and climbing
over into the lane at imminent danger to life and limb, she tore
frantically towards the figure. To her dismay, however, it was not me,
but a stranger with a horribly white face and big glassy eyes which he
turned down at her and stared. She was so frightened that she fainted,
and some ten minutes later I found her lying out there on the road. From
the description she gave me of the man and dogs, I felt quite certain
they were the figures I had seen; though I pretended the man was a
tramp, and assured her she would never see him again. A week passed, and
I was beginning to hope nothing would happen, when one of the servants
gave notice to leave. At first she would not say why she did not like the house, but when
pressed made the following statement:--

"It's haunted, Mrs. B----. I can put up with mice and beetles, but not
with ghosts. I've had a queer sensation, as if water was falling down my
spine, ever since I've been here, but never saw anything till last
night. I was then in the kitchen getting ready to go to bed. Jane and
Emma had already gone up, and I was preparing to follow them, when, all
of a sudden, I heard footsteps, quick and heavy, cross the gravel and
approach the window. "'The boss,' says I to myself; 'maybe he's forgot the key and can't get
in at the front door.' "Well, I went to the window and was about to throw it open, when I got
an awful shock. Pressed against the glass, looking in at me, was a
face--not the boss's face, not the face of anyone living, but a horrid
white thing with a drooping mouth and wide-open, glassy eyes, that had
no more expression in them than a pig. As sure as I'm standing here,
Mrs. B----, it was the face of a corpse--the face of a man that had died
no natural death. And by its side, standing on their hind-legs, and
staring in at me too were two dogs, both poodles--also no living things,
but dead, horribly dead. Well, they stared at me, all three of them, for
perhaps a minute, certainly not less, and then vanished. That's why I'm
leaving, Mrs. B----. My heart was never overstrong. I always suffered
with palpitations, and if I saw those heads again, it would kill me." After this my wife spoke to me seriously. "Jack," she said, "are you sure there's nothing in it? I don't think
Mary would leave us without a good cause, and the description of what
she saw tallies exactly with the figure that frightened Jennie. Jennie
assures me she never said a word about it to the servants. They can't
both have imagined it." I did not know what to say. My conscience pricked me. Without a doubt I
ought to have told my wife of my own experience in the lane, and have
consulted her before taking the house. Supposing she, or any of the
children, should die of fright, it would be my fault. I should never
forgive myself. "You've something on your mind! What is it?" my wife demanded. I hesitated a moment or two and then told her. The next quarter of an
hour was one I do not care to recollect, but when it was over, and she
had had her say, it was decided I should make enquiries and see if there
was any possible way of getting rid of the ghosts. With this end in
view, I drove to the town, and after several fruitless efforts was at
length introduced to a Mr. Marsden, clerk of one of the banks, who, in
reply to my questions, said:

"Well, Mr. B----, it's just this way. I do know something, only--in a
small place like this--one has to be so extra careful what one says. Some years ago a Mr. Jeremiah Dance occupied the Crow's Nest. He came
here apparently a total stranger, and though often in the town, was only
seen in the company of one person--his landlord, Mr. Baldwin, with
whom--if local gossip is to be relied on--he appeared to be on terms of
the greatest familiarity. Indeed, they were seldom apart, walked about
the lanes arm-in-arm, visited each other's houses on alternate evenings,
called each other "Teddy" and "Leslie." This state of things continued
for nearly three years, and then people suddenly began to comment on the
fact that Mr. Dance had gone, or at least was no longer visible. An
errand-boy, returning back to town, late one evening, swore to being
passed on the way by a trap containing Mr. Baldwin and Mr. Dance, who
were speaking in very loud voices--just as if they were having a violent
altercation. On reaching that part of the road where the trees are
thickest overhead, the lad overtook them, or rather Mr. Baldwin,
preparing to mount into the trap. Mr. Dance was nowhere to be seen. And
from that day to this nothing has ever been heard of him. As none of his
friends or relations came forward to raise enquiries, and all his bills
were paid--several of them by Mr. Baldwin--no one took the matter up. Mr. Baldwin pooh-poohed the errand-boy's story, and declared that, on
the night in question, he had been alone in an altogether different part
of the county, and knew nothing whatever of Mr. Dance's movements,
further than that he had recently announced his intention of leaving the
Crow's Nest before the expiration of the three years' lease. He had not
the remotest idea where he was. He claimed the furniture in payment of
the rent due to him." "Did the matter end there?" I asked. "In one sense of the word, yes--in another, no. Within a few weeks of
Dance's disappearance rumours got afloat that his ghost had been seen on
the road, just where, you may say, you saw it. As a matter of fact, I've
seen it myself--and so have crowds of other people." "Has anyone ever spoken to it?" "Yes--and it has vanished at once. I went there one night with the
purpose of laying it, but, on its appearing suddenly, I confess I was so
startled, that I not only forgot what I had rehearsed to say, but ran
home, without uttering as much as a word." "And what are your deductions of the case?" "The same as everyone else's," Mr. Marsden whispered, "only, like
everyone else, I dare not say." "Had Mr. Dance any dogs?" "Yes--two poodles, of which, much to Mr. Baldwin's annoyance (everyone
noticed this), he used to make the most ridiculous fuss." "Humph!" I observed. "That settles it! Ghosts! And to think I never
believed in them before! Well, I am going to try." "Try what?" Mr. Marsden said, a note of alarm in his voice. "Try laying it. I have an idea I may succeed." "I wish you luck, then. May I come with you?" "Thanks, no!" I rejoined. "I would rather go there alone." I said this in a well-lighted room, with the hum of a crowded
thoroughfare in my ears. Twenty minutes later, when I had left all that
behind, and was fast approaching the darkest part of an exceptionally
dark road, I wished I had not. At the very spot, where I had previously
seen the figures, I saw them now. They suddenly appeared by my side, and
though I was going at a great rate--for the horse took fright--they kept
easy pace with me.