it at her.  My motive in so doing was to frighten her who had frightened my wife so much.  Courtesy such a creature need not expect from me, being, as her villainous countenance proved, one of the criminal class.  The newspaper fell upon the floor, after apparently going through the figure, and there was a vacuum where it had been.  I was not much shaken, however, although my theory of a human trickster dressed like a woman seemed overturned.”

“Did you tell Mrs. Henniker what you had seen?”

“Naturally I did.  At this period we talked of nothing else.  She saw the apparition twice herself.  Once she entered our dressing-room and saw the figure bending over a sleeping child (it faded as she looked); another time she was with me in the drawing-room, when she laid down her book and whispered, ‘See, see, near the door!’ There, sure enough was the appearance that had visited me in the study in clear daylight.  I did not make her out quite as distinctly now because our candles did not light up that end of the long room, or my older eyes were not as good as Angela’s.”

“What did Mrs. Henniker do?”

“She started up and ran to catch the old woman in the black bonnet.”

“And did she catch her?”

“She caught a shiver—­nothing more!

“After this I resolved to give up the Hall at once, sacrificing four months’ rent for the sake of my wife and children, whose nerves would have soon become shattered had we remained.  I went to Mr. Harold and told him how disagreeable the place was to us.  He was grave and very guarded in manner, confessing that no tenant stayed more than a couple of months at the Hall—­that his client certainly made considerably in consequence—­that he had done his utmost to find out what was wrong with the house, but all in vain.  Mr. J——­ would not speak about it, and when strenuously urged to explain, replied emphatically—­’I shall never tell you the story of that house.’

“We dismissed the servants with handsome presents at once on our return to Dublin, so desirous were we that the children should never be reminded of their terror.  I think they have not heard the old woman in the black bonnet spoken of since we left the Hall, and the younger ones have probably forgotten her.  As to us, we can only say that the mystery is unexplained.”