I rose from my seat at the piano trembling a little—­at last!—­I thought—­at last!  My heart was beating tumultuously, though I could not explain my own emotion to myself.  In another moment we were all standing speechless and amazed, gazing at surely the most wonderful sight that had ever been seen by human eyes.  There on the dark and lonely waters of Loch Scavaig was poised, rather than anchored, the fairy vessel of my dreams, with all sails spread,—­sails that were white as milk and seemingly drenched with a sparkling dewy radiance, for they scintillated like hoar-frost in the sun and glittered against the sombre background of the mountainous shore with an almost blinding splendour.  Our whole crew of sailors and servants on the ‘Diana’ came together in astonished groups, whispering among themselves, all evidently more or less scared by the strange spectacle.  Captain Derrick waited for someone to hazard a remark, then, as we remained silent, he addressed Mr. Harland—­

“Well, sir, what do you make of it?”

Mr. Harland did not answer.  For a man who professed indifference to all events and circumstances he seemed startled for once and a little afraid.  Catherine caught me by the arm,—­she was shivering nervously.

“Do you think it is a real yacht?” she whispered.

I was amused at this question, coming as it did from a woman who denied the supernatural.

“Of course it is!” I answered—­“Don’t you see people moving about on board?”

For, in the brilliant light shed by those extraordinary sails, the schooner appeared to be fully manned.  Several of the crew were busy on her deck and there was nothing of the phantom in their movements.

“Her sails must surely be lit up in that way by electricity”—­said Dr. Brayle, who had been watching her attentively—­“But how it is done and why, is rather puzzling!  I never saw anything quite to resemble it.”

“She came into the loch like a flash,”—­said Captain Derrick—­“I saw her slide in round the point, and then without a sound of any kind, there she was, safe anchored before you could whistle.  She behaved in just the same way when we first sighted her off Mull.”

I listened to what they were saying, impatiently wondering what would be the end of their surmises and speculations.

“Why not exchange courtesies?” I said, suddenly,—­“Here we are—­two yachts anchored near each other in a lonely lake,—­why should we not know each other?  Then all the mysteries you are talking about would be cleared up.”

“Quite true!” said Mr. Harland, breaking his silence at last—­“But isn’t it rather late to pay a call?  What time is it?”

“About half-past ten,”—­answered Dr. Brayle, glancing at his watch.

“Oh, let us get to bed!” murmured Miss Catherine, pleadingly—­ “What’s the good of making any enquiries to-night?”

“Well, if you don’t make them to-night ten to one you won’t have the chance to-morrow!”—­said Captain Derrick, bluntly—­“That yacht will repeat her former manoeuvres and vanish at sunrise.”