and
fork, and scattered all around the fragments of broken plates, cups,
and saucers. With an exclamation of surprise at the stupidity of the
researchers who had preceded me, I ran up the stair two steps at a
time, turned to the right, and along the corridor until I came to the
room occupied by the late earl. The coverings of the bed lay turned
down just as they were when his lordship sprang to the floor,
doubtless, in spite of his deafness, having heard faintly the fatal
crash at the foot of the stairs. A great oaken chest stood at the head
of the bed, perhaps six inches from the wall. Leaning against this
chest at the edge of the bed inclined a small, round table, and the
cover of the table had slipped from its sloping surface until it
partly concealed the chest lid. I mounted on this carven box of old
black oak and directed the rays of electric light into the chasm
between it and the wall. Then I laughed aloud, and was somewhat
startled to hear another laugh directly behind me. I jumped down on
the floor again, and swung round my torch like a searchlight on a
battleship at sea. There was no human presence in that chamber except
myself. Of course, after my first moment of surprise, I realised that
the laugh was but an echo of my own. The old walls of the old house
were like sounding-boards. The place resembled an ancient fiddle,
still tremulous with the music that had been played on it. It was easy
to understand how a superstitious population came to believe in its
being haunted; in fact, I found by experiment that if one trod quickly
along the uncovered floor of the corridor, and stopped suddenly, one
seemed to hear the sound of steps still going on.

I now returned to the stair head, and examined the bare polished
boards with most gratifying results. Amazed at having learnt so much
in such a short time, I took from my pocket the paper on which the
dying nobleman had attempted to write with his half-paralysed hand.
The chief constable had given the document to me, and I sat on the
stair head, spread it out on the floor and scrutinised it. It was all
but meaningless. Apparently two words and the initial letter of a
third had been attempted. Now, however grotesque a piece of writing
may be, you can sometimes decipher it by holding it at various angles,
as those puzzles are solved which remain a mystery when gazed at
direct. By partially closing the eyes you frequently catch the intent,
as in those pictures where a hum