nd a look
over all that I can't describe. And his eyes when he looked at me _seemed
not to see me_, and yet they turned on me. They looked dreadfully sad,
and though they were so close to me, as if they were miles and miles
away. Then his lips parted slightly, very slightly, as if he were going
to speak. Mamma," Nora went on impressively, "they would have spoken
if _I_ had said the least word--I felt they would. But just then--and
remember, mamma, it couldn't have been yet two seconds since I came in,
I hadn't yet had _time_ to get frightened--just then there came over me
the most awful feeling. I _knew_ it was not a real man, and I seemed to
hear myself saying inside my mind, 'It is a ghost,' and while I seemed
to be saying it--I had not moved my eyes--while I looked at him----"

"He disappeared?"

"No, mamma, he did not even disappear. He was just _no longer there_.
I was staring at nothing! Then came a sort of wild fear. I turned and
rushed downstairs, even without my boot, and all the way the horrible
feeling was that even though he was no longer there he might still be
coming after me. I should not have cared if there had been twenty tipsy
peasants downstairs! But I found Lieschen. Of course I said nothing to
her; I only asked her to come up with a light to help me to find my
boot, and as soon as I had put it on I came outside, and ran up and
down--it was a long time, I think--till you and Reggie came at last.
Mamma, _can_ you explain it?"

How I longed to be able to do so! But I would not deceive the child.
Besides, it would have been useless.

"No, dear. As yet I cannot. But I will try to understand it. There are
several ways it may be explained. Have you ever heard of optical
delusions, Nora?"

"I am not sure. You must tell me;" and she looked at me so appealingly,
and with such readiness to believe whatever I told her, that I felt I
would give anything to restore her to her former happy fearlessness.

But just then Reggie came in from the stable.

"We must go upstairs," I said; "and Lieschen," turning to her, "bring up
our supper at once. We are leaving very early to-morrow morning, and we
will go early to bed."

"Oh, mamma," whispered Nora, "if only we had not to stay all night in
that room!"

But there was no help for it, and she was thankful to hear of the
success of our expedition to the post-office. During supper we, of
course, on Reggie's account, said nothing of Nora's fright, but as
soon as