Chapter VII (2)

"To the account I heard from Baron B. F. Driesen in the presence of
his wife's brothers, MM. N. N., A. N., and I. N. Ponomareff, as to
how M. Nicholas I. Ponomareff appeared to him in the night of
November 29-30th, 1860, having died nine days before, and begged of
the Baron to be reconciled to him, I may add that to me also did he
appear _at the same time_ and with the same request, which fact,
before hearing the Baron's narrative, I communicated to all those
present at the liturgy for the rest of the soul of the late M. N.
I. Ponomareff.

"(Signed) BASIL BAJENOFF, "Priest of Trinity Church, at Koi, District of Kashin, Government of Tver."

VII. E. The following is quoted from the "Report on the Census of Hallucinations" in _Proceedings_ S.P.R., vol. x. p. 284.

From Countess Eugénie Kapnist:--

_June 24th, 1891._

A Talta, en Février, 1889, nous fîmes la connaissance de M. P. et
de sa femme, passant la soirée chez des amis communs qui avaient
tenu à nous réunir. A cette époque, M. P. souffrait déjà d'une
phthisie assez avancée; il venait de perdre, à Pétersbourg, son
frère, atteint de la même maladie. On pria ma soeur de faire un
peu de musique, et elle choisit au hasard le Prélude de
Mendelssohn. A mon étonnement je vis M. P. que nous ne connaissions
que de ce soir, aller, très émotionné, prendre place auprès du
piano, et suivre avec une espèce d'anxiété le jeu de ma soeur.
Lorsqu'elle eut fini, il dit que pour quelques instants elle venait
de faire ressusciter son frère, exécutant absolument de la même
manière ce morceau, qu'il jouait fréquemment. Depuis, en voyant ma
soeur, il aimait particulièrement à causer avec elle. Je puis
certifier ainsi qu'elle une conversation que nous eûmes à une
soirée, au mois de Mars. Nous parlions de la mort, chose fréquente
à Talta, toujours peuplée de malades:--"Savez-vous," disait-il à ma
soeur, "il me semble toujours que mon esprit est très proche du
vôtre; j'ai la certitude de vous avoir déjà connue; nous avons dans
la réalité une preuve que ce n'est pas en ce monde--ce sera que je
vous aurais vue durant quelqu'autre vie précédente" (il était un
peu spirite). "Ainsi donc, si je meurs avant vous, ce qui est bien
probable, vu ma maladie, je reviendrai vers vous, si cela m'est
possible, et je vous apparaîtrai de façon à ne pas vous effrayer
désagréablement." Ma soeur lui répondit, prenant la chose très au
sérieux, qu'elle lui rendrait la pareille si elle mourait la
première, et j'étais témoin de cette promesse mutuelle.

Néanmoins nous fîmes à peine connaissance de maison; nous nous
rencontrions parfois chez des amis communs, et nous le voyions
souvent se promener sur le quai dans un paletot couleur noisette
qui excitait notre hilarité et qui nous resta dans la mémoire je ne
sais plus pourquoi. Au mois de Mai, nous partions de Talta, et
depuis nous eûmes tant d'impressions diverses, nous vîmes tant de
monde, que jusqu'à l'hiver suivant nous oubliâmes complétement M.
P. et sa femme, qui représentaient pour nous des connaissances
comme on en a par centaines dans la vie.

Nous étions à Pétersbourg. Le 11 Mars, c'était un lundi de Carême
en 1890, nous allâmes au théâtre voir une représentation de la
troupe des Meiningner. Je crois qu'on donnait _Le Marchand de
Venise_. Mlle. B. était avec nous, venue de Tsarskoé à cette
occasion. La pièce terminée, nous n'eûmes que le temps de rentrer à
la maison changer de toilette, après quoi nous accompagnâmes Mlle.
B. à la gare. Elle partait avec le dernier train, qui quitte pour
Tsarskoé Sélo à 1 heure de la nuit. Nous l'installâmes en wagon, et
ne l'y laissâmes qu'après la seconde cloche de départ.

Notre domestique allait bien en avant de nous, afin de retrouver
notre voiture, de manière que, gagnant le perron, nous la trouvâmes
avancée qui nous attendait. Ma soeur s'assit la première; moi je
la fis attendre, descendant plus doucement les marches de
l'escalier; le domestique tenait la portière du landau ouverte. Je
montai à demi, sur le marchepied, et soudain je m'arrêtai dans
cette pose, tellement surprise que je ne compris plus ce qui
m'arrivait. Il faisait sombre dans la voiture, et pourtant en face
de ma soeur, la regardant, je vis dans un petit jour gris qu'on
eût dit factice, s'éclaircissant vers le point qui attachait le
plus mes yeux, une figure à la silhouette émoussée, diaphane,
plutôt qu'indécise. Cette vision dura un instant, pendant lequel,
pourtant, mes yeux prirent connaissance des moindres détails de ce
visage, qui me sembla connu: des traits assez pointus, une raie un
peu de côté, un nez prononcé, un menton très maigre à barbe rare et
d'un blond foncé. Ce qui me frappe, lorsque j'y pense à présent,
c'est d'avoir vu les différentes couleurs, malgré que la lueur
grisâtre, qui éclairait à peine l'inconnu, eût été insuffisante
pour les distinguer dans un cas normal. Il était sans chapeau, et
en même temps dans un paletot comme on en porte au sud--de couleur
plutôt claire--noisette. Toute sa personne avait un cachet de
grande fatigue et de maigreur.

Le domestique, très étonné de ne pas me voir monter, arrêtée ainsi
sur le marchepied, crut que j'avais marché dans ma robe et m'aida à
m'asseoir, pendant que je demandais à ma soeur, en prenant place
à côté d'elle, si c'était bien notre voiture? A tel point j'avais
perdu la tête, ayant senti un vrai engourdissement de cerveau en
voyant cet étranger installé en face d'elle, je ne m'étais pas
rendu compte que, dans le cas d'une présence réelle d'un semblable
vis-à-vis, ni ma soeur, ni le valet de pied ne resteraient si
calmement à l'envisager. Lorsque je fus assise, je ne vis plus
rien, et je demandais à ma soeur:--"N'as-tu rien vu en face de
toi?" "Rien du tout, et quelle idée as-tu eue de demander, en
entrant dans la voiture, si c'était bien la nôtre?" répondit-elle
en riant. Alors, je lui racontais tout ce qui précéde, décrivant
minutieusement ma vision. "Quelle figure connue," disait-elle, "et
à paletot noisette, cette raie de côté, où donc l'avons nous vue?
Pourtant nul ne ressemble ici à ta description"; et nous nous
creusions la tête sans rien trouver. Rentrées à la maison, nous
racontâmes ce fait à notre mère; ma description la fit aussi
souvenir vaguement d'un visage analogue. Le lendemain soir (12
Mars) un jeune homme de notre connaissance, M. M. S., vint nous
voir. Je lui répétais aussi l'incident qui nous était arrivé. Nous
en parlâmes beaucoup, mais inutilement; je ne pouvais toujours pas
appliquer le nom voulu à la personnalité de ma vision, tout en me
souvenant fort bien avoir vu un visage tout pareil parmi mes
nombreuses connaissances; mais où et à quelle époque? Je ne me
souvenais de rien, avec ma mauvaise mémoire qui me fait souvent
défaut, à ce sujet. Quelques jours plus tard, nous étions chez la
grandmère de M. M. S.:--"Savez-vous," nous dit-elle, "quelle triste
nouvelle je viens de recevoir de Talta? M. P. vient de mourir, mais
on ne me donne pas de détails." Ma soeur et moi, nous nous
regardâmes. A ce nom, la figure pointue et le paletot noisette
retrouvèrent leur possesseur. Ma soeur reconnut en même temps que
moi, grâce à ma description précise. Lorsque M. M. S. entra, je le
priai de chercher dans les vieux journaux la date exacte de cette
mort. Le décès était marqué au 14 du mois de Mars, donc, deux jours
_après_ la vision que j'avais eue. J'écrivis à Talta pour avoir des
renseignements. On me répondit qu'il gardait le lit depuis le 24
Novembre et qu'il avait été depuis dans un état de faiblesse
extrême, mais le sommeil ne l'avait point quitté; il dormait si
longtemps et si profondément, même durant les dernières nuits de
son existence, que cela faisait espérer une amélioration. Nous nous
étonnions de ce que j'aie vu M. P., malgré sa promesse de se
montrer à ma soeur. Mais je dois ajouter ici qu'avant le fait
décrit ci-dessus, j'avais été voyante un certain nombre de fois,
mais cette vision est bien celle que j'ai distinguée le plus
nettement, avec des détails minutieux, et avec les teintes diverses
du visage humain, et même du vêtement.

COMTESSE EUGÉNIE KAPNIST. COMTESSE INA KAPNIST.

The second signature is that of the sister who was present at the time.

Mr. Michael Petrovo-Solovovo, who sent us the case, writes:--

I have much pleasure in certifying that the fact of Countess
Kapnist's vision was mentioned, among others, to myself before the
news of Mr. P.'s death came to Petersburg. I well remember seeing
an announcement of his demise in the papers.

VII. F. From _Phantasms of the Living_, vol. i. p. 522, footnote. The account was written down, a few months after the occurrence, from the dictation of the percipient--Sister Bertha, Superior of the House of Mercy at Bovey Tracy, Newton Abbot--who read it through on December 29th, 1885, pronounced it correct, and signed it.

On the night of the 10th of November, 1861 (I do not know the exact
hour), I was up in my bed watching, because there was a person not
quite well in the next room. I heard a voice, which I recognised at
once as familiar to me, and at first thought of my sister. It said,
in the brightest and most cheerful tone, "I am here with you." I
answered, looking and seeing nothing, "Who are you?" The voice
said, "You mustn't know yet." I heard nothing more, and saw
nothing, and am certain that the door was not opened or shut. I was
not in the least frightened, and felt convinced that it was Lucy's
[Miss Lucy Gambier Parry's] voice. I have never doubted it from
that moment. I had not heard of her being worse; the last account
had been good, and I was expecting to hear that she was at Torquay.
In the course of the next day (the 11th), mother told me that she
had died on the morning of the 10th, rather more than twelve hours
before I heard her voice.

The narrator informs us that she has never in her life experienced any other hallucination of the senses. Mrs. Gambier Parry, of Highnam Court, Gloucester, step-mother and cousin of the "Lucy" of the narrative, writes:--

Sister Bertha (her name is Bertha Foertsch) had been living for
many years as German governess to Lucy Anna Gambier Parry, and was
her dearest friend. She came to us at once on hearing of Lucy's
death, and told me of the mysterious occurrence of the night
before.

VII. G. The following case is in some respects one of the most remarkable and best authenticated instances of "haunting" on record, although, as will be seen, the evidence for the identity of the apparition is inconclusive. The case was fully described in a paper entitled "Record of a Haunted House," by Miss R. C. Morton, in _Proceedings_ S.P.R., vol. viii. pp. 311-332. Besides the account of the principal percipient, Miss R. C. Morton, the paper contains independent first-hand statements from six other witnesses,--a friend, Miss Campbell, a sister and brother of Miss Morton's who lived in the house, a married sister who visited there, and two former servants; also plans of the whole house. For the full details I must refer the reader to the original paper; I have space here only for abbreviated extracts from Miss Morton's account.

An account of the case first came into my hands in December, 1884, and this with Miss Morton's letters to her friend, Miss Campbell, are the earliest written records. On May 1st, 1886, I called upon Captain Morton at the "haunted house," and afterwards visited him at intervals, and took notes of what he told me. I also saw Miss Morton and Miss E. Morton, and the two former servants whose accounts are given in Miss Morton's paper. The phenomena as seen or heard by all the witnesses were very uniform in character, even in the numerous instances where there had been no previous communication between the percipients. Miss Morton is a lady of scientific training, and was at the time her account was written (in April, 1892) preparing to be a physician. The name "Morton" is substituted for the real family name. With that exception the names and initials are the true ones.

After describing the house and garden, Miss Morton proceeds:--

It was built about the year 1860; the first occupant was Mr. S., an
Anglo-Indian, who lived in it for about sixteen years. During this
time, in the month of August, year uncertain, he lost his wife, to
whom he was passionately attached, and to drown his grief took to
drinking. About two years later, Mr. S. married again. His second
wife, a Miss I. H., was in hopes of curing him of his intemperate
habits, but instead she also took to drinking, and their married
life was embittered by constant quarrels, frequently resulting in
violent scenes. The chief subjects of dispute were the management
of the children (two girls, and either one or two boys, all quite
young) of the first Mrs. S., and the possession of her jewellery,
to preserve which for her children, Mr. S. had some of the boards
in the small front sitting-room taken up by a local carpenter and
the jewels inserted in the receptacle so formed. Finally, a few
months before Mr. S.'s death, on July 14th, 1876, his wife
separated from him and went to live in Clifton. She was not present
at the time of his death, nor, as far as is known, was she ever at
the house afterwards. She died on September 23rd, 1878.

After Mr. S.'s death the house was bought by Mr. L., an elderly
gentleman, who died rather suddenly within six months of going into
it. The house then remained empty for some years--probably four.

During this time there is no direct evidence of haunting, but when
inquiry was made later on much hearsay evidence was brought
forward. In April 1882, the house was let by the representatives of
the late Mr. L. to Captain Morton, and it is during his tenancy
(not yet terminated) that the appearances recorded have taken
place.

The family consists of Captain M. himself; his wife, who is a great
invalid; neither of whom saw anything; a married daughter, Mrs. K.,
then about twenty-six, who was only a visitor from time to time,
sometimes with, but more often without, her husband; four unmarried
daughters, myself, then aged nineteen, who was the chief percipient
and now give the chief account of the apparition; E. Morton, then
aged eighteen; L. and M. Morton, then fifteen and thirteen; two
sons, one of sixteen, who was absent during the greater part of the
time when the apparition was seen; the other, then six years old.

My father took the house in March 1882, none of us having then
heard of anything unusual about the house. We moved in towards the
end of April, and it was not until the following June that I first
saw the apparition.

I had gone up to my room, but was not yet in bed, when I heard some
one at the door, and went to it, thinking it might be my mother. On
opening the door, I saw no one; but on going a few steps along the
passage, I saw the figure of a tall lady, dressed in black,
standing at the head of the stairs. After a few moments she
descended the stairs, and I followed for a short distance, feeling
curious what it could be. I had only a small piece of candle, and
it suddenly burnt itself out; and being unable to see more, I went
back to my room.

The figure was that of a tall lady, dressed in black of a soft
woollen material, judging from the slight sound in moving. The face
was hidden in a handkerchief held in the right hand. This is all I
noticed then; but on further occasions, when I was able to observe
her more closely, I saw the upper part of the left side of the
forehead, and a little of the hair above. Her left hand was nearly
hidden by her sleeve and a fold of her dress. As she held it down a
portion of a widow's cuff was visible on both wrists, so that the
whole impression was that of a lady in widow's weeds. There was no
cap on the head but a general effect of blackness suggests a
bonnet, with a long veil or a hood.

During the next two years--from 1882 to 1884--I saw the figure
about half-a-dozen times; at first at long intervals, and
afterwards at shorter, but I only mentioned these appearances to
one friend, who did not speak of them to any one. During this
period, as far as we know, there were only three appearances to any
one else.

1. In the summer of 1882 to my sister, Mrs. K., when the figure was
thought to be that of a Sister of Mercy who had called at the
house, and no further curiosity was aroused. She was coming down
the stairs rather late for dinner at 6.30, it being then quite
light, when she saw the figure cross the hall in front of her, and
pass into the drawing-room. She then asked the rest of us, already
seated at dinner, "Who was that Sister of Mercy whom I have just
seen going into the drawing-room?" She was told there was no such
person, and a servant was sent to look; but the drawing-room was
empty, and she was sure no one had come in. Mrs. K. persisted that
she had seen a tall figure in black, with some white about it; but
nothing further was thought of the matter.

2. In the autumn of 1883 it was seen by the housemaid about 10
P.M., she declaring that some one had got into the house, her
description agreeing fairly with what I had seen; but as on
searching no one was found, her story received no credit.

3. On or about December 18th, 1883, it was seen in the drawing-room
by my brother and another little boy. They were playing outside on
the terrace when they saw the figure in the drawing-room close to
the window, and ran in to see who it could be that was crying so
bitterly. They found no one in the drawing-room, and the
parlour-maid told them that no one had come into the house.

After the first time, I followed the figure several times
downstairs into the drawing-room, where she remained a variable
time, generally standing to the right hand side of the bow window.
From the drawing-room she went along the passage towards the garden
door, where she always disappeared.

The first time I spoke to her was on January 29th, 1884. "I opened
the drawing-room door softly and went in, standing just by it. She
came in past me and walked to the sofa and stood still there, so I
went up to her and asked her if I could help her. She moved, and I
thought she was going to speak, but she only gave a slight gasp and
moved towards the door. Just by the door I spoke to her again, but
she seemed as if she were quite unable to speak. She walked into
the hall, then by the side door she seemed to disappear as before."
(Quoted from a letter written on January 31st.) In May and June,
1884, I tried some experiments, fastening strings with marine glue
across the stairs at different heights from the ground--of which I
give a more detailed account later on.

I also attempted to touch her, but she always eluded me. It was not
that there was nothing there to touch, but that she always seemed
to be _beyond_ me, and if followed into a corner, simply
disappeared.

During these two years the only _noises_ I heard were those of
slight pushes against my bedroom door, accompanied by footsteps;
and if I looked out on hearing these sounds, I invariably saw the
figure. "Her footstep is very light, you can hardly hear it, except
on the linoleum, and then only like a person walking softly with
thin boots on." (Letter on January 31st, 1884.) The appearances
during the next two months--July and August, 1884--became much more
frequent; indeed they were then at their maximum, from which time
they seem gradually to have decreased, until now they seem to have
ceased.

Of these two months I have a short record in a set of journal
letters written at the time to a friend. On July 21st I find the
following account. "I went into the drawing-room, where my father
and sisters were sitting about nine in the evening, and sat down on
a couch close to the bow window. A few minutes after, as I sat
reading, I saw the figure come in at the open door, cross the room
and take up a position close behind the couch where I was. I was
astonished that no one else in the room saw her, as she was so very
distinct to me. My youngest brother, who had before seen her, was
not in the room. She stood behind the couch for about half-an-hour,
and then as usual walked to the door. I went after her, on the
excuse of getting a book, and saw her pass along the hall, until
she came to the garden door, where she disappeared. I spoke to her
as she passed the foot of the stairs, but she did not answer,
although as before she stopped and seemed as though _about_ to
speak." On July 31st, some time after I had gone up to bed, my
second sister E., who had remained downstairs talking in another
sister's room, came to me saying that some one had passed her on
the stairs. I tried then to persuade her that it was one of the
servants, but next morning found it could not have been so, as none
of them had been out of their rooms at that hour, and E.'s more
detailed description tallied with what I had already seen.

On the night of August 1st, I again saw the figure. I heard the
footsteps outside on the landing about 2 A.M. I got up at once, and
went outside. She was then at the end of the landing at the top of
the stairs, with her side view towards me. She stood there some
minutes, then went downstairs, stopping again when she reached the
hall below. I opened the drawing-room door and she went in, walked
across the room to the couch in the bow window, stayed there a
little, then came out of the room, went along the passage, and
disappeared by the garden door. I spoke to her again, but she did
not answer.

On the night of August 2nd the footsteps were heard by my three
sisters and by the cook, all of whom slept on the top landing--also
by my married sister, Mrs. K., who was sleeping on the floor below.
They all said the next morning that they had heard them very
plainly pass and repass their doors. The cook was a middle-aged and
very sensible person; on my asking her the following morning if any
of the servants had been out of their rooms the night before, after
coming up to bed, she told me that she had heard these footsteps
before, and that she had seen the figure on the stairs one night
when going down to the kitchen to fetch hot water after the
servants had come up to bed. She described it as a lady in widow's
dress, tall and slight, with her face hidden in a handkerchief held
in her right hand. Unfortunately we have since lost sight of this
servant; she left us about a year afterwards on her mother's death,
and we cannot now trace her. She also saw the figure outside the
kitchen windows on the terrace-walk, she herself being in the
kitchen; it was then about eleven in the morning, but having no
note of the occurrence, I cannot now remember whether this
appearance was subsequent to the one above mentioned.

These footsteps are very characteristic, and are not at all like
those of any of the people in the house; they are soft and rather
slow, though decided and even. My sisters would not go out on the
landing after hearing them pass, nor would the servants, but each
time when I have gone out after hearing them, I have seen the
figure there.

On August 5th I told my father about her and what we had seen and
heard. He was much astonished, not having seen or heard anything
himself at that time--neither then had my mother, but she is
slightly deaf, and is an invalid. He made inquiries of the landlord
(who then lived close by) as to whether he knew of anything unusual
about the house, as he had himself lived in it for a short time,
but he replied that he had only been there for three months, and
had never seen anything unusual....

On the evening of August 11th we were sitting in the drawing-room
with the gas lit but the shutters not shut, the light outside
getting dusk, my brothers and a friend having just given up tennis,
finding it too dark; my eldest sister, Mrs. K., and myself both saw
the figure on the balcony outside, looking in at the window. She
stood there some minutes, then walked to the end and back again,
after which she seemed to disappear. She soon after came into the
drawing-room, when I saw her, but my sister did not. The same
evening my sister E. saw her on the stairs as she came out of a
room on the upper landing.

The following evening, August 12th, while coming up the garden, I
walked towards the orchard, when I saw the figure cross the
orchard, go along the carriage drive in front of the house, and in
at the open side door, across the hall and into the drawing-room, I
following. She crossed the drawing-room and took up her usual
position behind the couch in the bow window. My father came in soon
after, and I told him she was there. He could not see the figure,
but went up to where I showed him she was. She then went swiftly
round behind him, across the room, out of the door, and along the
hall, disappearing as usual near the garden door, we both following
her. We looked out into the garden, having first to unlock the
garden door, which my father had locked as he came through, but saw
nothing of her.

On August 12th, about 8 P.M., and still quite light, my sister E.
was singing in the back drawing-room. I heard her stop abruptly,
come out into the hall, and call me. She said she had seen the
figure in the drawing-room close behind her as she sat at the
piano. I went back into the room with her and saw the figure in the
bow window in her usual place. I spoke to her several times, but
had no answer. She stood there for about ten minutes or a quarter
of an hour; then went across the room to the door, and along the
passage, disappearing in the same place by the garden door.

My sister M. then came in from the garden, saying she had seen her
coming up the kitchen steps outside. We all three then went out
into the garden, when Mrs. K. called out from a window on the first
storey that she had just seen her pass across the lawn in front and
along the carriage drive towards the orchard. This evening, then,
altogether four people saw her. My father was then away, and my
youngest brother was out.

On the morning of August 14th the parlour-maid saw her in the
dining-room, about 8.30 A.M., having gone into the room to open the
shutters. The room is very sunny, and even with all the shutters
closed it is quite light, the shutters not fitting well, and
letting sunlight through the cracks. She had opened one shutter,
when, on turning round, she saw the figure cross the room. We were
all on the look-out for her that evening, but saw nothing; in fact,
whenever we had made arrangements to watch, and were especially
expecting her, we never saw anything. This servant, who afterwards
married, was interviewed by Mr Myers at her own house....

On August 19th we all went to the seaside, and were away a month,
leaving three servants in the house.

When we came back they said that they had heard footsteps and
noises frequently, but as the stair-carpets were up part of the
time and the house was empty, many of these noises were doubtless
due to natural causes, though by them attributed to the figure.

The cook also spoke of seeing the figure in the garden, standing by
a stone vase on the lawn behind the house.

During the rest of that year and the following, 1885, the
apparition was frequently seen through each year, especially during
July, August, and September. In these months the three deaths took
place, viz.:--Mr. S., on July 14th, 1876; the first Mrs. S. in
August, and the second Mrs. S. on September 23rd.

The apparitions were of exactly the same type, seen in the same
places and by the same people, at varying intervals.

The footsteps continued, and were heard by several visitors and new
servants who had taken the places of those who had left, as well as
by myself, four sisters and brother; in all by about twenty people,
many of them not having previously heard of the apparitions or
sounds.

Other sounds were also heard in addition which seemed gradually to
increase in intensity. They consisted of walking up and down on the
second-floor landing, of bumps against the doors of the bedrooms,
and of the handles of the doors turning....

During this year, at Mr. Myers's suggestion, I kept a photographic
camera constantly ready to try to photograph the figure, but on the
few occasions I was able to do so, I got no result; at night,
usually only by candle-light, a long exposure would be necessary
for so dark a figure, and this I could not obtain. I also tried to
communicate with the figure, constantly speaking to it and asking
it to make signs, if not able to speak, but with no result. I also
tried especially to _touch_ her, but did not succeed. On cornering
her, as I did once or twice, she disappeared.

Some time in the summer of this year (1886), Mrs. Twining, our
regular charwoman, saw the figure, while waiting in the hall at the
door leading to the kitchen stairs, for her payment. Until it
suddenly vanished from her sight, as no real figure could have
done, she thought it was a lady visitor who had mistaken her way.
Mr. Myers interviewed her on December 29th, 1889, and has her
separate account.

On one night in July 1886 (my father and I being away from home),
my mother and her maid heard a loud noise in an unoccupied room
over their heads. They went up, but seeing nothing and the noise
ceasing, they went back to my mother's room on the first storey.
They then heard loud noises from the morning-room on the ground
floor. They then went half-way downstairs, when they saw a bright
light in the hall beneath. Being alarmed, they went up to my sister
E., who then came down, and they all three examined the doors,
windows, etc., and found them all fastened as usual. My mother and
her maid then went to bed. My sister E. went up to her room on the
second storey, but as she passed the room where my two sisters L.
and M. were sleeping, they opened their door to say that they had
heard noises, and also seen what they described as the _flame_ of a
candle, without candle or hand visible, cross the room diagonally
from corner to door. Two of the maids opened the doors of their two
bedrooms, and said that they had also heard noises; they all five
stood at their doors with their lighted candles for some little
time. They all heard steps walking up and down the landing between
them; as they passed they felt a sensation which they described as
"a cold wind," though their candles were not blown about. They
_saw_ nothing. The steps then descended the stairs, re-ascended,
again descended, and did not return.

In the course of the following autumn we heard traditions of
earlier haunting, though, unfortunately, in no case were we able to
get a first-hand account....

We also now heard from a carpenter who had done jobs in the house
in Mrs. S.'s time, that Mrs. S. had wished to possess herself of
the first Mrs. S.'s jewels. Her husband had called him in to make a
receptacle under the boards in the morning-room on the
ground-floor, in which receptacle he placed the jewels, and then
had it nailed down and the carpet replaced. The carpenter showed us
the place. My father made him take up the boards; the receptacle
was there, but empty....

During the next two years, 1887 to 1889, the figure was very seldom
seen, though footsteps were heard; the louder noises had gradually
ceased. From 1889 to the present, 1892, so far as I know, the
figure has not been seen at all; the lighter footsteps lasted a
little longer, but even they have now ceased. The figure became
much less substantial on its later appearances. Up to about 1886 it
was so solid and life-like that it was often mistaken for a real
person. It gradually became less distinct. At all times it
intercepted the light; we have not been able to ascertain if it
cast a shadow.

_Proofs of Immateriality._

1. I have several times fastened fine strings across the stairs at
various heights before going to bed, but after all others have gone
up to their rooms. These were fastened in the following way: I made
small pellets of marine glue, into which I inserted the ends of the
cord, then stuck one pellet lightly against the wall and the other
to the banister, the string being thus stretched across the stairs.
They were knocked down by a very slight touch, and yet would not be
felt by any one passing up or down the stairs, and by candle-light
could not be seen from below. They were put at various heights from
the ground from six inches to the height of the banisters, about
three feet. I have twice at least seen the figure pass through the
cords, leaving them intact.

2. The sudden and complete disappearance of the figure, while still
in full view.

3. The impossibility of touching the figure. I have repeatedly
followed it into a corner, when it disappeared, and have tried to
suddenly pounce upon it, but have never succeeded in touching it or
getting my hand up to it, the figure eluding my touch.

4. It has appeared in a room with the doors shut.

On the other hand, the figure was not called up by a desire to see
it, for on every occasion when we had made special arrangements to
watch for it, we never saw it. On several occasions we have sat up
at night hoping to see it, but in vain,--my father, with my
brother-in-law, myself with a friend three or four times, an aunt
and myself twice, and my sisters with friends more than once; but
on none of these occasions was anything seen. Nor have the
appearances been seen after we have been talking or thinking much
of the figure.

The figure has been connected with the second Mrs. S.; the grounds
for which are:--

1. The complete history of the house is known, and if we are to
connect the figure with any of the previous occupants, she is the
only person who in any way resembled the figure.

2. The widow's garb excludes the first Mrs. S.

3. Although none of us had ever seen the second Mrs. S., several
people who _had_ known her identified her from our description. On
being shown a photo-album containing a number of portraits, I
picked out one of her sister as being most like that of the figure,
and was afterwards told that the sisters were much alike.

4. Her step-daughter and others told us that she especially used
the front drawing-room in which she continually appeared, and that
her habitual seat was on a couch placed in similar position to
ours.

5. The figure is undoubtedly connected with the house, none of the
percipients having seen it anywhere else, nor had any other
hallucination.

In writing the above account, my memory of the occurrences has been
largely assisted by reference to a set of journal letters written
[to Miss Campbell] at the time, and by notes of interviews held by
Mr. Myers with my father and various members of our family.

R. C. MORTON.

Of the accounts given by the other witnesses, I quote only part of Miss Campbell's statement, as follows:--

77 CHESTERTON ROAD, NORTH KENSINGTON, W., _March 31st, 1892_.

...On the night on which Miss Morton first spoke to the figure, as
stated in her account, I myself saw her telepathically. I was in my
room (I was then residing in the North of England, quite one
hundred miles away from Miss Morton's home), preparing for bed,
between twelve and half-past, when I seemed suddenly to be standing
close by the door of the housemaid's cupboard, so facing the short
flight of stairs leading to the top landing. Coming down these
stairs, I saw the figure, exactly as described, and about two steps
behind Miss Morton herself, with a dressing-gown thrown loosely
round her, and carrying a candle in her hand. A loud noise in the
room overhead recalled me to my surroundings, and although I tried
for some time I could not resume the impression. The black dress,
dark head-gear, widow's cuffs and handkerchief were plainly
visible, though the details of them were not given me by Miss
Morton till afterwards, when I asked her whether she had not seen
the apparition on that night.

(Signed) CATHERINE M. CAMPBELL.

To this account Miss Morton adds:--

Miss Campbell was the friend to whom I first spoke of the
apparition. She suggested to me that when next I saw her I should
speak; but of course she had no idea when this would be. She wrote
an account to me the next day of what she had seen, and asked me if
I had not seen the figure that night; but naturally did not know
that I _had_ done so, until she received my reply. Miss Campbell
asks me to say that this is the only vision she has had, veridical
or otherwise.

APPENDICES

TO