“As to ‘A Correspondent’s’ interviews with local people:—­

“As to the old caretaker, she is an old woman, very deaf, and she always occupied a room on the ground floor, where, during the three months that I was there, nothing whatever was heard, as my two footmen slept there, and they did not hear any noises.  As to the intelligent gardener, if it is the same one that was there when I was there, he, surely, has not forgotten the night he spent with me in my room; he was nearly frightened out of his wits, and declared he would not spend another night in my room for any money—­a fact that the factor or steward and others well know.

“There are many other incidents in my experience with the mystery of B——­, but I hope this is sufficient for the purpose I intend it—­namely, for the truth to be known, for I have no other motive in writing this letter; for I have left the service of the house some months now.  But as to your correspondent’s statement that some of the house were doing it, it is simply absurd; for in turn they were all away from B——­ for a week or fortnight, and still these noises were heard.  Another thing; is it possible for any one to keep up a joke like that for three months? or, if any one had been doing it, I should certainly have caught them; and I can assure you that the house were very much annoyed with it, not only for themselves, but for their visitors, for I have sat up all night with some of them, who were afraid to go to their beds:  and I think that if ‘A Correspondent’ had stayed as long in B——­ as I did, and had had some of my experiences, he would have a very different tale to tell, although up to my going to B——­ I would laugh at any one who told me there were such things as ghosts; and even now I am not quite convinced; but of one thing I am certain—­that is, that there is something supernatural in the noises and things that I heard and experienced at B——.  Thanking you, dear sir, in anticipation of your inserting this letter, I remain your obedient servant,

  “HAROLD SANDERS. 
  “CHIDCOCK, NEAR BRIDPORT, DORSET.”

The passage in The Times article is as follows:—­

“An intelligent gardener whom I questioned told me that he had kept watch in the house on two separate occasions, abstaining from sleep until daylight appeared at seven o’clock, but without hearing a sound.  A caretaker, who had spent months in the house, and who had to keep a stove alight all night, never heard a sound, probably because there was no one to make any.”

The gardener’s evidence on this point will be found on p. 218.

Without admitting, for one moment, the theory that a servant’s evidence may not be of equal value with that of the so-called educated classes, it was thought desirable, before admitting that of Sanders, to make some inquiries as to his character, intelligence, and capacity for observation.  His employer spoke well of him, and Colonel Taylor had the advantage of a personal interview with him, which he thus describes:—­