Part 3 (2/2)

”Far from satisfied,” I interpolated.

”Well, convinced, whatever you like to call it--that the whole thing is supernatural, whereas I am equally sure it is a trick; a clever trick I allow, though I haven't yet got at the motive of it.”

”You need your nerves to be at their best to discover a trick of this kind, if a trick it be,” I said quietly.

Philip had left his seat, and walked up and down the room; his way of doing so gave me a feeling that he wanted to walk off some unusual consciousness of irritability. I felt half provoked and half sorry for him.

At that moment--we were alone in the drawing-room--the door opened, and Miss Larpent came in.

”I cannot find Sophy,” she said, peering about through her rather short-sighted eyes, which, nevertheless, see a great deal sometimes; ”do you know where she is?”

”I saw her setting off somewhere with Nugent,” said Philip, stopping his quarter-deck exercise for a moment.

”Ah, then it is hopeless. I suppose I must resign myself to very irregular ways for a little longer,” Miss Larpent replied with a smile.

She is not young, and not good looking, but she is gifted with a delightful way of smiling, and she is--well, the dearest and almost the wisest of women.

She looked at Philip as he spoke. She had known us nearly since our babyhood.

”Is there anything the matter?” she said suddenly. ”You look f.a.gged, Leila, and Philip seems worried.”

I glanced at Philip. He understood me.

”Yes,” he replied, ”I am irritated, and Leila is----” he hesitated.

”What?” asked Miss Larpent.

”Oh, I don't know--obstinate, I suppose. Sit down, Miss Larpent, and hear our story. Leila, you can tell it.”

I did so--first obtaining a promise of secrecy, and making Phil relate his own experience.

Our new _confidante_ listened attentively, her face very grave. When she had heard all, she said quietly, after a moment's silence:--

”It's very strange, very. Philip, if you will wait till to-morrow night, and I quite agree with Leila that you had better do so, I will sit up with you. I have pretty good nerves, and I have always wanted an experience of that kind.”

”Then you don't think it is a trick?” I said eagerly. I was like Dormer, divided between my real underlying longing to explain the thing, and get rid of the horror of it, and a half childish wish to prove that I had not exaggerated its ghastliness.

”I will tell you that the day after to-morrow,” she said. I could not repress a little s.h.i.+ver as she spoke.

She _had_ good nerves, and she was extremely sensible.

But I almost blamed myself afterwards for having acquiesced in the plan.

For the effect on her was very great. They never told me exactly what happened; ”You _know_,” said Miss Larpent. I imagine their experience was almost precisely similar to Dormy's and mine, intensified, perhaps, by the feeling of loneliness. For it was not till all the rest of the family was in bed that this second vigil began. It was a bright moonlight night--they had the whole thing complete.

It was impossible to throw off the effect; even in the daytime the four of us who had seen and heard, shrank from the gallery, and made any conceivable excuse for avoiding it.

But Phil, however convinced, behaved consistently. He examined the closed door thoroughly, to detect any possible trickery. He explored the attics, he went up and down the staircase leading to the offices, till the servants must have thought he was going crazy. He found _nothing_--no vaguest hint even as to why the gallery was chosen by the ghostly shadow for its nightly round.

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