This is the first occasion on which there has been mention of the sound of continuous reading aloud, which afterwards became extremely familiar.  The sound was always that well known to Roman Catholics as that of a priest “saying his office.”  It may be as well to remind the reader that Clerks in Holy Orders of that Church are, like those of the Anglican, strictly bound to read through the whole of the Daily Service every day, and it is not permitted to do this merely by the eye, the lips must utter the words.  In practice some are accustomed to move the lips with hardly any sound, and such, we have ascertained, is the custom of the Rev. P——­ H——­; others read it absolutely aloud, and will retire to their own rooms or other places, where they may be alone for the purpose.  This, we heard, was the invariable practice of the Rev. Mr.  “I.,” the chaplain of Mr. and Mrs.  “G.”

As a matter of fact, we were sleeping on the other side of the house, and the rooms under the maids’ rooms were empty....  In the evening, about six o’clock, we strolled down the avenue again, and Scamp, who never does bark except under strong excitement, again barked and growled at the copse.

   The Hon. E. F——­, a fellow-member of an S.P.R. committee,
   arrives to-night.  Hospitality constrains us to put him in No. 4,
   which is “not haunted.”

I asked after the success of the new kitchenmaid, a local importation, who arrived yesterday.  I was told she had already gone.  The cook told me “she talked all sorts of nonsense about the house, and the things that had happened in it, and had been seen in it, all day; and then at night refused to sleep here, and the butler had to walk home with her at eleven o’clock.”

The Factor [anglice:  bailiff] came this morning, and I fancied a special intention in his manner.  He was much annoyed about the kitchenmaid, said such talk was “all havers” [anglice:  “drivel"], begged me not to employ her again, and undertook to get another, lending me a girl in his own service meanwhile.

I went with him into the wing to get him to see to things there.  We have been too busy in getting the rest of the house into order to look after it yet; but I find the pipes are out of order, the cisterns frozen, and the “set-basins” in the three bedrooms and bath-room out of working order.  He promised attention, but discouraged the use of the wing.  “Had we not room enough without?” and so on.  I suggested that, any way, for the sake of the rest of the house it must be aired and thawed, and he insisted that the kitchen fire below did that sufficiently.

I cannot help remembering that this is the scene of the phenomena recorded by Miss “B——­,” as Duncan R——­, the factor, is well aware.  Also, he was persistent about “keeping out the natives,” and their chatter, if I wanted to keep the servants, but did not specify the nature of the chatter, and I asked no questions.

   February 6th, Saturday.—­No phenomena last night.  The house
   perfectly still.