e room had been selected by the priests themselves, but it is the
one I should myself, for obvious reasons, have chosen for the
purpose."

When the bustle of Madame's hasty departure was over, and we had
breakfasted, the bishop blessed the house from top to bottom,
and especially visited rooms Nos. 1, 3, and 8, and also the
library. He sprinkled the rooms with holy water, and especially
the doorway leading to the drawing-room, where noises have so
often been heard. He and the priests had hardly gone when there
was a loud bang upon a little table that stands there. It is an
old work-table, a box on tall, slender legs, and the sound could
easily be imitated by lifting the lid and letting it fall
smartly, but I saw no movement--not that I was watching it at
the moment. The bishop and priests returned, and the ceremony
was repeated, after which the bang again occurred, but much more
faintly.

The three clergy left this afternoon. Miss Moore and I are now
alone.

This bang was the last phenomenon of an abnormal kind during this
tenancy. Miss Moore and Miss Freer stayed in the house another week
without anything further occurring either to themselves, their guests,
or the servants.

During that time, they received six more guests: Miss C----, Miss
"Etienne," with her brother, a lawyer, and three other visitors, with
whom Miss Freer had no previous acquaintance, but who received an
invitation under the following special conditions, not being, as were
other guests, personal friends, or, in one or two instances,
accompanying personal friends by whom they were introduced, and at
whose request they were invited.

Sir William Huggins had some time before written to Lord Bute to beg
him to obtain admission to the house for Sir James Crichton Browne,
who is, of course, well known as a physician of great eminence, and in
especial as an expert in psychology, and whom Sir William stated to be
deeply interested in phenomena such as those observed at B----.

Lord Bute accordingly wrote to Miss Freer, who wrote to Sir James. He
did not immediately reply, which surprised her, after so earnest a
request, and because admission to the house for the purpose of such
observations was a mark of confidence, which as a hostess she was very
chary of giving, and which would never have been extended to him,
notwithstanding his scientific eminence, had it not been for the
intercession of Sir William