1. Banging with poker or shovel as hard as possible on every
part of the big iron stove in the hall; kicking it, hitting it
with sticks (as Miss Moore and I persisted that the first noise
was as of metal on wood, or _vice versâ_).
2. Trampling and banging in every part of the house, obvious and
obscure, in cupboards and cistern holes.
3. (On the hypothesis of tricks from outside.) Beating on
outside doors with shovels and pokers and wooden things, on the
walls and windows accessible; banging and clattering in outside
coal-cellars and in the sunk area round the house.
(_N.B._--Beating on the front door handle with a wooden racket,
was right in kind, but not nearly enough in degree.)
Miss Moore, who was familiar with the noise, did it rather well
by going into a coal-cellar (always locked at night, however)
outside and throwing big lumps of coal, from a distance, into a
big pail, but _it wasn't nearly loud enough_.
4. Finally the men climbed on to the roof, outside, while Miss
Moore and I shut ourselves into the proper places. They
clattered and walked and stamped and kicked and struck the
slates, but _they couldn't make noise enough_.
Then we had in the gardener they saw yesterday, and put him in
the butler's room, and the four men made hideous rows as before.
He was grateful and respectful, but contemptuous. _They couldn't
make noise enough._
We went out at dusk, having sent Mr. MacP---- and Mr. C---- to
pay a visit (as they had not been told of the brook scene),
intending that the same trio as before should go to the copse.
Mr. L---- F---- couldn't come, and as Mr. F---- and I went on
alone, we met Mr. MacP---- and Mr. C---- returning before they
were expected. On the spur of the moment I asked Mr. C---- to
come with me, leaving Mr. F---- and Mr. MacP---- in the avenue.
The snow had gone, and I saw less distinctly; but I saw the nun
again, and an older woman in grey, who talked earnestly with
her, she answering at intervals. I could hear no words; the ice
was giving, and the burn had begun to murmur. (I tried to
persuade myself that the murmur accounted for the voices, but
the sounds were entirely distinct, and different in quality and
amount.)
This older woman in grey afterwards became familiar. The name "Marget"
was given to her at first half in fun and simply because this was one
of the two names given by Ouija (_cf._ p. 98). She is apparently the
grey woman referred to in the paper published by Mrs. G---- (_cf._ p.
64).
The fact of voices being heard by two persons, while one alone saw the
figures, seems a clear proof that the figures were hallucinatory. It
seems probable that the sounds also were hallucinatory, but were what
is called in the vocabulary of the S.P.R. the "collective"
hallucination of two persons. This seems to render it highly probable
that in the case of each the hallucination had a cause external to
both, although common to both; moreover, hallucinations are often
contagious. _The Times_ correspondent states, that "the lady admitted
that the apparition was purely subjective, but in regard to other
matters was not willing to suppose that she might be the victim of
hallucinations of hearing as well as of sight." On the contrary, as
all readers of Miss Freer's published works are aware, she is entirely
of opinion that such sights and sounds are pure sense-hallucinations,
whatever may be their ultimate origin.
We rejoined the others in silence. Then Mr. MacP---- said to Mr.
C----, "Did you see anything?" "Nothing; I only heard voices."
"What sort of voices?" "Two women. The older voice talked most,
almost continuously. I heard a younger voice, a higher one, now
and then."
_Note by Mr. MacP----._
"I knew previously, though Mr. C---- did not, that Miss Freer
had seen something up the burn; and when waiting for her and Mr.
C----, Mr. F---- told me the whole story."
_February 9th, Tuesday._--Last night we--Miss Moore and I--heard
the "explosive" noises about 11.30 P.M., and speculated as to
the possibility of their being caused by the wind in the
chimney. There was a little wind last night--very little. It is
worth mentioning, that ever since we have been here the air has
been phenomenally still. One can go outside, as we do
frequently, to feed the birds and squirrels without hats and not
feel a hair stirred. Even when the snow was on the ground we
never felt the cold, owing to the absence of wind, and the thaw
has been imperceptible. Snow is still on the hills. I have
several times thrown open my bedroom window about dawn for an
hour to familiarise myself with the outside noises. There is
nothing human within a quarter of a mile. (_N.B._--The others,
who are much more likely to be accurate as to distance than I,
say the lodges are farther off.) The servants' houses are in a
group of buildings on the hill above the house, but are, I
believe, all empty. We found, and adopted, a deserted cat, whose
condition certainly testified to the nakedness of the land.
There are two inhabited lodges far out of hearing. A gardener
comes round to the houses about 10 or 10.30 P.M., but we have
watched him, and know exactly what sounds he creates.
_February 10th, Wednesday._--Mrs. W---- arrived this morning
from London; also Miss Langton, who is "sensitive," but wholly
inexperienced. In the evening, at 6 P.M., Colonel Taylor
arrived. He is in No. 8.
Miss Moore and I moved back into No. 1, and moved Mr. F---- into
No. 3, the room reported (by the H----s) as specially haunted,
where Colonel A---- and Major B---- had slept, and in our time
Mr. L---- F----, who left last night.
The wing is now ready for habitation, except that the pipes are
out of order, and the "set-basins" useless, also the bath.
(_N.B._--The fact that the pipes are all out of working order,
and not a drop of hot water is to be had except in the kitchen,
does away with a theory, which has been rather emphatically put
forward, that "it is all the hot-water pipes.")
We are anxious to test the wing. Only one story, Miss "B----'s,"
is connected with it, and if there has been any practical joking
anywhere, I personally incline to think that was the occasion.
The wing is new, built, they say, in 1883, and the "ghost"
showed human intelligence in selection of doors and victims.
(After my return to London I had a conversation with Mrs. G----,
which convinced me that I was mistaken in supposing that tricks
had been played upon Miss "B----." See p. 71.)
An old woman in the village asked Miss Moore to-day with
interest, "Hoo'll ye be liking B----?" She spoke of the
hauntings, and her husband insisted (the Highlander always
begins that way) that there were not any, and so on, and the old
woman explained that it was just the young gentlemen last year
that was having a lark. Later she admitted, "There's nae ghaists
at B----, but the old Major" (who died about twenty years ago);
"he'd just be saying to Gracie if she didn't do as she was told,
that he'd be coming back and belay the decks" (_cf._ p. 136).
_P.S._--_Monday 15th._--In the kirkyard to-day at L---- we were
shown the Major's grave. It is one of three, inclosed by a rough
stone wall. They have no headstones, and seem quite uncared for.
One is, we are informed, that of his housekeeper, Sarah N----.
The other is said to be that of a black man-servant.