of opinion that such sights and sounds are pure sense-hallucinations,
whatever may be their ultimate origin.

We rejoined the others in silence. Then Mr. MacP---- said to Mr.
C----, "Did you see anything?" "Nothing; I only heard voices."
"What sort of voices?" "Two women. The older voice talked most,
almost continuously. I heard a younger voice, a higher one, now
and then."

_Note by Mr. MacP----._

"I knew previously, though Mr. C---- did not, that Miss Freer
had seen something up the burn; and when waiting for her and Mr.
C----, Mr. F---- told me the whole story."

_February 9th, Tuesday._--Last night we--Miss Moore and I--heard
the "explosive" noises about 11.30 P.M., and speculated as to
the possibility of their being caused by the wind in the
chimney. There was a little wind last night--very little. It is
worth mentioning, that ever since we have been here the air has
been phenomenally still. One can go outside, as we do
frequently, to feed the birds and squirrels without hats and not
feel a hair stirred. Even when the snow was on the ground we
never felt the cold, owing to the absence of wind, and the thaw
has been imperceptible. Snow is still on the hills. I have
several times thrown open my bedroom window about dawn for an
hour to familiarise myself with the outside noises. There is
nothing human within a quarter of a mile. (_N.B._--The others,
who are much more likely to be accurate as to distance than I,
say the lodges are farther off.) The servants' houses are in a