Mr. MacP——­ and Mr. C——­ returning before they were expected.  On the spur of the moment I asked Mr. C——­ to come with me, leaving Mr. F——­ and Mr. MacP——­ in the avenue.  The snow had gone, and I saw less distinctly; but I saw the nun again, and an older woman in grey, who talked earnestly with her, she answering at intervals.  I could hear no words; the ice was giving, and the burn had begun to murmur. (I tried to persuade myself that the murmur accounted for the voices, but the sounds were entirely distinct, and different in quality and amount.)

This older woman in grey afterwards became familiar.  The name “Marget” was given to her at first half in fun and simply because this was one of the two names given by Ouija (cf. p. 98).  She is apparently the grey woman referred to in the paper published by Mrs. G——­ (cf. p. 64).

The fact of voices being heard by two persons, while one alone saw the figures, seems a clear proof that the figures were hallucinatory.  It seems probable that the sounds also were hallucinatory, but were what is called in the vocabulary of the S.P.R. the “collective” hallucination of two persons.  This seems to render it highly probable that in the case of each the hallucination had a cause external to both, although common to both; moreover, hallucinations are often contagious. The Times correspondent states, that “the lady admitted that the apparition was purely subjective, but in regard to other matters was not willing to suppose that she might be the victim of hallucinations of hearing as well as of sight.”  On the contrary, as all readers of Miss Freer’s published works are aware, she is entirely of opinion that such sights and sounds are pure sense-hallucinations, whatever may be their ultimate origin.

We rejoined the others in silence.  Then Mr. MacP——­ said to Mr. C——­, “Did you see anything?” “Nothing; I only heard voices.”  “What sort of voices?” “Two women.  The older voice talked most, almost continuously.  I heard a younger voice, a higher one, now and then.”

     Note by Mr. MacP——.

   “I knew previously, though Mr. C——­ did not, that Miss Freer
   had seen something up the burn; and when waiting for her and Mr.
   C——­, Mr. F——­ told me the whole story.”

February 9th, Tuesday.—­Last night we—­Miss Moore and I—­heard the “explosive” noises about 11.30 P.M., and speculated as to the possibility of their being caused by the wind in the chimney.  There was a little wind last night—­very little.  It is worth mentioning, that ever since we have been here the air has been phenomenally still.  One can go outside, as we do frequently, to feed the birds and squirrels without hats and not feel a hair stirred.  Even when the snow was on the ground we never felt the cold, owing to the absence of wind, and the thaw has been imperceptible.  Snow is still on the hills.  I have several