Miss Burnaby, who had slept through everything, exclaimed, when the happenings of the night before were told her by Mr. Tapster, “The place seems bewitched!  I shall never forget what happened yesterday afternoon to Helen.”  Turning to Dr. Panton, she continued:  “My niece actually believes that she saw a ghost yesterday!”

Helen said sharply, “I thought nothing was to be said about that, Auntie.”

Meanwhile the doctor stared at her, hardly believing the evidence of his own ears.  “You thought you saw a ghost?” he said incredulously.

And Helen, turning away, answered:  “I would so much rather not speak about it.  I don’t want even to think about it ever again!”

An hour later, as Panton and Sir Lyon stood outside the house waiting for Varick, the doctor said a word to the other man:  “A most extraordinary thing happened here yesterday.  Miss Brabazon apparently believes she saw a ghost.”

“Did she tell you so herself?” asked Sir Lyon quietly.

“No, her aunt mentioned it, quite as if it was an ordinary incident.  But I could see that it was true, for she was very much upset, and said she would rather not speak of it.”

They had then been joined by their host, and when once through the gate, the doctor’s first words had proved that his mind was still full of all that had happened in the night.

“Surely you don’t put down what happened last night to a supernatural agency?”

He was addressing Sir Lyon, and though he spoke quite civilly, there was an under-current of sarcasm in his pleasant, confident voice.

“At one time I was very deeply interested in what I think one may call the whole range of psychic phenomena,” replied Sir Lyon deliberately, “and I came to certain very definite conclusions—­”

“And what,” said Varick, with a touch of real eagerness, “were those conclusions?”

Till now he had not joined in the discussion.

“For one thing, I very soon made up my mind that a great deal of what occurs at every properly conducted seance can by no means be dismissed as ‘all bosh,’” answered Sir Lyon.

“Do you consider that the seance which took place the first evening you were here was a properly conducted seance?” asked Varick slowly.

“Yes—­as far as I was able to ascertain—­it was.  I felt convinced, for instance, that Laughing Water was a separate entity—­that was why I asked her to pass me by.  To me there is something indecent about an open seance.  I have always felt that very strongly; and what happened that evening in the case of Mr. Burnaby of course confirmed my feeling.”

Varick uttered under his breath an exclamation of incredulous amazement.  “D’you mean that you believe there was a spirit present?  It would take some time to do it, but I think I could prove that it was what I took it to be—­thought-reading of quite an exceptional quality, joined to a clever piece of acting.”