d that, as the roof is flat, the snow
is cleared away daily.)

Mr. W----, an utter sceptic, he declares, left early; then we
all went for a walk. We spent the whole afternoon making
experiments. Miss Moore or my maid or I, as having heard the
noises, shut ourselves up in the room whence they were heard, or
stood in the right places on hall or staircase.

The experimental noises made were as follows:--

1. Banging with poker or shovel as hard as possible on every
part of the big iron stove in the hall; kicking it, hitting it
with sticks (as Miss Moore and I persisted that the first noise
was as of metal on wood, or _vice versa_).

2. Trampling and banging in every part of the house, obvious and
obscure, in cupboards and cistern holes.

3. (On the hypothesis of tricks from outside.) Beating on
outside doors with shovels and pokers and wooden things, on the
walls and windows accessible; banging and clattering in outside
coal-cellars and in the sunk area round the house.
(_N.B._--Beating on the front door handle with a wooden racket,
was right in kind, but not nearly enough in degree.)

Miss Moore, who was familiar with the noise, did it rather well
by going into a coal-cellar (always locked at night, however)
outside and throwing big lumps of coal, from a distance, into a
big pail, but _it wasn't nearly loud enough_.

4. Finally the men climbed on to the roof, outside, while Miss
Moore and I shut ourselves into the proper places. They
clattered and walked and stamped and kicked and struck the
slates, but _they couldn't make noise enough_.

Then we had in the gardener they saw yesterday, and put him in
the butler's room, and the four men made hideous rows as before.
He was grateful and respectful, but contemptuous. _They couldn't
make noise enough._

We went out at dusk, having sent Mr. MacP---- and Mr. C---- to
pay a visit (as they had not been told of the brook scene),
intending that the same trio as before should go to the copse.
Mr. L---- F---- couldn't come, and as Mr. F---- and I went on
alone, we met Mr. MacP---- and Mr. C---- returning before they
were expected. On the spur of the moment I asked Mr. C---- to
come with me, leaving Mr. F---- and Mr. MacP---- in the avenue.
The snow had gone, and I saw less distinctly; but I saw the nun
again, and an older woman in grey, who talked earnest