y eyes that stared
at him in such a hideous, meaningless manner that he uttered a scream
of terror and fled. Alarmed at the noise, most of the household ran to
see what had happened. Only the Captain remained behind. He knew only
too well, and he hid, letting his wife and the servants go upstairs
alone. They entered the bathroom--there was nothing in the bath, not
even water, but, as they were leaving, they ran into a dark, handsome,
evil-eyed woman, clad in the most costly of dresses, and sparkling
with jewellery. She glided past them with sly, silent footsteps, and
vanished by the cupboard. Cured of scepticism, and throwing dignity to
the wind, the Captain's wife raced downstairs, and, bursting into the
drawing-room, flung herself on the sofa in hysterics.

Within a week the house was once again empty, and the rumour getting
about that it was haunted, the landlord threatened the Smythes with an
action for slander of title. But I do not think the case was taken to
court, the Smythes agreeing to contradict the report they had
originated. Astute inquiries, however, eventually led them to discover
that a lady, answering to the description of the ghost they had seen,
had once lived at ---- House. Of Spanish descent, she was young,
beautiful, and gay; and was married to a man, an extremely wealthy man
(people remembered how rich he was after he died), old enough to be
her grandfather. They had nothing in common, the husband only wanting
to be quiet, the wife to flirt and be admired. Their neighbours often
heard them quarrel, and it was declared that the wife possessed the
temper of a fiend. The man was eventually found dead in his bath, and
there being no indications of violence, it was generally supposed that
he had fainted, (his wife having been previously heard to declare that
he often had fainting fits), and had thus been accidentally drowned.
The beautiful young widow, who inherited all his money, left the house
immediately and went abroad, and the neighbours, when questioned by
the Smythes as to whether anything had been seen of her since, shook
their heads dubiously, but refused to commit themselves.

CASE XI

THE CHOKING GHOST OF "---- HOUSE," NEAR
SANDYFORD PLACE, GLASGOW

The last time I was passing through Glasgow, I put up for the night at
an hotel near Sandyford Place, and met there an old theatrical
acquaintance named Browne, Hely Browne. Not having seen him since