nothing more ourselves, though every one else in the house was disturbed nightly."

The Major B—— mentioned in the above statement has been good enough to furnish the following note as to his personal impressions:—

"On 22nd August 1896 I arrived at B——, and remained there until the 2nd September. During this period I slept in the room on the first floor, which is at the end of a short corridor running from the top of the back stairs to my room [No. 1].

"Colonel A—— occupied the room next to me [No. 3]. It was a double room, connected by a door, and was situated just at the top of the back stair.

"August 24th, about 3.30 a.m., I heard very loud knocking, apparently on Colonel A——'s door, about nine raps in all—three raps quickly, one after the other, then three more the same, and three more the same. It was as if some one was hitting the door with his fist as hard as he could hit. I left my room at once, but could find nothing to account for the noise. It was broad daylight at the time. I heard the same noises on the 28th and 30th August at about the same hour, viz. between 3 and 4 a.m."

The following, which adds somewhat to the above, was contained in a private letter written in January 1897 from Major B—— to the Hon. E—— F——:—

"Between two and four in the morning there used to be noises on the door (of Colonel A——'s room), as if a very strong man were hitting the panels as hard as ever he could hit, three times in quick succession—a pause, and then three times again in quick succession, and perhaps another go. It was so loud that I thought it was on the door of his dressing-room, but he said he thought it was on his bedroom door. One theory is, that it was the hot water in the pipes getting cold, which, I am told, would make a loud throbbing noise. I tripped out pretty quick the first time I heard it, but could see nothing. Of course it is broad daylight in Scotland then.

"The same banging was, I believe, heard on one of the bedroom doors down the passage, in the wing on the ground floor, and on investigation I found there were hot-water pipes just outside that door as well. There were yarns innumerable while I was there about shrieks and footsteps heard, and bedclothes torn off. But I did not experience these.... I don't think the noises were done by a practical joker, as there were too many people on the alert...."

The Hon. E—— F—— wrote to Miss Freer on March 4th:—

"... [Major] B—— is now in London, and I have seen him twice. He says (1) the hot-water pipe theory is not his own, but was suggested by an engineer friend. He should not himself have thought that hot-water pipes could make so big a noise. Besides, Colonel A—— described the noise as a banging either against the door itself, or against the door of the wardrobe inside the room.... (2) He, B——, heard the noise himself several times and bolted out into the passage at once, but saw nothing. The noise sounded like a very loud banging at A——'s door.... (3) He confirms the story about A—— being unable to sleep, and says he used to go to sleep on the moor in consequence."

During Colonel Taylor's tenancy similar noises were heard, both when the water was totally cut off and when, from some defect in the apparatus, it never reached a high temperature.

The Colonel A—— referred to, corroborates this account, as follows, in a letter to Major B——:

"My dear B——, You write asking me about B—— House and its spook. Well, I never saw anything, and what I heard was what you heard, a terrific banging at one's bedroom door, generally about from 2 to 3 a.m., about two nights out of three. Of course there were other yarns of things heard, &c., but I personally never heard or experienced anything else than this banging at the door, which I never could account for...."

Before passing from the subject of Colonel A——, it is as well to mention that after leaving B—— he went to stay at another country house, and the butler there spoke to him of the haunting of B——, where he himself was a servant some years before. This butler was asked for further information, but sent only the following reply:—

"Your note to hand regarding B——. I am afraid what I saw or heard would be of little value to your book, therefore I would rather say nothing."

It will be observed that, so far from denying the facts, he admits that he saw and heard certain things, which he refuses to describe; but as this evidence is circumstantial rather than direct, it is inserted here rather than in the place to which, chronologically, it would, if fuller, properly have belonged.

Mr. and Mrs. "G." were also guests at B—— during the occupation of the H——s. Mrs. "G." published an account of her experiences in a magazine article, of course with fictitious names; but she affirms that she has in no sense "written up" the story, which, indeed, is entirely corroborated by other evidence:—

"October 9th, 1896.—Some friends of mine took the place this year for the shooting, and, relying on the glowing description they had received, took it on trust, and in July last took possession of it without having previously seen it. For a few days all went well; the family established themselves in the old part of the house, leaving a new wing for their guests. The haunted room (for so I may justly call it) was inhabited by two or three persons in succession, who were so alarmed and disturbed by the violent knockings, shrieks, and groans which they heard every night, and which were also heard by many others along the same corridor, that they refused to sleep there after the first few nights. Those who serve under her Majesty's colours are proverbially brave; they will gladly die for their country, with sword in hand and face to the foe. For this reason a distinguished officer [Colonel A——, above quoted] was the next occupant of the haunted chamber, and was told nothing of its antecedents. The morning after his arrival he came down refreshed, and keen for the day's sport. I may here mention, no one is ever disturbed the first night of their stay. During the succeeding nights, however, he was continually roused from his slumbers by the most terrific noises, and want of sleep would cause him to become drowsy when out shooting on the moor, and would tempt him to make a bed of the purple heather and fragrant myrtle.