[Illustration:  a]

[Illustration:  b]

February 20th, Saturday.—­This morning we went down to ——­ and had a little talk with the old servant who told us stories the other day about the Major, and she repeated the story of his threatened return.  The same story was repeated independently this afternoon by [a local tradesman], who opened conversation by inquiring whether we had “seen the Major yet.”

Miss Moore and I again this morning heard noises in No. 8, more especially those of the pattering footsteps, just after daylight, and a violent jump and scramble, which we thought was our dog, until we found that he was sleeping peacefully as usual on his rug at our feet.

In a letter to Lord Bute, dated February 21, 1897, Mr “Q.” gives the following account:—­

“On February 20th, at about 6.45 P.M., I visited the burn with Miss Freer and Miss Langton.  I was very briefly conscious of the figure (a) on the bank of the burn, but saw no more till Miss Freer pointed to the hollow of a large tree, when I again saw (b).  On each occasion of seeing (b) a curious sensation was noticeable, and I felt I was being looked at.  On speaking afterwards to Miss Freer, I found her vision of the nun under the tree to be the same as mine at (b), i.e. full face, as indeed Miss Freer had seen it on previous occasions.  This is the second sketch I have drawn of the full face (b).  The first I showed to Miss Freer, remarking to her, ’I have made the figure too broad’ (being unaccustomed to drawing).  ‘Yes,’ said Miss Freer, ‘for the nun is very slight.’”

It was seen at the same moment also by Miss Freer and Miss Langton.

February 21st, Sunday.—­Again this morning we heard noises of pattering in No. 8, and Scamp got up and sat apparently watching something invisible to us, turning his head slowly as if following the movements of some person or thing across the room from west to east.  During the night Miss Moore had heard footsteps crossing the room, as of an old or invalid man shuffling in slippers.  We both heard a bang at the side of the room about 6.20, some time before any sounds of moving were heard from the servants above.  The noise was muffled in quality, and had no resonance, and seemed to come from behind a small wardrobe on the east wall.  The room (No. 7) on that side was unoccupied. [This bang was heard at other times in the same spot.  Experiment showed that no noise made in No. 7 was audible in No. 8, not even hammering with a poker on the wall, which is curved at this point.]

   This morning, on coming out of church, I received a letter from
   Mr. F——­, in which was the following passage:—­