ent: I use the word intentionally--I did _brush_ past her, I _felt_
her. This part of my experience was, I believe, quite at variance with
the sensations of orthodox ghost-seers; but I am really telling you
all I was conscious of. Then I hardly remember anything more; my agony
broke out at last in a loud shrill cry, and I suppose I fainted. I only
know that when I recovered my senses I was in the drawing-room, on the
sofa, surrounded by my terrified mother and sisters. But it was not
for some time that I could find voice or courage to tell them what
had happened to me; for several days I was on the brink of a serious
illness, and for long afterwards I could not endure to be left alone,
even in the broadest daylight."

Lady Farquhar stopped. I fancied, however, from her manner that there
was more to tell, so I said nothing; and in a minute or two she went on
speaking.

"We did not stay long at Ballyreina after this. I was not sorry to leave
it; but still, before the time came for us to do so, I had begun to
recover from the most painful part of the impression left upon me by my
strange adventure. And when I was at home again, far from the place
where it had happened, I gradually lost the feeling of horror altogether,
and remembered it only as a very curious and inexplicable experience.
Now and then even, I did not shrink from talking about it, generally, I
think, with a vague hope that somehow, some time or other, light might
be thrown upon it. Not that I ever expected, or could have believed it
possible, that the supernatural character of the adventure could be
explained away; but I always had a misty fancy that sooner or later I
should find out _something_ about my old lady, as we came to call her;
who she had been and what her history was."

"And did you?" I asked eagerly.

"Yes, I did," Margaret answered. "To some extent, at least, I learnt
the explanation of what I had seen. This was how it was: nearly a year
after we had left Ireland I was staying with one of my aunts, and one
evening some young people who were also visiting her began to talk
about ghosts, and my aunt, who had heard something of the story from my
mother, begged me to tell it. I did so, just as I have now told it to
you. When I had finished, an elderly lady who was present, and who had
listened very attentively, surprised me a little by asking the name of
the house where it happened. 'Was it Ballyreina?' she said. I answered
'Yes,' wondering how