the sight of any vehicle coming in or going
out of either of the great gates. Thither
the whole party repaired to look for the
ghosts.

It was not long before the noises already
described were again heard, but nothing
could be seen. Everyone now set to work to
divine the cause of these supernatural sounds.
One said that it was the wind through the
trees; another, that there must be a drain
under the premises inhabited by rats; a
third suggested distant thunder, and so on.
But then there was the rapping at the door
by invisible hands. And for this, everybody
was equally at a loss to account.

This rapping and arrival of invisible
carriages was continued till about half-past
ten. It then ceased, and gave way to sounds
more supernatural still. There arose a sound
of subdued music through the mansion. It
was no delusion. Every one heard it—
servants included—heard it distinctly, and could
follow the old tunes to which our forefathers
used to dance. And some, who listened most
attentively, declared that they could hear the
movement of feet in several of the rooms and
upon the stairs.

Retiring to rest while these noises
continued was out of the question, and the whole
party remained up, speculating, surmising,
and wondering. Towards daylight the sound
of the music ceased, and then came the noise
which always attends the breaking-up of a
ball. Shutting of carriage doors, moving
onward of horses, &c. The reader must
understand, however, that throughout the whole of
these extraordinary noises the sound of the
human voice was never heard; and, as already
stated, nothing whatever was seen.

Daylight put an end to any alarm that had
crept amongst the members of the party at
Carlville, and the majority went to rest.

The evil consequences of the past night's
events were speedily manifested. The female
servants, one and all, wished to leave the
service. They would not on any terms, they
said, remain in a house that was haunted.
They insisted on going at once, being quite
prepared to forfeit their wages, if that
step should be taken. The maids of the
lady visitors also declared that they would
rather not remain another night; and this
was an excellent reason for the lady visitors
themselves, who were really frightened, to
remove from Carlville. In a word, before the
day had passed, Carlville was left to the
members of the Walderburn family, and a
few of the men-servants.

Night came, and all was as still as the
grave. No sound of carriage, no noise of any
sort or kind. The Walderburns, who were
strong-minded people, began to reason on the
matter, and came to the conclusion that the
impressions of the past night were mere
delusions, that the imagination of one person
in the first instance had fired the imagination
of the rest, and that then the idea had
become a fixed idea with all. New female
servants were engaged from a town ten
miles distant, and the establishment of
Carlville was once more perfect in every
particular.

The gentlefolks in the vicinity now began
to call upon the Walderburns, who were
anxious to question them about the
supernatural noises, which still stole over their
minds; but somehow or other they felt
ashamed to do so, especially as there had been
no recurrence of these noises. Amongst others
who called at Carlville was Mr. Estrelle, a
very gentlemanlike and clever man of about
thirty years of age. The Walderburn family
were charmed with him, and the sons
especially cultivated his acquaintance.

One day the conversation happening to
turn upon the estate Carlville and its late
proprietor, Mr. Estrelle spoke as follows:—

"Old Sir Hugh was something more than
eccentric. He was at times insane.
Conscious of being so, he retired from public
life and came down here to live. He held
aloof from all the families in the neighbourhood.
I was the only person whose visits
he received, and I frequently dined with him.
He had always covers laid for twenty, even
when he dined alone. The fact was, he used
to say, that he never knew when his guests
would, or would not come. Especially the
ladies. I should mention that these guests
to whom Sir Hugh attended, were shadows;
imaginary guests to whom he would introduce
you, with all the formality imaginable."

"Was Sir Hugh imbecile?"

"No," replied Mr. Estrelle. "On the
contrary. He was an extremely able man
to the last, and his language in conversation
was of the most vivacious and polished
character. Sir Hugh was the very opposite to
a bore; even at one of his ghost dinner
parties, or ghost balls, or ghost breakfasts,
at all of which I have been and acted."

"How acted?"

"Sir Hugh would point out to me the lady
whom I was to conduct to the table, and would
appoint the place of every one at the board.
Strange to say, every lady or gentleman
guest, whose name he mentioned, was dead.
That Sir Hugh, in his imagination, saw them,
there could be no doubt. The servants, of
course, humoured this odd fancy of their
master's, and waited on his imaginary guests,
as though they had been living flesh and
blood. I, too, used to humour him, by addressing
Lord George This, or Lady Mary That,
across the table. Sometimes, Sir Hugh
would sit at the top of the long table, and
put me at the bottom, and at that distance,
and in a tone appropriate to the distance,
invite me, in my turn, to take wine with
him. No gentleman ever did the honour of
the table with more grace and bearing, while
his flow of witty anecdote was unceasing
and never stale or tedious. Curiously
enough, he would frequently tell very amusing