“You’d find it more difficult than you think to prove that,” said Sir Lyon quietly.  “I’ve been to too many seances to be able to accept that point of view.  I feel sure that Miss Bubbles was what they call ‘controlled’ by a separate entity calling herself ‘Laughing Water.’  But if you ask me what sort of entity, then I cannot reply.”

Panton turned on him:  “Then you’re a spiritualist?” he exclaimed.  “Of course I was quite unaware of that fact when I spoke just now.”

There was an underlying touch of scorn in his voice.

“No, I do not call myself a spiritualist.  But still—­yes, I accept the term, if by it you mean that I believe there is no natural explanation for certain of the phenomena we have seen, or heard of, in the last twenty-four hours.”

He purposely did not allude to what had happened between tea and dinner in the hall last evening, but he felt certain that it was very present to Varick himself.

“I spoke just now of the curious occurrences in the Wesley household,” he observed, turning to the young doctor.  “That, of course, is the most famous case on record of the sort of thing which took place in the kitchen last night.”

“But why,” cried Varick, with a touch of excitement, “why should all these things happen just now at Wyndfell Hall?  I know, of course, the story of the haunted room.  But most old houses have one respectable ghost attached to them.  I don’t mind the ghost Pegler fancies she saw—­but, good heavens, the place now seems full of tricksy spirits!  Still, it’s an odd fact that none of the servants, with the one exception of Miss Farrow’s maid, have seen anything out of the way.”

Here the doctor broke in:  “That’s easily accounted for!” he exclaimed.  “I understand from Miss Farrow that her maid—­a remarkable person without doubt—­has held her tongue ever since she saw, or thought she saw, a ghost.  But if the other servants knew everything we know, there’d be no holding them—­there’d be no servants!”

“Of course, I admit that in the great majority of instances those who think they see what’s commonly called a ghost probably see no ghost at all,” said Sir Lyon thoughtfully.  “They’ve heard that a ghost is there, and therefore they think they see it.”

“Then,” said Varick, turning on him, “you don’t believe Pegler did see the ghost of Dame Grizel Fauncey?”

Sir Lyon smiled.  “I daresay you’ll think me very illogical, but in this one case I think Pegler did see what is commonly called a ghost.  And I’ll tell you why I think so.”

Both men turned and looked at him fixedly, both in their several ways being much surprised by his words.

“I have discovered,” said Sir Lyon in a rather singular tone, “that this woman Pegler saw nothing for the first few days she occupied the haunted room.”

Panton stared at the speaker with an astonished expression.  “What exactly do you mean to imply?” he asked.