We looked in that direction bub could see nothing peculiar there.

Our first idea was that it was one of the maid-servants, who had heard our after-dinner conversation, playing the ghost.  But this particular ghostly lady was very short, much shorter than any servant in the establishment.  After some, hesitation all (four) of us advanced towards the ghost.  I remember how my heart throbbed as I advanced with the other three boys.

Then we laughed loud and long.

What do you think it was?

It was only the Lawn Tennis net wrapped round the pole standing against the wall.  The handle of the ratchet arrangement looked like an extending finger.

But from a distance in the moon-light it looked exactly like a short woman draped in white.

This story again shows what trick our imagination plays with us at times.

* * * * *

Talking of ghosts reminds me of a very funny story told by a friend of my grand-father—­a famous medical man of Calcutta.

This famous doctor was once sent for to treat a gentleman at Agra.  This gentleman was a rich Marwari who was suffering from indigestion.  When the doctor reached Agra he was lodged in very comfortable quarters and a number of horses and carriages was placed at his disposal.

He was informed that the patient had been treated by all the local and provincial practitioners but without any result.

The doctor who was as clever a man of the world as of medicine, at once saw that there was really nothing the matter with the patient.  He was really suffering from a curious malady which could in a phrase be called—­“want of physical exercise.”

Agra, the city after which the Province is named, abounds in old magnificent buildings which it takes the tourist a considerable time to see, and the Doctor, of course, was enjoying all the sights in the meantime.

He also prescribed a number of medicines which proved of no avail.  The Doctor had anticipated it, and so he had decided what medicine he would prescribe next.

During the sight-seeing excursions into the environs of the city the doctor had discovered a large pukka well not far from a main street and at a distance of 3 miles from his patient’s house.

This was a very old disused well and it was generally rumoured that a ghost dwelt in it.  So nobody would go near the well at night.  Of course, there was a lot of stories as to what the ghost looked like and how he came out at times and stood on the brink and all that,—­but the doctor really did not believe any of these.  He, however, believed that this ghost, (whether there really was any or not in that well) would cure his patient.

So one morning when he saw his patient he said “Lalla Saheb—­I have found out the real cause of your trouble—­it is a ghost whom you have got to propitiate and unless you do that you will never get well—­and no medicine will help you and your digestion will never improve.”