younger members of my family played practical jokes, which have given
rise to Lord Bute's investigations. My object in writing to you is to
deny most emphatically this statement. The principal proof that is
brought forward to corroborate this slander is, that the doors are
marked by the blows struck to produce the noises heard. Surely no one
could be frightened after the cause and reason of the noises were once
ascertained by the boot-marks! But there were no such marks on the
doors when we left B----. Some of our guests were with us until very
shortly before my family left, and can testify to this, for the good
reason that in the endeavour to localise the extraordinary noises, all
doors and other parts of the house were constantly examined up to the
very last. When I went to B---- at the beginning of August, my family
had already been there a few days, and at once they told me they had
found out the house was supposed to be haunted, and that they had
heard most unaccountable noises. I had the greatest difficulty to
persuade all my people to stay in the place, and after all, we left
Scotland about the end of September, two months earlier than usual. I
personally did not give any importance to the rumours that B---- House
is haunted, and attributed the very remarkable noises heard to the
hot-water pipes and the peculiar way in which the house is built. In
fact, I have to confess I cannot believe in ghosts, and, consequently,
I did my best to persuade everybody that B---- was not haunted, but I
am afraid I was not always successful. I hope you will forgive me for
taking up so much valuable space in your paper, but I had to do so in
self-defence against a false accusation.--Yours faithfully, H----."

It is believed that, in consequence of this letter, Mr. H---- was
threatened with legal proceedings, which, however, have not yet been
initiated.