duty to De la Cruz, but she was miserable; and when,
+shortly afterwards, her grandfather arrived, accompanied by Dr. Pecher,
+the family physician, they found her exceedingly ill, and confined to
+her bed. This Dr. Pecher was a clever and worthy man; and having been
+necessarily made the confidant of the painful secret, it had been
+privately arranged between him and Monsieur de Givry, that he should
+marry the girl; and that they should, thereupon, quit the
+country,--Monsieur de G. making ample provision for their future
+maintenance.
+
+"But the main thing needful, was to restore her to health; and in the
+course of his attendance on her, he learnt from her maid how she had
+been first attacked; and then elicited from herself, the cause of her
+alarm. Of course, he looked upon the vision as an illusion; in short,
+the premonitory symptoms of her illness,--and mentioned it in that
+light, to Monsieur de Givry. But to his surprise, Monsieur de G. took a
+different view of the matter; and hastening to Adeline's room, he made
+her repeat to him the exact description of what she had seen; after
+which, he started immediately for Paris, without explaining the motive
+of this sudden departure.
+
+"On his arrival, he presented himself before his daughter, and taxed her
+with having deceived him; what her motive could be he was unable to
+imagine; he supposed it to be pecuniary, and that she did not wish to
+part with the large portion to be paid to Adeline on her marriage; but
+he believed that the traditionary apparition of his family would not
+have appeared to any one who was not a member of it; and that therefore
+the girl, who had accurately described the appearance of these figures,
+of which the young people were always kept in entire ignorance, must be
+actually his granddaughter.
+
+"Madame de Lignerolles persisted in her story, and all she could be
+brought to own was, that it was possible, the woman, Collett, had
+deceived her. Strong in his own opinion, Monsieur de Givry returned to
+Chateau Noir, Dr. Pecher having recommended the young lady's removal;
+and after writing his daughter a very urgent and serious letter, he
+started on a tour of a few weeks, with Adeline, for the recovery of her
+health.
+
+"No answer reached him for some time, but at the end of a month, he
+received one, acknowledging the cruel deception she had practiced,
+alleging as her excuse, an ardent passion for Rodriguez de la Cruz; and
+the wish to detach him from Adeline, and marry him herself. But she had
+failed, and he was on the point of marriage with a lady selected for him
+by his father. The letter concluded by the announcement, that she was
+about to retire to a convent where she should, in due time, take the
+veil.
+
+"Monseiur de Givry assumed this to be a mere ebullition of shame and
+disappointment; but she kept her word. Mademoiselle de Lignerolles, some
+years later, married the Baron de Montjerac, from whom, said Monsieur de
+Venacour, I heard the story. By him she had two sons; but the constant
+apprehension that in the eldest will be fulfilled the _mauvais destin_
+entailed on the heirs of Givry, preys, it is said, on her mind and
+health, and is the cause of the expression of melancholy for which her
+fine countenance is so remarkable.
+
+"Some centuries earlier, when power was irresponsible, Count Armand de
+Givry, a cruel and oppressive lord of the soil, who then inhabited
+Chateau Noir, had put to death one of his serfs, and turned his wife and
+two children out of doors in inclement weather, forbidding any of his
+tenants to shelter or assist them. The children were without clothes,
+and the three poor creatures perished from cold and starvation, but
+leaving behind them a terrible retribution, in the form of a curse
+pronounced by the wretched woman's lips in her dying agonies, which,
+strange to say, seems to have been pretty literally fulfilled.
+
+"When they were nearly at the last extremity, some good Christian had
+had the courage to write a pathetic letter for her, which, however, it
+was necessary she should deliver herself, as no one else durst do it.
+She watched her opportunity; concealed herself in the park, and waylaid
+the Count as he returned one day from shooting. But instead of taking
+the letter, he set his dogs upon her, who would have torn her to pieces,
+but for the courageous interference of one of his followers.
+
+"The curse ran, that never should the heir of Givry prosper till one of
+them took the letter; and that the last scion of the house should
+_Renier le croix et se vouer a l'Enfer_.
+
+"Since that, it was said that, no eldest son or daughter of the house of
+Givry had lived and prospered, whilst the letter, in some way or other
+had been offered to every one of them; but as the cadets of the family
+lived and married and prospered like other people, they did not choose
+to believe in the story; at least, whatever their secret thoughts on the
+subject may have been, they publicly threw ridicule on the tradition,
+whenever it was alluded to; but Monsieur de Givry had sufficient faith
+in it to believe, that if Adeline had been the daughter of Robertine
+Collet, she would never have been visited by the ghost of Madeleine
+Dogue and her children."
+
+
+
+
+THE SWISS LADY'S STORY.
+
+
+"It was not I," said Madame de Geirsteche; "it was my mother who saw the
+apparition you have heard of; but I can tell you all the particulars of
+the story if you have patience to listen to it."
+
+"You would be conferring a great favour," I said; "from what I have
+heard of the circumstance, I am already much interested."
+
+We were in the steamboat that plies between Vevay and Geneva when this
+conversation occurred, and as there could not be a more convenient
+opportunity of hearing the narration, we retired from the crowd of
+travellers that thronged the deck, and Madame de G. began as follows.
+
+"My husband's father, the elder Monsieur Geirsteche, was acquainted with
+two young men named Zwengler. He was at school and at college with them,
+and their intimacy continued after their education was finished. When
+one was fourteen and the other ten, they had the misfortune to lose both
+their parents by an accident. They were crossing the Alps, when by the
+fall of an avalanche their carriage was overturned down a precipice, and
+they and their servants perished.
+
+"The Zwenglers were people of good family but small fortune; and as they
+had always lived fully up to what they had, their property, when it came
+to be divided between their four children, for they had two daughters
+besides the sons I have named, afforded but an inadequate portion to
+each; but this misfortune was mitigated by their rich relations--a
+wealthy uncle adopted the boys, and an equally wealthy aunt took the
+girls. This was but just, for they had both been enriched by what ought
+to have been the inheritance of the other sister, the mother of these
+children, who, having married Monsieur Zwengler contrary to the wishes
+of her parents, was cut off with a shilling. This uncle and aunt had
+never married, for their father objected to every match that was
+proposed, as not sufficiently advantageous; whilst the brother and
+sister, taking warning by the fate of Madame Zwengler, preferred living
+single to the risk of incurring the same penalty. The daughters having
+good fortunes married early, and I believe did well enough; it is on the
+history of the sons that my story turns.
+
+"As I mentioned, they were at the same school with my husband's father
+when the catastrophe happened to their parents, and he remembered
+afterwards the different manner in which the news had affected them;
+Alfred's grief was apparently stormy and violent; that of the other was
+less demonstrative, but more genuine. Alfred, in short, was secretly
+elated at the independence he expected would be the consequence of this
+sudden bereavement; and he lost no time in assuming over Louis the
+importance and authority of an elder brother. Louis was an enthusiastic,
+warm-hearted, and imaginative child, too young to appreciate his loss in
+a worldly point of view, but mourning his parents--especially his
+mother--sincerely.
+
+"Alfred's hopes of independence were considerably abated, when he found
+himself under the guardianship of Mr. Altorf, his uncle, a proud,
+pompous, tenacious, arbitrary man; on the other hand, he was somewhat
+consoled by the expectation of becoming the heir to his large fortune,
+the magnitude of which he had frequently heard descanted on by his
+parents. He soon discovered, too, that as the heir expectant he had
+acquired an importance that he had never enjoyed before; and in order to
+make sure of these advantages, he neglected no means of recommending
+himself to the old gentleman, insomuch, that Mr. Altorf, being very fond
+of the study of chemistry, Alfred affected great delight in the same
+pursuit, sacrificing his own inclinations to shut himself up in his
+uncle's laboratory, with crucibles and chemicals that he often wished
+might be consumed in the furnace they employed. Louis, the while,
+pursued his studies, thoughtless of the future as young people usually
+are; but as he advanced in age, he began to exhibit symptoms of a
+failing constitution, and as the law for which his uncle designed him
+required more study than was compatible with health, he was allowed to
+follow his inclination and become a soldier. With this view, he was sent
+to Paris, and committed to the surveillance of a friend of his uncle
+there, who was in the French service.
+
+"No profession being proposed for Alfred, he lived on with his uncle,
+confirmed in the belief that though his brother, if he survived, would
+be remembered in the old man's will, he himself should inherit the bulk
+of the property. It was a weary life to him, shut up half the day in the
+laboratory, that he detested, in constant association with an
+uncongenial companion. Moreover, up to the period of his being of age,
+he was kept almost entirely without money, and was excluded from all the
+pleasures suitable to his years. When he attained his majority, he
+became possessed of the small patrimony that devolved on him as the
+eldest son of his father, and was enabled to make himself some amends
+for the privations he had previously submitted to. Not that he threw off
+his uncle's authority, or became openly less submissive and conformable;
+but secretly he contrived to procure himself many relaxations and
+enjoyments, from which he had before been shut out; and in the attaining
+and purchasing these pleasures he freely squandered all the proceeds of
+his inheritance, reckoning securely on the future being well provided
+for.
+
+"His uncle inhabited a villa outside of Geneva, on the road to Ferney,
+and seldom came into the town, except when he visited his banker. His
+chemicals and other articles, Alfred usually purchased, and he had made
+acquaintance with several young men, whose society and amusements he
+availed himself of these opportunities to enjoy. One frosty day in
+December, he was strolling arm in arm with some of these youths, when,
+on turning a corner, he unexpectedly saw sailing down the street before
+them, the massive figure of his uncle, attired in his best chocolate
+suit, his hair powdered, and a long pigtail hanging down his back. The
+air of conscious importance and pomposity with which he strode along,
+amused these gay companions, and they were diverting themselves at the
+old gentleman's expense, when his foot slipped on a slide, and he fell
+down. This was irresistible; and they all burst into a simultaneous
+shout of laughter. A passer by immediately assisted him to rise; and as
+he did so, he turned round to see from whence the merriment
+proceeded--perhaps he had recognised his nephew's voice--at all events,
+Alfred felt sure he _saw_, if he did not _hear_, and thought it prudent
+to apologise for his ill-timed hilarity, which he sought to excuse by
+alleging that he had not at first been aware who it was that had fallen.
+Mr. Altorf looked stern; but as he said nothing, and never alluded to
+the subject again, Alfred congratulated himself at having got off so
+well, and endeavoured to efface any unpleasant impression that might
+remain by extra attentions and compliances.
+
+"Everything went on as usual till the following year, when one morning
+the old gentleman was found dead in his bed, and the medical men
+pronounced that he had expired in a fit of apoplexy.
+
+"When the will--which was dated several years back--came to be read, it
+was found that after two trifling legacies, and five thousand pounds to
+Louis, the whole estate was bequeathed to Alfred, whose breast dilated
+with joy, as the words fell upon his ear, although it was no more than
+he was prepared for; but the first flush of triumph had not subsided,
+when the lawyer arrested the incipient congratulations of the company,
+by saying, 'Here is a codicil, I see, dated the fourteenth of December,
+last year.'
+
+"The company resumed their seats, and a cold chill crept through
+Alfred's veins, as the reader proceeded as follows:--
+
+"'I hereby revoke the bequest hereabove made to my nephew Alfred
+Zwengler, and I give and bequeath the whole of my estates, real and
+personal, to my nephew, Louis Zwengler. To my nephew, Alfred Zwengler, I
+give and bequeath my bust, which stands on the hall table. It is
+accounted a good likeness, and when I am gone, it will serve to keep him
+merry. May he have many a hearty laugh at it--on the wrong side of his
+mouth.'
+
+"The auditors looked confounded on hearing this extraordinary paragraph,
+but Alfred understood it too well.
+
+"It is unnecessary to dwell upon his feelings; a quarter of an hour ago
+he was one of the richest men of his canton--now there were not many
+poorer in all Switzerland than Alfred Zwengler. He had awakened from his
+long dream of wealth and importance, and habits of expense, to poverty
+and utter insignificance; while Louis, whom he had always
+despised--Louis, over whom he had domineered, and assumed the airs of an
+elder brother and a great man, had leapt into his shoes at one bound,
+and left him grovelling in the mud. How he hated him.
+
+"But he might die; what letters they had had from Paris reported him
+very sickly; he might be killed in battle, for Europe was full of wars
+in those days; but he might do neither; and at all events, in the
+meantime what was Alfred to do? A thousand wild and desperate schemes
+passed through his brain for bettering his situation, but none seemed
+practicable. The sole remnant of the property he had inherited from his
+father, that still remained in his possession, was a house in Geneva,
+called L'Hotel Dupont, that he had mortgaged to nearly its full value,
+intending at his uncle's death, to pay the money and redeem it. It had
+been let, but was now empty and under repair, and the creditors talked
+of selling it to pay themselves. But Alfred induced them to wait, by
+giving out that as soon as his brother understood his situation, he
+would advance the necessary sum to relieve him. Perhaps he really
+entertained this expectation, but he had no precise right to do so, for
+he had never given Louis a crown piece, though the latter had suffered
+much more from his uncle's parsimony than he had, having inherited
+nothing whatever from his parents. However, Alfred wrote to Louis,
+dating his letter from that house, dilating on his difficulties, and the
+hardness of his fate, and hinting that, had he come into possession of
+his uncle's fortune, as he had every right to expect he should, how he
+should have felt it his duty to act towards an only brother.
+
+"He received no answer to this appeal; and, at first, he drew very
+unfavourable conclusions from his brother's silence; but, as time went
+on, and Louis neither appeared to take possession of his inheritance,
+nor wrote to account for his absence, hope began once more to dawn in
+the horizon; the brighter, that no letters whatever arrived from him;
+even the lawyers who had applied for instructions, received no answer.
+The last letter his uncle had had from him, had mentioned the
+probability of his joining the Republican forces in the south, if his
+health permitted him to do so. Altogether, there certainly were grounds
+for anxiety or hope, as it might be; I need not say which it was on this
+occasion. Rumours of bloody battles, too, prevailed, in which many had
+fallen. Even the creditors were content to wait, not being inclined to
+push to extremity a debtor, who might be on the verge of prosperity, for
+it was not likely that Louis would make a will; and it was even possible
+that he might have died before his uncle. In either case, Alfred was the
+undoubted heir; and, accordingly, he began once more to taste some of
+the sweets of fortune;--hats were doffed, hands were held out to him,
+and one or two sanguine spirits went so far as to offer loans of small
+sums and temporary accommodation.
+
+"At length, affairs being in this state of uncertainty, the lawyers
+thought it necessary to investigate the matter, and endeavour to
+ascertain what was become of the heir. Measures were accordingly taken,
+which evidently kept Alfred in a violent state of agitation; but the
+result, apparently, made him amends for all he had suffered. It was
+proved that Louis, with his military friend, had joined the Republican
+forces in the south, but was supposed to have perished in an encounter
+with the Chouans; nobody could swear to having seen him dead; but, as
+the Republicans had been surprised and fallen into an ambush, they had
+been obliged to retreat, leaving their dead upon the field.
+
+"This being the case, the property was given up to Alfred; a portion
+being sequestered, in order that it might accumulate for a certain
+number of years, for the purpose of refunding the original heir, should
+he--contrary to all expectation--reappear. If not, at the expiration of
+that term, the sequestrated portion would be released.
+
+"Alfred Zwengler was now at the summit of his wishes; and one might have
+thought, would have felt the more intense satisfaction, in the
+possession of his wealth, from the narrow escape he had had of losing
+it; but this did not seem to be the case. He had, formerly, been very
+fond of society, though he had few opportunities of entering into it;
+but when he had, nobody enjoyed it more. Now, he did not shun mankind;
+on the contrary, he sought their company; but he was moody, silent, and
+apparently unhappy. People said, that he lived in constant fear of his
+brother's turning up again and reclaiming his inheritance. It might be
+so; nobody knew the cause of the change in him, for he was
+uncommunicative, even to his nearest acquaintance.
+
+"One thing, that gave colour to this supposition was, that he evidently
+disliked to hear Louis named; and whenever he was alluded to, he
+invariably asserted that he did not believe he was dead, and that he
+expected every day to see him come back. After saying this, it was
+observed that, he would turn deathly pale,--rising from his chair, and
+walking about the room in manifest agitation.
+
+"Preferring the town to the country, Mr. Zwengler had declared his
+intention of residing in his own house, which had lately been repaired
+under his special directions, and fitted up with all the appliances of
+comfort and elegance; but he was scarcely settled there before he took a
+sudden and unaccountable dislike to it, and offered it for sale. As it
+was an excellent property, Mr. Geirsteche, my husband's father bought
+it; and Mr. Zwengler purchased another house and removed his furniture
+thither.
+
+"Mr. Geirsteche had no intention of living in the house; he bought it as
+an investment; for being situated in one of the best streets of the
+city, it was sure to let well; and accordingly it was not long before
+he found an eligible tenent in Mr. Bautte, an eminent watchmaker of
+Geneva, who furnished it handsomely. He was very rich, and wanted it for
+his family, who expressed themselves delighted with their new residence.
+Nevertheless, they had not been in it three months before they expressed
+a desire to live in the environs of the city rather than in it. As Mr.
+Bautte had taken a long lease of the house, he put up a ticket
+announcing that it was to be let. A gentleman from Lucerne, named
+Maurice, who had just married his sister's governess, and wished
+therefore to reside at a distance from his family, took it for three
+years, with the option of keeping it on for whatever term he pleased at
+the end of that period. He gave directions for the furnishing, and when
+it was ready, they came to Geneva and took up their abode in their new
+house. At the end of a year, they applied to Mr. Bautte for permission
+to sub-let the house. There was no such provision in the agreement, and
+Mr. Bautte at first, we were told, objected, but consented after an
+interview with Mr. Maurice. But these frequent removals had begun to
+draw observation, and it began to be rumoured that there was something
+objectionable about the Hotel du Pont. The common people whispered that
+it was haunted; some said it was infested with rats; others that it was
+ill drained; in short, it got a bad reputation, and nobody was willing
+to take it. Mr. Maurice and his wife, who were gone to Paris for a few
+months, and had not yet removed their furniture, being informed of this,
+advertised it to be let furnished. So many strangers come to Geneva,
+that there is no want of tenants for good furnished houses, and it was
+soon engaged by a French family from Dijon. They took it for a year, but
+at the end of that time they left it for a residence much inferior in
+every respect, and yet more expensive; the rent Mr. Maurice asked being
+very moderate.
+
+"I don't know who were the next tenants, but family after family took
+the house, for it was a very attractive one, but nobody lived in it
+long. When Mr. Maurice's three years had expired, Mr. Bautte bought his
+furniture, and continued to let the house furnished. He would have been
+glad to sell his lease, which was for thirty years, but nobody was
+inclined to buy it.
+
+"I now, said Madame de G. come to that part of the story that concerns
+my mother. I have frequently heard the story from her own lips, and
+nothing made her so angry as to see people listen to it with
+incredulity. My grandfather, Mr. Colman, was, as you are aware, much
+given to the pursuit of literature, and as that is one that seldom
+brings wealth, his means were somewhat restricted, although he had a
+small independance of his own. He had three daughters and two sons, and
+when his family had outgrown their childhood, and my mother, who was the
+eldest, had attained the age of seventeen, they came to Geneva for the
+sake of giving the young people some advantages of education that he
+could not afford them in England; besides there was a good deal of
+literary society to be had here then, and the place was cheaper than it
+is now.
+
+"Having no acquaintance, they applied on their arrival to an agent, who
+offered them several houses and L'Hotel du Pont amongst the number. At
+first they were about to decline it as a residence beyond their means;
+but when the rent was named, they took it immediately. It was so far the
+best house they had seen, and the cheapest, that when the agreement was
+signed, they expressed their surprise to the agent, at what appeared the
+unreasonable demands of the other proprietors.
+
+"'Why, this house is particularly situated, sir,' said the agent. 'The
+gentleman who furnished it was obliged to leave Geneva almost
+immediately after he had settled himself here; and he being absent, and
+caring more for a good tenant than a high rent, we don't stand out for a
+price as people must do when they look to make money by a house.'
+
+"Mr. Colman congratulated himself on his good luck in finding such a
+liberal proprietor, and in a few days he and his family were comfortably
+established in the Hotel du Pont. The only difficulty they had found was
+in procuring servants. They had one English maid with them, and, at
+last, they succeeded in getting two girls as cook and housemaid. The
+latter was a German, who had been brought there by a family who had gone
+on to Italy; and the former was a Frenchwoman, who had married a
+gentleman's valet, and had followed him from Paris to Geneva.
+
+"As soon as everything was arranged, they resumed their usual
+habits--one of which was, that for an hour or two before they went to
+bed the father read aloud to them, in a room they called the library--it
+was, in fact, his writing-room--whilst the ladies worked. A few evenings
+after they had recommenced this practice, a discussion arose between Mr.
+Colman and his eldest daughter, Mary, as to the precise meaning of a
+French word, and the dictionary had to be appealed to to decide the
+question. Mary said it was in her bed-chamber, and left the room to
+fetch it. The library was on the ground-floor, and the staircase was a
+broad, handsome one as far as the first flight; it had been made by
+Alfred Zwengler when the house was repaired, and there was a wide
+landing at the top, the whole being lighted sufficiently for ordinary
+purposes by a lamp that hung in the hall. The stairs were very easy of
+ascent, and my mother--I mean Mary--for she was afterwards my mother,
+who was a lively, active girl, was springing up two steps at a time,
+when, to her amazement, she saw a gentleman in uniform standing on the
+landing above. She stopt suddenly, but as he did not appear to notice
+her, she continued to ascend, concluding it was some stranger, who had
+got into the house by mistake, for he did not look a thief; but when she
+reached the landing he was gone. She stood at first bewildered. There
+were four doors opening into bedrooms, but they were all shut; and after
+thinking a moment, she concluded it was the shadow of some cloaks and
+hats, and sticks, that were hanging in the hall, that had deceived her.
+She did not pause to consider how this could be, but turned into her own
+room; felt for the book, which she remembered to have left on her bed
+and ran down stairs again to her father; so occupied with the disputed
+question, that for the moment she forgot what had happened, and as her
+father resumed his reading immediately, she did not mention it. When
+they were going to bed, and they were lighting their candles in the
+hall, she said, 'you can't think what a start I had this evening when I
+went for the dictionary. It must have been the shadow of those cloaks
+and things, but I could have declared I saw an officer in uniform
+standing at the top of the stairs. I even saw his epaulette and the
+colour of his clothes.'
+
+"'La! Mary,' said one of the younger ones, 'weren't you frightened?'
+
+"'Frightened! no, why should I be frightened at a shadow?'
+
+"'Or a handsome young officer either,' said one of the boys.
+
+"She playfully gave him a tap on the head, and they all went to bed,
+thinking no more of the matter.
+
+"The kitchen was at the back of the house, on the same floor as the
+library, and a few evenings after this occurrence, one of the girls
+being in the store-room, heard sounds of distress proceeding thence; and
+on opening the kitchen-door, to inquire what was the matter, she saw
+Jemima, the English girl, in hysterics, and the other two standing over
+her, sprinkling her face with water. They said that she had left the
+kitchen to fetch some worsted to mend her master's stockings, but that
+before she could have got up stairs, she had rushed back again, thrown
+herself into a chair, and '_gone off_' as they expressed it. On hearing
+the noise, Mr. and Mrs. Colman joined them, but, for a long time, they
+could extract nothing from her--but that she had seen _something_. My
+grandfather asked if it was a rat, or a robber! but she only shook her
+head; and it was not till they had all left the kitchen and sent her a
+glass of wine, that she was sufficiently collected to tell them that, as
+she got to the foot of the stairs, she saw an officer in uniform, going
+up before her. He had his cap in his hand, and his sword at his side;
+and supposing he was some friend of her master's, she was going to
+follow him up; but when he reached the landing, to her surprise and
+horror, he disappeared through the wall.
+
+"When the family heard this, combining it with what had happened to
+Mary--though the circumstance had never been mentioned in the hearing of
+the servants; nor, indeed, even alluded to a second time--they began to
+ask themselves whether it was possible any such person could get into
+the house? and they examined every part of it with care, but found
+nothing that threw a light on the mystery. After this, Jemima was afraid
+to go up stairs alone at night, and Gretchen shared her fears; but the
+Frenchwoman laughed at them both, and said she should like to see a
+ghost that would frighten her. One night, however, about nine o'clock,
+when the family were in the library, they suddenly heard a great noise
+upon the stairs, as if something had fallen from the top to the bottom,
+and when they all rushed out to see what was the matter, they found the
+cook lying across the lower step in a state of insensibility, and the
+coalscuttle upset beside her, with its contents scattered around. They
+carried her into the library, and when she revived, she insisted on
+immediately leaving the house; she would not sleep in it another night
+on any account whatever, and away she went. Gretchen and Jemima said,
+they were sure she had seen the ghost, but was too proud to own it,
+after turning their fears into ridicule; and the family began to be very
+much perplexed.
+
+"My grandfather had a truly philosophical mind, and did not think it a
+proof of wisdom to hold decided opinions on subjects that he had not
+investigated. He had never believed in spiritual appearances, but he had
+never thought seriously on the subject at all, and did not feel himself
+qualified to assert that such things were impossible. Certainly, it was
+a singular coincidence, that Jemima's description of the apparition
+exactly coincided with what my mother had seen; and though the
+Frenchwoman had confessed to nothing, yet it was at the same hour and
+the same place that she had taken fright. He tried, whether--by placing
+the cloaks and the lamp in certain relative positions--he could produce
+any reflection that might deceive the eye; but there was not the most
+remote approximation to such a thing; in short, he perceived that that
+explanation of the appearance was altogether inadmissible.
+
+"'Well,' he said, 'if anybody sees this figure again, I beg they will
+call me!'
+
+"They were not a nervous family, I suppose; my mother was quite the
+reverse, I know. I never saw anybody with more courage; at all events,
+they do not seem to have been alarmed, though both the boys afterwards
+saw the same figure on the same spot, and ran to call their father; but
+when Mr. Colman came it was gone. However, they declared they had seen
+it cross the landing; and that it had seemed to them, to walk through
+the wall, just as Jemima had described.
+
+"Some weeks after this, towards the same hour, as Mr. Colman was about
+to commence reading aloud, he discovered that he had left his
+spectacles in the pocket of his coat, when he dressed for dinner; and my
+mother, who was always alert and active, left the room to fetch them.
+Presently, she re-entered the room,--pale, and somewhat agitated, but
+perfectly collected; and said, that when she had ascended the stairs
+about half-way, she heard a slight rustle above, which caused her to
+raise her eyes; when she saw, distinctly, the same figure she had seen
+before. 'I was not frightened!' she said, 'and I stopt with one foot on
+the next stair, and looked at it steadily, that I might be sure I was
+not under a delusion. The face was pale, and it looked at me with such a
+sad expression, that I thought if it was really a ghost, it might wish
+to say something; so I asked it.'
+
+"'Asked it!' they all exclaimed. 'What did you say?'
+
+"'I said, if you have anything to communicate, I conjure you--speak!'
+
+"'And did it.'
+
+"'No,' answered Mary, 'but it made a sign--'
+
+"'Good Heavens!' said Mrs. Colman, 'do you know what you're saying?'
+
+"'Perfectly,' said Mary, calmly. 'With one hand it pointed to the
+wall--just where Jemima and the boys saw it go in--and with the other it
+made a movement, as if it was going to strike the wall with something
+heavy.'
+
+"'Perhaps there's some money buried there,' said one of the boys.
+
+"Mr. Colman, who had hitherto been a silent but amazed listener to his
+daughter's narration, asked her what the gesture appeared to signify.
+
+"'It was as if it wanted the wall to be pulled down--at least, I thought
+so. I wish I had asked if that was what it wished, but I had not
+presence of mind; if I see it again, I will.'
+
+"'But we could not pull down the wall, you know, my dear,' said Mrs.
+Colman.
+
+"'I suppose we might, if we engaged to build it up again,' suggested one
+of the party.
+
+"'But if we told anybody, we should not get the money,' said the boys.
+
+"'Hush!' said Mary, 'Don't speak in that way; think what a solemn thing
+it is. I shall never forget his face--never, to the day of my death; and
+it looked at me so gratefully when I spoke to it, and then it
+disappeared into the wall.'
+
+"Of course this extraordinary occurrence formed the subject of
+conversation for the rest of the evening, and Mr. Colman narrowly
+questioned his daughter with regard to the particulars; but her story
+was always consistent, and as he had a very high opinion of Mary's
+courage and sense, the circumstance made so much impression on him, that
+he set about making enquiries as to the owner and antecedents of the
+house. It was difficult to obtain much information--for saying a house
+is haunted, is an injury to the landlord, and sometimes brings people
+into trouble--but he ascertained that it had had several tenants, that
+nobody had staid in it long, and that one of the persons who had
+inhabited it for a short time, was Mr. Bautte himself, whereupon he
+resolved to pay him a visit.
+
+"Mr. Bautte, as I have mentioned, was a watchmaker; and though very rich,
+still attended to his trade, so that it was easy to obtain an interview
+with him. Mr. Colman called at his place of business, which was not a
+shop, but a room on the first floor of a private house. He asked about
+the engraving of a seal that he had to his watch-chain; and then, having
+ascertained which was Mr. B., he told him he was his tenant. Mr. B.
+bowed and said, 'I hope you like the house, sir.'
+
+"My grandfather said that, perhaps, he might not have observed it but
+for what had happened, but that he fancied this was said with a sort of
+misgiving, as if he was conscious that there was something objectionable
+about the house.
+
+"'Why,' said my grandfather, drawing him rather aside, 'I like the house
+very much; but there's one great inconvenience about it--we can't get
+any servants to stay with us. One has left us already, and the others
+have given us warning, and nobody seems willing to come in their places.
+I understand you lived in the house yourself a short time; may I ask if
+you found any similar difficulty?'
+
+"'Well, sir,' said Mr. Bautte, trying to look unconcerned, 'you are
+aware how ignorant and foolish such people are--I fancy from the
+construction of the house that the sounds from the next door penetrate
+the walls.'
+
+"'We hear no sounds,' said Mr. Colman. 'I have heard no complaints of
+any. Did any of your family ever say they saw anything extraordinary
+there?'
+
+"'Well, sir, since you put the question so directly, I can't deny that
+the female part of my family did assert something of the sort; but women
+have generally a tendency to superstition, and are easily terrified.'
+
+"'Very true,' said Mr. Colman, 'but I should take it as a great favour
+if you would tell me what they said they saw--I have no idea of leaving
+the house; you need not be afraid of that; and of course I shall not
+mention this conversation to any one--what did they say they saw?'
+
+"Mr. Bautte thus exhorted, confessed that his family, and everybody who
+had lived in the house, asserted that they had seen the apparition of a
+young man in uniform, who always appeared on the stairs or the landing;
+adding, that he himself had never seen it, although he had put himself
+in the way of it repeatedly, and he firmly believed it was some
+extraordinary delusion or optical deception, though it was impossible to
+account for its affecting so many persons in the same way.
+
+"My grandfather then told him what had occurred in his family;
+especially to his eldest daughter, in whose testimony, he assured Mr.
+Bautte, he placed the greatest reliance; and he ventured to propose an
+examination of the spot, where the figure was said invariably to
+disappear. At first, Mr. Bautte laughed at the idea; for--besides his
+scepticism, which made him unwilling to take any proceeding that
+countenanced what he considered an absurd superstition--he urged, that
+the staircase and landing in question, were of very recent erection,
+being one of Mr. Zwengler's improvements when he repaired the house.
+However, after a short argument, wherein my grandfather represented that
+nobody but the parties concerned need know the real reason for what they
+did, that the expense would be small, and the possible result beneficial
+to the property, Mr. Bautte consented, provided Mr. Geierstecke made no
+objection; he being still the owner of the house.
+
+"Mr. G., who, you know, was my husband's father, was aware that the
+Hotel du Pont had frequently changed its tenants, but was quite ignorant
+of the cause. He had no immediate interest in the matter, as Mr. Bautte
+held a thirty-years lease, and he naturally assumed that these frequent
+changes were purely accidental. Everybody, who became acquainted with
+the house, had a strong motive for keeping the secret; for--besides the
+ridicule and penalty they might have incurred--they all wanted to get it
+off their hands. It's true, that amongst the servants and common people
+of the neighbourhood, there were strange whispers going about; the
+source of which it would not have been easy to trace. A glazier said he
+knew a man, who had heard another declare, that he was acquainted with a
+bricklayer, who had helped to build the staircase; who used to say, he
+did not wonder that nobody could live in the Hotel du Pont; and that it
+was his opinion that nobody ever would be able to live in it; and a
+woman who kept a shop opposite, had been heard to say, that she saw
+somebody go into that house that never came out again; but whenever she
+alluded to this subject, her husband always reproved her, and told her
+she did not know what she was talking about.
+
+"This gossip had, however, never reached Mr. Geierstecks, and he was
+exceedingly surprised when Mr. Bautte communicated Mr. Colman's
+proposal, and the reason of it. He immediately called upon my
+grandfather, who recited the circumstances to him, and introduced my
+mother; from whose lips he wished to hear the account of her two
+rencontres with the ghost; and also, a particular description of its
+appearance. At the commencement of his visit, he was inclined to be
+jocular on the subject; but after he had seen my mother, and heard her
+describe the dress of the apparition, which was that of an officer in
+the Republican army of France, he seemed a good deal struck, and became
+serious. He said, he did not believe in ghosts; though he had heard
+people affirm, that they had seen such things; he always supposed them
+to be under a delusion; but that my mother's testimony was so clear, and
+from the account of her family she was so unlikely a person to be
+deceived, that he felt bound to give his assent to the proposed
+investigation; only stipulating for entire secrecy, and that he might
+fix the day for it himself. 'I'll speak to a builder,' said he; 'Mr.
+Bautte, of course, will wish to be present; and, perhaps, I may bring a
+friend with me.'
+
+"As I mentioned before, he had been early acquainted with the
+Zwengler's; and betwixt him and Alfred the intimacy still continued,
+although the latter was by no means the pleasant companion he had been
+formerly. Mr. Geierstecke concluding that his uncle's will, and the
+sudden vicissitudes of fortune he had experienced, had affected his
+spirits, pitied him; and had often endeavoured to argue him out of his
+depression, but with little effect.
+
+"I have heard him say, that after he left my grandfather's house on that
+day, he went to Mr. Zwengler's with the intention of telling him the
+circumstances I have related, and also of giving him notice of the
+impending investigation; but when he had got to the door, and his hand
+was upon the bell, he shrunk from the interview. 'Not,' he said, 'that
+he admitted a suspicion; on the contrary, he repelled it; but he could
+not overcome an uneasy feeling at the striking resemblance between Louis
+Zwengler and the ghost (if ghost there was), as described by my mother.
+He feared that, if his words did not betray this feeling, his
+countenance would, and he could not face Alfred in this state of mind;
+so he turned from the door and went home. Still he felt he could not
+allow this thing to be done without warning his friend of their
+intention, and he sat down to write him a letter; but it was a difficult
+thing to communicate,--at least, he somehow found it so. He could have
+mentioned it jocularly; but that, under all the circumstances, he could
+not do so; and he had torn up two or three unsuccessful efforts, when
+the door opened, and the servant announced Mr. Zwengler himself.
+
+"My father-in-law told me that he felt his knees tremble, and his cheek
+turn pale, when he rose to receive his visitor, who seemingly rather
+more cheerful than usual, said he had called to ask him why he did not
+come in to-day, when he was at his door. 'I was at the window,' said he,
+'and was quite disappointed to see you turn away.'
+
+"This was too good an opportunity to be lost, and Mr. Geierstecke
+answered, that it was quite true, and that he had actually had his hand
+upon the bell, when he thought it was useless troubling him with such
+nonsense.
+
+"'What nonsense?' asked Zwengler.
+
+"'It's about that house I bought of you,' said Mr. Geierstecke. 'People
+say they can't live in it;' adding, while he affected to laugh; 'They
+say there's a ghost in it, and they want to pull down the staircase to
+look for him.'
+
+"'How absurd,' said Mr. Zwengler; 'and are you going to do it?' but the
+voice sounded as if there was something in his throat.
+
+"'We are,' replied Mr. G. 'Mr. Bautte has never been able to keep a
+tenant, and I can't refuse, for it appears they all assert the same
+thing. Even Mr. Bautte's family would not live in it--they say they
+see----'
+
+"'Ha! ha!' laughed Zwengler, rising suddenly, and pushing back his chair
+in a hurried manner, 'but I must leave you--I've an appointment; I
+merely called as I passed the door, to ask why you'd not come in. Bless
+me! I'm late,' he added, as he looked at his watch; and he hurried out
+of the room, crying 'Good night,' as he disappeared.
+
+"Mr. Geierstecke used to say that he believed that he (Mr. G. himself)
+continued standing on the same spot, like a statue, for nearly half an
+hour after the door closed on his visitor.
+
+"'I had scarcely had time to rise from my chair,' he said, 'before he
+was gone, and I felt paralysed. I did not know what to do. I wished I
+had never bought the house, and I lay awake all night, thinking of
+horrors, and then trying to persuade myself that perhaps there was no
+cause for my apprehensions after all.'
+
+"'I saw nothing more of Zwengler, though I frequently passed his house
+purposely; and, at length, the day arrived which I had--not without
+design--fixed at the interval of a week from my first visit to Mr.
+Colman. We all assembled at the appointed time, with a respectable
+workman whom I was in the habit of employing, to whom we accounted for
+our proceeding, by alleging that there was a bad smell sometimes, which
+we thought might proceed from a dead rat.
+
+"'I never felt more nervous and agitated in my life, than while the man
+was demolishing the wall, and we were waiting the denouement; while
+Mary, the heroine, stood pale and earnest, with her eyes eagerly fixed
+on the spot.'
+
+"'We had better have a light, sir,' said the mason presently, 'There is
+something here----'
+
+"One of the boys went for a light, while silent and breathless they
+waited its arrival.
+
+"When it came it disclosed a fearful sight. There lay, huddled up, as if
+thrust in in haste, the bones of a perfect skeleton, and what appeared
+to be burnt remnants of clothes. Before they touched anything, Mr.
+Bautte sent for the police, and these sad relics were removed by their
+officers. There was no means of discovering how life had been taken, but
+the medical men said that some strong chemical preparation had been used
+to consume the flesh and clothes, and prevent any bad odour.
+
+"Everybody knew the Zwenglers and their history; and on this discovery,
+the prefet sent for my mother, and took her deposition as to the
+appearance of the figure she had seen. He also examined Jemima and the
+Frenchwoman who had left our service; and the testimony of all parties
+coinciding, he issued an order to arrest Alfred. But when they went to
+his house he was not there. The servants said he had been absent nearly
+a week; that he left, saying he was going on business to Dole, and his
+stay was uncertain. He had taken no baggage with him but a carpet bag. A
+messenger was despatched to Dole, but nothing was known of him there;
+and the enquiries that were instituted at the Messageries and
+Voituriers threw no light on his mode of conveyance, if, indeed, he had
+left Geneva.
+
+"Various people, who had lived in the house, now confessed to have been
+troubled with the same apparition; and several amongst the neighbours of
+the lower ranks avowed that they had strong suspicions that Alfred
+Zwengler did not come fairly by his fortune, alleging different reasons
+for their opinion; one of which was singular--it was, that a little deaf
+and dumb girl, who lived near him, described to her mother, that when he
+passed their door, she always saw him as enveloped in a black cloud.
+
+"Howbeit, Alfred Zwengler never appeared more; and it was generally
+thought that terrified by the impending disclosure he had thrown himself
+either into the lake or the river, to escape it. He left no will, and
+the fortune went to his sisters. But this strange circumstance resulted
+in my mother's marriage to Monsieur de Beaugarde the Prefect, who was so
+captivated by her courage, that he made her an offer immediately; and
+the acquaintance with Mr. Geierstecke, thus commenced, led to my
+marriage with his son."
+
+In answer to my enquiry, of how it was supposed the murder was
+committed, Madame de G. said, the conjecture was, that Louis had made
+his escape from the Chouans, and returned unexpectedly--a neighbour even
+testified to having seen him enter the house one night at the time it
+was under repair--and that his brother by a sudden and dreadful impulse,
+had struck him down unawares. One of the masons who had been employed in
+building the staircase, but who was killed by a fall shortly before the
+discovery, had been heard to hint that before he died he must unburden
+his mind of a secret that weighed heavily on his conscience. "Not that
+the guilt lies on my soul, he used to say, but perhaps it's a sin to
+hold my tongue."
+
+However, he had no time to speak; but one came from the grave to tell
+the tale and bear awful witness against the unhappy Alfred Zwengler.
+
+
+
+
+THE SHEEP-FARMER'S STORY.
+
+
+The following singular story was related to me in a dialect which,
+though I understood, from having lived much in the country where it was
+spoken, I cannot attempt to imitate, not being "to the manner born;"
+neither, if I could, would it be agreeable, or very comprehensible, to
+my readers in general. I shall, therefore, tell it in plain English; and
+hope it will interest others as much as it did me.
+
+Sandy Shiels, the narrator, was a sheep-farmer in the Lammermuirs. He
+lived in a lone house, in a wild and desolate country, with his wife and
+children, his farm-servants, and his dogs, and seldom saw a stranger
+enter his door, from week's end to week's end; but on certain occasions,
+more or less frequent, Sandy attended the fairs and markets about the
+country; and at the cattle shows, sometimes, appeared in Edinburgh
+itself. He was a shrewd and a simple man--for the two characteristics
+are by no means incompatible--hardhanded and hardfeatured, but not
+unkindly; a serious churchman, a great reader of his Bible, and a keen
+observer of Nature and Nature's language, as men who are born and bred
+amongst mountains generally are.
+
+His wife was a plain, hardworking woman, by whom he had two children,
+yet young; but he had an elder son by a former marriage, called Ihan
+Dhu; a Highland appellation not common in the Lammermuirs; but his
+mother was a Highland woman, and had given it to him. Ihan Dhu means
+Black John; and it suited him well; for, instead of the brawny figure
+and sandy hue which so generally prevails in the south, he had inherited
+the slight figure, the dark complexion, and black hair and eyes of his
+mother, who was a specimen of the genuine Highland type; which, contrary
+to the belief commonly entertained in England, is (Lord Jeffrey informed
+me), _a little dark man_.
+
+The two farm-servants were called Donald and Rob. The former a heavy,
+stolid lout, who had just intellect enough to do what he was told; the
+latter, a smart, lively, goodnatured lad, who was fond of reading, when
+he could get a book; and wide awake about everything that his very
+limited sphere brought him in contact with. The only other member of the
+family was a girl, called Annie Goil, an orphan niece of Mrs. Shiel's;
+who, in conjunction with her aunt, did all the work of the house and
+dairy. The whole household lived and ate, and sat together, and with
+them the two sheep dogs, Coully and Jock. In the summer, it was pleasant
+enough; but in the winter, when the snow fell and the sheep were on the
+hills, they had often a hard time of it.
+
+Annie Goil was a pretty lass; and, naturally enough, there being no
+other at hand, the three young men, Ihan, Donald, and Rob, were all
+candidates for her favour. Nevertheless, they lived tolerably well
+together; the rivalry, apparently, not running very high. Ihan was, of
+course, much the best match; and he might, perhaps, feel pretty
+confident that whenever he chose seriously to put in his claim, it could
+not be resisted. Rob, possibly, comforted and consoled himself with the
+sundry little marks of preference she bestowed on him, which might be
+genuine, or might be designed to _agacer_ Ihan. As for Donald, he was of
+so slow and undemonstrative a nature, that though she and the other two
+often jeered him, and pretended to think he was the one destined to
+carry off the prize, he exhibited neither anger nor jealousy; if he felt
+either, he kept them to himself.
+
+Nevertheless, a sharp word, or sour look, would occasionally pass
+between them; that is, between Ihan and Rob; for any dissatisfaction on
+the part of Donald was only expressed by increased stolidity and
+silence; and so persuaded was the old man that their feelings towards
+each other were not very genial; to say the least, that he had been
+heard to say to his wife, that Annie Goil was a good girl; but, perhaps,
+it would have been better, if she had never come amongst them.
+
+Still they rubbed on "middling well," as Sandy said, and certainly far
+better than might have been expected under such circumstances.
+
+The winter preceding the circumstances I am about to relate, had been a
+very severe one, and Sandy Shiels, who had exposed himself too much to
+the weather, was laid up with an attack of rheumatism. As he was a very
+active man, still not much past middle life, who when in health
+diligently looked after his business himself; his loss during this
+confinement was much felt; and the others had enough to do to make up
+for his absence.
+
+On the 27th of February, the snow was on the ground, and the wind blew
+wildly over the Lammermuir hills; the sheep sought shelter and munched
+their turnips sadly in the nooks and hollows. Donald was abroad, with
+the dogs looking after them, and seeing that no stray lamb perished in
+the cold; while Ihan and Rob were off to Gifford. Ihan to do business
+there for his father; for there was a three days fair, or market, which
+Sandy, when in health, never failed to attend, both as a buyer and
+seller; and Rob to fetch some medicine for the patient, and other
+matters wanted at the farm.
+
+Rob set out at dawn of day, for it was a long walk of ten miles through
+the snow, and the sooner he could return the better, as the things he
+was to bring were wanted. Ihan rode a rough little Shetland pony; he did
+not start till midday, and was not expected back till the evening after
+the next. On the first day he had to go on as far as Haddington, which
+is four miles beyond Gifford, where he was to consult a lawyer about a
+disputed point in his father's lease. He was to sleep there at the house
+of a friend, and to be back to the Gifford market early the next
+morning.
+
+Annie Goil stood at the door covertly watching Ihan as he mounted his
+pony, well equipt for his cold ride, his neck enveloped in a red
+comforter, knitted for him by Annie herself. She leant against the
+door-post looking about her with an air of indifference; while Ihan
+seemed wholly occupied in tightening his girths and seeing that his
+stirrups were of the right length. Neither spoke; still he lingered over
+his gear, and still she stood leaning against the post, when suddenly
+Mrs. Shiels called from above, "Is Ihan gone? Stop him!" and hurrying
+down stairs appeared at the door.
+
+"Ihan," she said, "I forgot to tell Rob to bring sixpennyworth of
+camphorated spirits for your father; if he has not left Gifford before
+you get there, tell him to get it."
+
+"He will have left, I should think," answered Ihan.
+
+"Perhaps not," said Mrs. Shiels, "but if he has you must bring it,
+though I want it to night."
+
+"Very well," said Ihan as he rode away, and Mrs. Shiels and Annie
+re-entered the house.
+
+The hours passed drearily at the farm, with the sick man groaning in his
+pain, and the two lonely women dividing their time betwixt his chamber
+and their household cares. As the day advanced Annie went frequently to
+the door and looked up the glen; and Mrs. Shiels, glancing at the Dutch
+timepiece that stood in the kitchen, observed that she wondered Rob had
+not come back. Annie responding that the snow was deep, and it must be
+very heavy walking, again went to the door and looked up the glen; but
+there was nobody in sight. The hours dragged on, and as it grew later,
+large flakes began to fall and obscure what little light remained. Sandy
+grew impatient and accused Rob of idling and lingering at the fair; Mrs.
+Shiels wondered; and Annie having done her work, took up her station at
+the door with her gown-skirt over her head; there she stood listening
+for the sound of a step, for it was too dark to see, and at last, she
+heard a heavy foot approaching, but it was Donald returning from the
+hills, followed by Jock.
+
+"You haven't seen anything of Rob, have you?" said Annie.
+
+"How should I see Rob! He's gone to Gifford ar'n't he?"
+
+"You might have been on that side of the hill?"
+
+"Ar'n't he come back with the stuff?"
+
+"No; he might have been here three hours since. I can't think what's
+become of him."
+
+"Stopt at the Fair, may-be; there's dancing the night at the Lion."
+
+"Nonsense!" said Annie, pouting her lips at him, and turning away to
+prepare their evening meal.
+
+Donald shook himself, and stamped his feet to get rid of the snow, and
+then entered the kitchen. Mrs. Shiels hearing a foot, came down, hoping
+to find Rob; and was very much disappointed when she saw it was Donald.
+
+"What can that boy be doing, all this time?" she said.
+
+"Perhaps he met Ihan, and went back for the camphor," suggested Annie.
+
+"He'd never think of such a thing! Ihan would not let him; that is, if
+he had got any way on," said Mrs. Shiels.
+
+"There's dancing the night at the Lion," reiterated Donald.
+
+"Why, the boy would never think of staying for that!" exclaimed Mrs.
+Shiels; indignant at the mere notion of such a disorderly proceeding.
+
+"To be sure, he wouldn't," said Annie; "Donald knows that well enough;"
+and her lip curled as she spoke!
+
+Annie was evidently disturbed at Rob's prolonged absence, and angry with
+Donald's insidious attempts to put an ill construction on it. But still
+Rob did not come.
+
+Annie went on preparing the supper, which consisted of porridge; and
+when she had poured it into the bowls, she made two messes for the dogs.
+
+"Where's Coullie?" she said looking round.
+
+"Arn't he here?" inquired Donald.
+
+"No.--Don't you see he's not?"
+
+"Well, I thought he came in with me," said Donald; and going to the door
+he began whistling the familiar whistle that calls home the dogs. Jock
+leaving his bowl of porridge, that Annie had set down, went to the door
+too. Presently they both returned; Donald sat down to his supper,
+saying, he supposed the dog would come presently; and Jock applied
+himself to his.
+
+As the night drew on, the wonders and conjectures increased, and the
+family grew more and more fidgity and perplexed at Rob's absence. Donald
+went to bed as he had to be up betimes in the morning; Mrs. Shiels did
+the same, because she slept in her sick husband's room; Annie lingered
+as long as she could; then she made up a good fire, set a saucepan of
+porridge on the hob, left a bowl and a spoon, and salt on the table, and
+went to bed too. When she was undrest and had extinguished her candle,
+she opened the lattice window of her chamber and put out her head. The
+snow still fell, and it was very dark; after listening for some minutes,
+she shut the window, and softly opening her chamber door, she crept down
+stairs again to the kitchen. There she unhooked a lantern from the wall,
+put a lighted candle in it, and returning to her room, she hung it on
+the latch of the window before she got into bed. She thought she should
+not sleep, but after a little while she did, and soundly too, till next
+morning. When she opened her eyes at dawn of day, the candle was burnt
+out, but the sight of the lantern in so unusual a place, reminded her
+immediately why she had placed it there, and she wondered whether Rob
+had come home in the night, and been let in by Donald. When she came
+down, Donald was already outside the house cleaning his shoes and
+feeding the pigs. She called to him, "Is Rob come?"
+
+"I don't know," he answered. Of course, then, he was not. It was most
+extraordinary.
+
+"Is Coullie come in?" she asked.
+
+"I ha'nt seen him," he said.
+
+He was very silent; swallowed his mess of porridge in haste, and then
+set off to the hills with Jock. When Mrs. Shiels came down, the same
+questions were reiterated; and when she found Rob was not come, she was
+very angry, and expressed her conviction that he had staid for the dance
+at the Lion. Even Annie no longer defended him, for where else could he
+be all night? A pretty rating he will get when he comes back thought
+she; and she could not deny that he well deserved it.
+
+She expected him early, and every now and then she went to the door as
+on the preceding day; but hour after hour passed, and he did not come.
+All sorts of conjectures were formed as to the cause of the delay, but
+Mrs. Shiels and her husband admitted but one solution of the
+difficulty--"the boy's head had got clean turned, and he was gone to the
+bad althegither."
+
+At night, Donald came home to the great surprise of all, without
+Coullie; he said he had seen nothing of the dog. Now Coullie was devoted
+to Rob--in short, he was the only person the animal cared for--and it
+occurred to Annie that he had somehow come upon Rob's footsteps, and
+tracked him to Gifford, and she expected whenever they did come, to see
+them both arrive together.
+
+But that night passed and the next day, and then, towards evening,
+Annie, who had been to the door, announced that she heard the pony's
+foot; here was at hand one who doubtless would be able to solve the
+mystery about the absentee. It was the first question addressed to
+him--"Where's Rob?"
+
+"How should I know?"
+
+"Haven't you seen him?"
+
+"Seen him, no; I've not seen him since the day before yesterday. Why?
+what's the matter?"
+
+"He's never come back from Gifford. Where was he when you saw him?"
+
+"I never saw him at all, except in the morning before he set off."
+
+"You did not meet him on the road, nor in the village?"
+
+"No; I saw nothing of him after he left this."
+
+"Did you hear if he had been there?"
+
+"I never asked; I bought the camphor--here it is. How's father?"
+
+At night, Donald came home, still without Coullie; and as the dog had
+never strayed before, it was natural to conclude that he had gone after
+Rob, wherever the latter might be. The irritation of Mr. and Mrs. Shiels
+increased hourly, so did Annie's wonder and perplexity. The two young
+men, Ihan and Donald, were differently affected; Ihan seemed rather
+pleased, and he covertly taunted Annie with this desertion of her
+favourite; Donald was only more silent and stolid than he had been
+before.
+
+But the next day, and the next passed, and so on through the winter, and
+neither the man nor the dog were seen or heard of. It was ascertained by
+enquiry that he had been at Gifford, and made his purchases, and it was
+supposed, had left it early, but _that_ no one knew. Certainly, he was
+not at the ball at the Lion. Somebody had seen him in company with a
+young man from Edinburgh, in a tax cart, but nobody knew who he was;
+and, finally, Mr. and Mrs. Shiels declared their conviction that,
+tempted by fine promises--being an ambitious lad--he had gone off to
+Edinburgh with this acquaintance, to better his fortune; and Ihan
+appeared to adopt their opinion. Annie had considerable difficulty in
+doing so; but, at length, even she ceased to defend him, since there was
+no other way of accounting for his absence.
+
+Before the winter was over, Donald had left. He had come home one night,
+with his hands dreadfully mangled by a pole-cat, which he said he had
+found devouring a rabbit under a bush, and had rashly attempted to lay
+hold of. Hereupon, he went away to the infirmary in Edinburgh, to be
+under Dr. S.; and Sandy Shiels engaged a man to fill his situation, and
+also bought a dog in place of Coullie, whose loss he much regretted,
+well-broken sheep dogs being very valuable.
+
+Some time had elapsed--the fine weather had set in; and with it, the
+farmer had got rid of his rheumatism, and resumed his former habits of
+active occupation; when one day, as he was crossing the hill between his
+own farm and a place called 'The Hopes,' he observed a dog trotting
+along, that struck him as being very like Coullie. He gave a whistle,
+and the animal stopt and looked round, and on calling him by his name,
+he came up and fondled his master, appearing very glad to see him, and
+finally accompanying him where he was going.
+
+'The Hopes' was a gentleman's house, about three miles from Shiels'
+farm, and when he reached the gate, he was surprised to hear the keeper
+at the lodge say, patting the dog familiarly, "Well, Willie, so you've
+come back again?" Whereupon Sandy asked him if he knew him.
+
+"Oh, yes, I know him," he said; "he's a great favourite of the ladies
+here. They found him on the hill nearly starved, some time ago, and he
+followed them home, and has lived here, off and on, ever since."
+
+"That's very odd," said Sandy, "for the dog's mine. I brought him up
+from a pup, and we broke him ourselves--that is, a lad did, that lived
+with me then, called Rob. But, one day last winter, the lad disappeared,
+and the dog too, and I've never seen either of them since, till just now
+I saw the dog on the hill."
+
+"Well," said the keeper, "I think it was early in March the ladies
+brought him home here. He often goes away; but he comes back again, and
+the ladies take him along with them when they walk out."
+
+Sandy could not conceive why the dog had deserted his home, or why he
+had remained starving on the hill, when he knew very well where his food
+awaited him. The keeper agreed in its being very extraordinary, since he
+must have known his way over every part of the moor for miles round; and
+suggested that he might have gone after the young man who had
+disappeared, and been on his way back, when the ladies met him; but,
+even if that were so, why had he not returned home since, especially as
+he was frequently absent for hours, and sometimes all night?
+
+When Sandy Shiels had concluded his business, and was about to depart,
+he whistled the dog, who followed him willingly enough; but as he
+approached his own house, Coullie shrunk behind, and seemed inclined to
+turn tail, and run away; however, he came on in obedience to his
+master's call, and was joyfully received by the family in general, who
+listened with interest to the account of his adventures, as far as they
+were known; all agreeing that his absence must, in some way, be
+connected with that of Rob. It was observed that one of his first
+movements was to examine the premises after his own fashion, sniffing
+about, first below, and afterwards above stairs in the attic in which
+Rob and Donald formerly slept. What was the result of these
+investigations we cannot tell; but when they were concluded, he
+stretched himself before the kitchen fire, and went to sleep.
+
+The following days, Sandy took him on the hill when he went to look at
+the sheep, and he did his duty as formerly; but on the third or fourth
+evening he was missed, and was absent all night. He returned in the
+morning, and was gently chided for this irregularity--the family
+concluding he had been to visit his friends at "The Hopes;" however, a
+few evenings after, when they were sitting at supper, with the doors
+closed, and the dogs lying quietly dozing on the hearth, Coullie
+suddenly started up, and began to show signs of uneasiness; while,
+almost at the same moment, something like a low whistle reached their
+ears, which seemed to proceed from the air, rather than the earth. They
+had heard no sound of footsteps, but Ihan rose from the table and opened
+the door; whereupon Coullie seized the opportunity to dart out, and Ihan
+returned, saying he could see nobody, but that Coullie was off at the
+rate of ten miles an hour. Everybody wondered where he was gone; and at
+last it was concluded that some person from 'The Hopes' had been passing
+near the house, and that the dog had recognised the whistle, and
+followed him. The truant was found at the door in the morning, and
+chided as before, but that did not prevent his repeating the offence,
+till their wonder was greatly increased by the following
+circumstance:--
+
+Sandy Shiels always read prayers to his family on the Sunday evenings;
+and one night, while he was thus engaged, and the dogs were lying
+apparently asleep, Coullie suddenly uttered two or three low whines.
+Annie raised her head from her book to bid him be silent, and observing
+that he was sitting up, looking eagerly towards the door, which was
+open, she turned her eyes in that direction, and saw to her
+astonishment, a man standing in the dusk of the passage. As all the
+inmates of the house were present, and the outer door was shut, so that
+no stranger could have come in, she uttered an exclamation of surprise
+which interrupted the reader, and caused everybody to turn their heads;
+but with the sound of her voice the figure had disappeared, and the
+others saw nothing. Coullie ran to the door, and became uneasy, while
+Sandy asked what was the matter.
+
+"I saw a man in the passage," said Annie, looking very pale and
+agitated.
+
+"A man," said Ihan, rising; "I saw no man;" and going into the passage,
+he opened the outer door to look round; whereupon, Coullie seized the
+opportunity, and rushed out.
+
+"There's nobody that I see," said Ihan; "but the dog's off again."
+
+"I'm sure I saw somebody," said Annie.
+
+"Go and look up stairs," said Mrs. Shiels; Ihan went and returned,
+saying there was nobody in the house but themselves, and Annie must have
+been mistaken.
+
+But Annie shook her head, and beginning to cry, asserted that she had
+not been mistaken, and that she believed the man she saw was Rob,
+adding, that she always thought that the whistle they sometimes heard,
+and which agitated Coullie so much, was Rob's whistle.
+
+At this suggestion, Ihan fired and showed symptoms of great irritation;
+and if Sandy had not been present, high words would have arisen betwixt
+him and Annie. As it was, his countenance was clouded all the rest of
+the evening.
+
+This event made a great impression on the young girl; she thought of it
+day and night, and she watched with increasing interest Coullie's
+inexplicable proceedings, which still continued. Sometimes of an evening
+they would hear footsteps, whereon the dog would betray great
+uneasiness till they opened the door, and he could dart off on his
+mysterious errand. Once or twice they confined him and would not let him
+go; but the animal seemed so much distressed and whined so piteously,
+that they ceased to oppose his inclinations. Although when they heard
+these footsteps they searched the premises in all directions, nobody was
+ever to be found. Annie wished them to endeavour to find out where
+Coullie went; but nobody seemed to have sufficient curiosity to take any
+trouble about the matter, though they all admitted the singularity of
+the circumstances. No doubt, it was difficult, inasmuch as he always
+started on these expeditions at night, while he ran off so rapidly that
+it would have been impossible to overtake him or keep him in sight. This
+state of things continued till the month of October, which became very
+cold; and one morning, towards the end of it, Annie, when she went to
+the door, found there had been a fall of snow in the night. Coullie, who
+had gone off the evening before, was there waiting to be let in, and she
+observed the track of his feet on the ground. It immediately occurred to
+her that here was an opportunity of discovering what she wished so much
+to know. She had nobody to consult, for her aunt and uncle were not come
+down; and being a stout country girl, she threw her shawl over her head,
+and calling the dog to follow her, she set off up hill and down dale,
+guided by the marks of Coullie's footsteps which remained perfectly
+distinct for about four miles in the direction of Gifford, when they
+turned off to the left, and stopt at the edge of an old quarry. The dog,
+who had trotted cheerily beside her, now began to descend into the
+hollow, stopping and looking up every now and then, whining as if
+inviting her to follow; but after several attempts she found the descent
+too steep. When at the bottom, Coullie disappeared for a minute or two
+under the embankment, and she heard him still whining; but finding she
+could make no further investigations without assistance, she called the
+dog who joined her directly, and they returned home to find Mrs. Shiels
+in a dreadful state of mind at Annie's unaccountable and unprecedented
+absence. However, when she communicated the cause of it, and the
+discovery she had made, Sandy was sufficiently aroused to say that he
+would send some one down to examine the quarry. He did so, and the
+result was that they found the remains of poor Rob under circumstances
+that led to the conclusion that he had somehow gone out of his way, and
+fallen into the pit; for on medical examination, it appeared that both
+his legs were broken. As the quarry was abandoned and in a lonely spot,
+a person might very possibly die there under such circumstances without
+being able to make his distress known.
+
+Poor Rob's remains were committed to the earth; Coullie left off his
+erratic habits and became an ordinary, but intelligent, sheep dog; and
+the family at Shiel's farm, after due comment, on the singular events
+that had led to the discovery of his body, which could only be accounted
+for by admitting a spiritual agency (a view of the case which Ihan
+always repelled with scorn) turned their thoughts into other channels,
+with the exception of Annie, who had a strong persuasion that Rob had
+not come fairly by his end; and oftentimes she would say to Coullie when
+alone with the dog, "Ah, Coullie, if you had a tongue that could speak,
+I think you could tell a tale!"
+
+And Coullie looked at her with his large wise eyes full of affection;
+for she petted and cherished him for Rob's sake, and always gave him the
+largest mess at supper time.
+
+Sometimes, too, Annie had strange thoughts about Ihan; he had become
+more dark, and silent, and sulky, since Rob's death; was it because he
+was jealous of the interest she had exhibited, or was it from any other
+cause? Did he meet Rob that day on his way to Gifford? What could Rob be
+doing so much out of the road as the Quarry? These thoughts naturally
+made her more and more cold to Ihan, whilst her reserve aggrivated his
+ill-temper and dissatisfaction.
+
+And Annie was not the only person to whom these questions suggested
+themselves. People would gossip amongst themselves secretly; it got
+abroad that there had been a good deal of jealousy amongst the young
+men, and it was whispered that the first Mrs. Shiels had aptly named her
+son when she called him Ihan Dhu--Black John. At length, these reports
+reached Sandy Shiels and his son; the latter appeared sullenly
+indifferent, but they made the old man very unhappy; and every night
+when he prayed aloud with the family before retiring to rest, he
+besought God, saying, "Oh Lord if it be thy pleasure, may them that are
+innocent be justified!"
+
+At term time, when, in Scotland, servants frequently, especially farm
+servants, change their situations, the man whom Shiels had engaged in
+Donald's place left; and having heard that Donald, who had been in
+service at Dunse, was leaving also, Sandy wrote and proposed to him to
+return; the proposal was accepted, and they were expecting him, when a
+cart was heard to stop at the door, out of which they looked to see him
+alight; but the visitor proved to be an old Highland woman who
+introduced herself as Rob's grandmother--his father and mother having
+emigrated. She said she had heard the account of her boy's death, and
+the attachment displayed by the dog, and that she had come all the way
+to see the animal, and had brought the money to purchase him; if his
+master did not object. She had travelled from Argyleshire to Haddington
+by coach; and at the latter place she had hired a cart and a lad to
+drive her to her destination. She added that she and her old man "were
+no that puir but that they could afford to buy the dog that had been so
+faithful to their ain boy."
+
+Sandy Shiels and his family made her welcome; invited her to stay and
+take a day or two's repose after her journey, and granted her request
+with regard to Coullie. Annie was very much interested in the old woman;
+and the latter was deeply impressed with the circumstances the young
+girl related to her; enquiring minutely into every particular of places
+and persons connected with the boy's death. She said it was "wonderfu';"
+adding, that she had "seen" Rob's funeral,--meaning by the second
+sight--"but not the manner of his death; but she had no doubt God would
+shew it her before she died."
+
+On the third day she departed; and Sandy Shiels, who had business at
+Gifford, drove her and Annie, who wished to accompany her, in his cart.
+They started in time to meet the coach, Coullie making the fourth
+passenger; and in due time reached the village and drove up to the door
+of the Lion, where three or four men were sitting on the bench outside
+smoking and drinking beer; but the moment the cart stopped--almost
+before it had stopped--Coullie bounded out of it and with indescribable
+fury attacked one of the men. His master called him, but he was deaf to
+his voice; and so violent was his rage that it was not without the
+assistance of the others that he could draw him off. Even then, whilst
+holding him back with an iron grasp, the dog growled and shewed his
+teeth, and with flashing eyes, struggled to renew the onslaught.
+
+"Wha's that?" asked the old woman, who had witnessed the scene with
+surprise.
+
+"That's our Donald, that I told you of--he that lived with us in poor
+Rob's time," said Annie. "What a very extraordinary thing of Coullie to
+do! I never saw him in such a way before. Besides, he couldn't have
+forgotten Donald!"
+
+"Forget him!" exclaimed the old woman; "Na, na; Coullie no forgets. Mind
+ye lass; tak tent o' that man--there's bluid upon him!"
+
+Donald in the mean time had retreated into the house in search of some
+water to wash his hand that Coullie had bitten. When he came out the old
+woman and the dog had departed.
+
+But the lookers on were not uninterested observers of what had past. A
+new idea struck them; the tide of opinion was rather turned in Ihan's
+favour. However, this was but the under current of gossip. Donald went
+home with Sandy Shiels and Annie, who whatever they might have thought,
+said nothing; but after this, in the nightly prayer, Sandy not only
+besought God that the innocent might be justified; but also, that the
+guilty might be brought to repentance; and sometimes he would go
+further, dilating on the duties enjoined by a _true_ repentance; such as
+reparation, where reparation could be made; and, at all events, where it
+could not, taking the burthen of our guilt on our own shoulders, even
+though it weigh us down to death, rather than let the guiltless man
+suffer, though it were only the breath of slander.
+
+One morning, about three weeks after the departure of the old Highland
+woman, when they opened the door they found Coullie waiting to be let
+in. However, kindly treated by his new owners, he had found his way
+back; a letter arrived from them shortly afterwards, saying, they had
+missed him, and that they did not doubt that he would reach his former
+home, "and, may, be yet give testimony agen the wicked."
+
+Annie kept the contents of this epistle to herself, but it did not
+escape her eye that Donald seemed cowed by Coullie's enmity, which the
+animal never failed to exhibit as much as he durst. Moreover, as time
+passed, Donald lost his appetite and the healthy hue of his complexion;
+in short it was evident he was far from happy in his situation; and she
+thought that Sandy's significant and awful prayers were eating into his
+soul and wearing him away.
+
+Farm servants are usually hired for six months; and at last Donald gave
+warning that he should leave next term--he did not think the place
+agreed with him; so it seemed indeed; but that was the year 1832; and
+ere term time arrived, the cholera came, and seized upon Donald as one
+of its first victims in those parts.
+
+Before he died, he made his confession in presence of the doctor, to the
+effect, that he was jealous of Rob, because in the morning he and Ihan
+had overheard a conversation between him and Annie, and she had promised
+him a lock of her hair. That he met him as he was returning from
+Gilford, induced him to go out of his road towards the Quarry, by saying
+one of the sheep had fallen in, and when Rob was off his guard, he
+pushed him over; but not without a desperate struggle, Rob being very
+active and strong.
+
+He was dreadfully frightened, and ran from the place not knowing what
+would happen, and for some time he hourly expected Rob to come home. But
+at length finding he did not, he ventured to approach the spot; but
+Coullie was there and he flew at him and bit him so severely that he
+resolved to leave the country and go to the Infirmary. He had heard of
+Rob's remains being found and buried, while he was living at Dunse; and
+thinking there would be no more enquiry about the matter, he accepted
+the farmer's offer to come back, because he wanted to see Annie.
+
+And so he died, justifying the innocent, according to the old man's
+prayers; but Ihan did not long survive. Sandy said he feared he had
+taken to whiskey drinking from disappointment and vexation, and the
+cholera found him also an easy prey.
+
+
+
+
+MY FRIEND'S STORY.
+
+
+"I don't know how often you have promised to tell me a remarkable thing
+in the ghostly line, that happened to yourself," said I, the other day
+to my friend; "but something has always come in the way; now I shall be
+very much obliged to you for the particulars, if you have no objection
+to my printing the story."
+
+"None," she said, "but as regards names of persons and places; the
+circumstances are so singular that I think they deserve to be recorded.
+That part of the affair which happened to myself I vouch for; and I can
+only say that I have most entire confidence in the truth of the rest,
+and that all the enquiries I made, tended to confirm the story.
+
+"I remember your asking me once, why I so seldom visited our place in
+S----, and I told you it was because it was so dreadfully _triste_ that
+I could not inhabit it. You will perhaps suppose that what I am going to
+relate happened there, but it did not, for the house has not even the
+recommendation of being haunted--that would at least give it an
+interest--but I am sorry to say the sole interest it possesses is, that
+it happens to be ours. Dull as it is, however, we lived there shortly
+after I was married, for some time. I had no children then, which made
+it all the duller, particularly when my husband was called away; and on
+one of these occasions, some acquaintances I had, who were living at a
+place called the Bellfry, about two miles distant, invited me to visit
+them for a few days.
+
+"The Bellfry is a common place square house, just such as the doctor or
+lawyer would inhabit in a provincial town; a little white swing gate, a
+round grass plot, with a few straggling dahlias, a gravel road leading
+to the small portico, and a terrible loud bell to ring, when you want to
+be admitted. So much for the exterior. The interior is not at all more
+suggestive to the fancy. On the ground floor, there is the usual parlour
+on one side, and drawing-room on the other, with a long passage leading
+to the offices at the back; upstairs, a sort of corridor, with dingy
+bedrooms opening into it. Decidedly not lively, but perfectly prosaic,
+it was by no means calculated to inspire ghostly terrors; and, indeed, I
+must confess the supernatural, as it is called, was a subject that, at
+that time, had never engaged my attention. I mention all this to show
+you that what happened was not 'the offspring of my excited
+imagination,' as the learned always tell you these things are. Moreover,
+I was young; and, to the best of my belief, in very good health.
+
+"The room they gave me was the best. It was plainly but comfortably
+furnished, with a large four-post bed, and it looked into the
+churchyard; but this is not an uncommon prospect in country towns, and I
+thought nothing about it. Now that we understand these things better, I
+should think it not ghostly, but unhealthy.
+
+"The first two or three nights I slept there, nothing particular
+occurred; but on the fourth or fifth night, soon after I had fallen
+asleep, I was awoke by a noise which appeared very near me, and on
+listening attentively, I heard a rustling sound, and footsteps on the
+floor. I forgot for the moment that I had locked my door, and
+concluding it was the housekeeper, who sometimes looked in when I was
+going to bed, to ask if I was comfortable, I said, 'Is that you, Mrs.
+H?' But there was no answer, upon which I sat up and looked around; and
+seeing nobody, though I heard the sound still, I jumped out of bed. Then
+I observed, for if was a bright moonlight night, that there was a large
+tree in the churchyard, which grew very close to the window, and I
+concluded that a breeze had arisen, and caused the branches to touch the
+glass; so I got into bed again quite satisfied, and settled myself to
+sleep. But scarcely had I closed my eyes, when the footsteps began
+again, much too distinct this time to be mistaken for anything else; and
+whilst I was listening in amazement, I heard a heavy, heavy sigh. I had
+raised myself on my elbow, in order to have my ears freer to listen, and
+presently I saw the curtains at the foot of the bed, which were closed,
+slowly and gently opened. I saw no figure, but they were held apart,
+apparently by the two hands of some one standing there. I bounded out of
+bed, and rushed out of the room into the corridor, screaming for help.
+All who heard me, got up and came out of their rooms, to enquire what
+had happened; but I had not courage to tell the truth, I was afraid of
+giving offence, or incurring ridicule, and I said I had been awakened by
+a noise in my room, and I was afraid somebody was concealed there. They
+went in with me and searched; of course, nobody was found; and one
+suggested that it was a mouse, another that it was a dream, and so
+forth. But then, and still more the next morning, I fancied, from their
+manner, they were better acquainted with my midnight visitor than they
+chose to say. However, I changed my room, and soon after quitted the
+Bellfry, which I have never slept at since, so there concludes the
+story, so far as I am concerned; but there is a sequel to the tale.
+
+"I must tell you that I never mentioned these circumstances, because I
+knew I should only be laughed at; besides I thought it might annoy my
+hosts, as they had an idea of going abroad for some time, and it might
+have interfered with their letting the house.
+
+"Now to my sequel.
+
+"Two or three years after this occurrence, I fell desperately ill;
+first I was confined of an infant which did not survive; and then I was
+attacked with typhus fever, which raged in the neighbourhood. I was at
+death's door for eleven weeks, and not expected to recover; but you see,
+I did, _nonobstant messrs. les medicins_; but I was so long regaining my
+strength, that I was recommended to try the effects of a sea voyage.
+Even then, I could not sit up, and was lifted about like a baby; and as
+a fine lady's maid would have been of no use on board the yacht, a
+sailor's daughter from the coast was engaged to attend me; a strong,
+healthy young woman, to whom my weight was a feather. She tended me most
+faithfully, and I found her simple, truthful, and straightforward;
+insomuch, that I had thoughts of engaging her in my service permanently.
+With this view, and also because it helped to pass the time, I
+questioned her about her family, and the manner of life of her class, in
+the out of the way part of the country from which she came.
+
+"'I suppose, Mary, you've never been away from home before?'
+
+"'Oh, yes, Ma'am; I was in service as housemaid for a short time at the
+Bellfry, not far from your place, Ma'am; but I soon left that, and I
+have never been out again.'
+
+"'But why did you leave? Didn't you like the place?'
+
+"'No, Ma'am.'
+
+"'But why? Perhaps you'd too much to do?'
+
+"'No, Ma'am, it wasn't a hard place; but unpleasant things happened, and
+so I left.'
+
+"'What sort of unpleasant things?' said I, my own adventure there
+suddenly recurring to my memory.
+
+"She hesitated, and said, that perhaps it would alarm me; she had also
+made a sort of promise to her master and mistress not to talk about it,
+and she never had mentioned what happened except to her parents, in
+order to account for leaving so suddenly. I assured her that I should
+not be alarmed, and overcame her scruples, and then she told me what
+follows.
+
+"It appeared that she was engaged as housemaid at the Bellfry about two
+years before my visit there. Shortly after her arrival, her mistress
+being taken very unwell, her master went to sleep at the other side of
+the house, whilst Mary made her bed in the dressing-room, in order to
+be near at hand if the invalid required any assistance in the night. She
+had directions to keep some refreshment ready in case it was wanted, and
+towards two o'clock in the morning, her mistress saying she should like
+a little broth, Mary rose, and half drest, proceeded down stairs with a
+candle in her hand, to fetch some which she had left simmering on the
+kitchen fire. As she descended the last flight of stairs, she was a good
+deal startled at seeing a bright light issuing from the kitchen--the
+door of which was open--much brighter than could possibly proceed from
+the fire, for the whole passage was illuminated by it. Her first and
+very natural idea was that there were thieves in the house; and she was
+about to rush upstairs again to her master's room, when it occurred to
+her that one of the servants might be sitting up for some object of her
+own, and she stopt to listen, but there was not the least sound--all was
+silent. It then occurred to her that possibly something might have
+caught fire; so half-frightened, she advanced on tip-toe and peeped in,
+when, to her surprise, she saw a lady dressed in white, sitting by the
+fire, into which she was sadly and thoughtfully gazing. Her hands were
+clasped upon her knees, and two large greyhounds--beautiful dogs, said
+Mary--sat at her feet, both looking up fondly in her face. Her dress
+seemed to be of cambric or dimity, and from Mary's description, was that
+worn by ladies in the seventeenth century.
+
+"The kitchen was as bright as if illuminated by twenty candles, but this
+did not strike her she said, till afterwards; so quite reassured by the
+appearance of a lady instead of a band of robbers, it did not occur to
+her to question who she was or how she came there; and saying, 'I beg
+your pardon ma'am', she entered the kitchen, dropt a curtsey, and was
+going towards the fire, but as she advanced the vision retreated, till,
+at last, lady, chair, and dogs, glided through the closed window; and
+then the figure appeared standing erect in the garden, with its face
+close to the panes, and the eyes looking sorrowfully and earnestly on
+poor Mary.
+
+"'And what did you do then, Mary?' said I.
+
+"'Oh, ma'am, then I _fared_ to feel very queer, and I fell upon the
+floor with a scream.'
+
+"Her master heard the cry, and came down to see what was the matter.
+When she told him what she had seen, he endeavoured to persuade her it
+was all fancy; but Mary said she knew better than that; however, she
+promised not to talk of it, as it might frighten her sick mistress.
+
+"Subsequently, she met the same melancholy apparition pacing the
+corridor into which the room that I had slept in opened; and not liking
+these rencontres she gave warning and left the place.
+
+"She knew nothing more, for her home was at some distance from the
+Bellfry, which she had not since revisited: but when I had recovered my
+health and returned to that part of the country, I found, on enquiry,
+that this apparition was believed to haunt not only the house, but the
+neighbourhood; and I conversed with several people who affirmed they had
+seen her, generally alone, but sometimes accompanied by the two dogs.
+
+"One woman said she had no fear, and that she had determined if she met
+the ghost, to try and touch her, in order to ascertain if it was
+positively an apparition; she did meet her in the dusk of the evening on
+the path that runs by the high road between the Bellfry and G---- and put
+out her arm to take hold of her dress. She felt no substance, but she
+described the sensation as if she had plunged her hand into cold water.
+
+"Another person saw her go through the hedge, and he observed, that he
+could see the hedge through the figure as she glided into the field.
+
+"It is whispered that this unfortunate lady was an ancestress of the
+original proprietor of the place, who married a man she adored, contrary
+to the advice of her friends; and too late she discovered that he had
+taken her only for her money, which was needed to repair his ruined
+fortunes; he, the while being deeply enamoured of her younger sister,
+whose portion was too small for his purpose.
+
+"The sister came to live with the newly married couple; and suspecting
+nothing, the bride was some time wholly unable to account for her
+husband's mysterious conduct and total alienation. At length she
+awakened to the dreadful reality, but unable to overcome her passion,
+she continued to live under his roof, suffering all the tortures of
+jealousy and disappointed love. She shunned the world; and the world,
+who soon learnt the state of affairs, shunned her husband's society; so
+she dragged on her dreary existence with no companionship but that of
+two remarkable fine greyhounds, which her husband had given her before
+marriage. Riding or walking, she was always accompanied by these
+animals--they and their affection were all she could call her own on
+earth.
+
+"She died young; not without some suspicions that her end was
+hastened--at least, passively, by neglect, if not by more active means.
+
+"When she was gone, the husband and the sister married; but the
+tradition runs, that the union was anything but blest. It is said that
+on the wedding night, immediately after her attendant had left her,
+screams were heard proceeding from the bridal chamber; and that on going
+upstairs, the bride was found in hysterics, and the groom pale, and
+apparently horror-stricken. After a little while, they desired to be
+left alone, but in the morning it was evident that no heads had prest
+the pillows. They had past the night without going to bed, and the next
+day they left their home--she never to return. She is supposed to have
+gone out of her mind, and to have died abroad in that state, carefully
+tended by him to the last. After her decease, he returned once to the
+Bellfry, a prematurely aged, melancholy man; and after staying a few
+days, and destroying several letters and papers, to do which appeared
+the object of his visit, he went away, and was seen no more in that
+county."
+
+Alas, for poor human nature! How we are cursed in the realisation of our
+own wishes! How we struggle and sin to attain what we are never to
+enjoy!
+
+
+
+OSTELL, PRINTER, HART STREET, BLOOMSBURY.
+
+
+
+***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GHOSTS AND FAMILY LEGENDS***
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