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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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


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

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


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

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

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

vision images.

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

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


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

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

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

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

This morning, on coming out of church, I received a letter from

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