Huggins and Lord Bute, through whom he had
sought it.

He wrote to her after some time, apologising for the delay on the
score of illness, begging to know if it were still possible for him
to be admitted, and whether he might bring with him a scientific
friend. Miss Freer consented, and he then wrote announcing his arrival
and that of a nephew, a student at Oxford, interested in science. He
then asked, by telegram, whether a third guest could be admitted, to
which she also consented, and his two friends, one of whom is believed
to have been the anonymous _Times_ correspondent, accordingly came,
four days after the phenomena had, as has been stated, apparently
ceased. The way in which this hospitality was repaid is a matter of
common knowledge. Their hostess knew of no intention to make copy of
their visit, with full names, geographical indications, and repetition
of private conversations, until the publication of the _Times'_
article of June 8th. They remained from Saturday evening till Monday
morning, and, like others, saw and heard nothing; and much time was
spent in repeating the already often repeated experiments as to
possible sources of the sights and sounds observed at B----. Their
observations appeared to be able to penetrate no further than the mark
of the shoe which Miss Freer pointed out on the door in the wing,
made subsequently to the flight of the H---- family, a passage under
the roof, with which the household had long been as familiar as with
the hall-door, and the suggestion that a certain stream might run
under the house, the which stream runs nowhere near the house at all,
as Miss Freer was already well aware, a fact which she demonstrated
for their benefit on a map of the estate.

This is perhaps a suitable point at which to add a letter from the
head-gardener who has been referred to more than once, more especially
as an important witness to the phenomena of the H----s' tenancy.

He writes to Miss Freer in reference to a statement by _The Times_
correspondent:--

"_July 8th, '97._-- ... I might also mention to you, while writing,
that 'the intelligent gardener' that was made mention of in _The
Times_ was a journeyman, and not myself, as many have supposed. I
thought it proper to tell you, madam, because I told you and several
others that I was in the house and had heard something."

_The Times_ correspondent's statement is as follows:--

"An intelligent gardener whom I questioned told me that