ht expression
grew somewhat graver. When she spoke, it seemed to be with a slight
effort.

"You mean what they all call the story of 'my old lady,' I suppose," she
said at last. "Oh yes, if you care to hear it, I will tell it you. But
there is not much to tell, remember."

"There seldom is in _true_ stories of the kind," I replied. "Genuine
ghost stories are generally abrupt and inconsequent in the extreme,
but on this very account all the more impressive. Don't you think so?"

"I don't know that I am a fair judge," she answered. "Indeed," she went
on rather gravely, "my own opinion is that what you call _true_ ghost
stories are very seldom told at all."

"How do you mean? I don't quite understand you," I said, a little
perplexed by her words and tone.

"I mean," she replied, "that people who really believe they have come in
contact with--with anything of that kind, seldom care to speak about it."

"Do you really think so? do you mean that you feel so yourself?" I
exclaimed with considerable surprise. "I had no idea you did, or I would
not have mentioned the subject. Of course you know I would not ask you
to tell it if it is the least painful or disagreeable to you to talk
about it."

"But it isn't. Oh no, it is not nearly so bad as that," she replied,
with a smile. "I cannot really say that it is either painful or
disagreeable to me to recall it, for I cannot exactly apply either of
those words to the thing itself. All that I feel is a sort of shrinking
from the subject, strong enough to prevent my ever alluding to it
lightly or carelessly. Of all things, I should dislike to have a joke
made of it. But with you I have no fear of that. And you trust me,
don't you? I don't mean as to truthfulness only; but you don't think me
deficient in common sense and self-control--not morbid, or very apt to
be run away with by my imagination?"

"Not the sort of person one would pick out as likely to see ghosts?"
I replied. "Certainly not. You are far too sensible and healthy and
vigorous. I can't, very readily, fancy you the victim of delusion of any
kind. But as to ghosts--are they or are they not delusions? There lies
the question! Tell us your experience of them, any way."

So she told the story I had asked for--told it in the simplest language,
and with no exaggeration of tone or manner, as we sat there in her
pretty drawing-room, our chairs drawn close to the fire, for it was
Christmas time, and the weather was "seaso