have often heard," I said, "that the class of ghost stories you speak
of are the only thoroughly authenticated ones, and I think one is
naturally more inclined to believe in them than in any others. But I
confess I do not in the least understand what you mean by speaking of
_other_ ghosts as 'will-o'-the-wisps.' You don't mean that though at the
moment of death there is a real being--the soul, in fact, as distinct
from the body, in which all but materialists believe--that this has
no permanent existence, but melts away by degrees till it becomes an
irresponsible, purposeless _nothing_--a will-o'-the-wisp in fact? I
think I heard of some theory of the kind lately in a French book, but
it shocked and repelled me so that I tried to forget it. Just as well,
_better_, believe that we are nothing but our bodies, and that all is
over when we die. Surely you don't mean what I say?"

"God forbid," said Sir Robert, with a fervency which startled while it
reassured me. "It is my profound belief that not only we are something
more than our bodies, but that our bodies are the merest outer dress of
the real ourselves. It is also my profound belief that at death we--the
real we--either enter at once into a state of rest temporarily, or, in
some cases--for I do not believe in any cut-and-dry rule independently
of _individual_ considerations--are privileged at once to enter upon a
sphere of nobler and purer labour," and here the speaker's eyes glowed
with a light that was not of this world. "Is it then the least probable,
is it not altogether discordant with our 'common sense'--a Divine gift
which we may employ fearlessly--to suppose that these real 'selves,'
freed from the weight of their discarded garments, would leave either
their blissful repose, _or_, still less, their new activities, to come
back to wander about, purposelessly and aimlessly, in this world, at
best only perplexing and alarming such as may perceive them? Is it not
contrary to all we find of the wisdom and _reasonableness_ of such laws
as we _do_ know something about?"

"I have often thought so," I said, "and hitherto this has led me to be
very sceptical about all ghost stories."

"But they are often true--so far as they go," he replied. "Our natures
are much more complex than we ourselves understand or realise. I cannot
now go at all thoroughly into the subject, but to give you a rough idea
of my will-o'-the-wisp theory--can you not imagine a sort of shadow, or
e