892 had been to give what is called a Spiritual
Retreat to those who had been occupying the cottage. It is only fair
to suggest that the phantasmal nun, to whom the name Ishbel had been
given, may really have been the phantasm of one of these visitors, and
that the dress of at least some of them was identical with or closely
resembled hers, while it was totally unlike that worn by the community
to which the late Mother Frances Helen belonged. At the same time,
Ishbel's dress was of a kind so very common among nuns, that it would
have been that with which she would, most naturally, have been clothed
by the imagination of any one unacquainted with the very rare Order
to which Mother Frances Helen belonged. To make further investigation
into the history of all the Sisters who ever stayed at B---- through
the kindness of the late Mr. S---- would have been a task impossible
for its vastness, and almost certainly futile through the natural
reticence of their communities with regard to any matters likely to
occasion haunting.

_March 1st (continued), Monday._--I went up the burn for the
first time since my accident on Saturday, February 20th. We had
had a promise from Ouija on Sunday that if Mr. "Endell" were to
visit the copse with me after 6.30 he would be touched on the
left shoulder. He was told to go to the farther side of the
burn, and to stand under the sapling, which is at some little
distance from the spot where the phantasm usually appears. This
we accordingly did. I was barely able in the dusk to distinguish
the figure from my post on the west bank, but the phantasm
appeared very near him, as I could distinguish the white
pocket-handkerchief in his breast pocket. I saw her hand
approach this, but could not positively say that it touched him.
Mr. "Endell" saw nothing, and could not positively say that he
felt a touch, though conscious of a sense of sudden chill, and
agreed with me that had he certainly felt one, he would probably
have considered it the effect of expectation. We stood there for
perhaps ten minutes, and he was for a short time conscious of
the subjective sensations which he commonly feels in the
presence of phenomena. We returned simultaneously to the avenue,
where we discussed the occurrence and the possibilities of
making it evidential. The only thing we could think of was to
send for Miss Langton, and without telling her anything of