A STEANGE EXPERIENCE 387 



Next night, after a careful examination of the 

 premises, we locked both the door of the lobby and 

 that of the bedroom. Nevertheless, as before, the 

 noise began about eleven and lasted, with intervals, 

 an hour. Finally, at about 8 a.m., I heard it once 

 more — this time in broad daylight. This, of course, 

 disposed of my supposition that it was a practical 

 joke, worked from the road outside. 



I now fell back on purely physical causes. After 

 breakfast I proceeded to try the effect of different 

 draughts on the door, and then examined and swung 

 every shutter and door, not only in the house, but 

 in the loft and in the other lofts adjoining. None 

 of them produced any noise to speak of, and I 

 may also add that I did not believe that the 

 noise I had heard could have resulted from such a 

 cause. 



In the afternoon I called on the chatelaine and told 

 her about the matter. She denied ever having heard 

 of anything of the sort before. I may remark, though, 

 that on one occasion of their dining with us some time 



later. Mademoiselle de admitted to my wife that 



some time before, having had their house quite full, 

 they had allotted the bedroom to a cousin, who had 

 been quite unable to sleep on account of strange noises 

 she heard^there. 



Next night we left our sitting-room with some 

 misgivings. 



I kept the candle burning, and immediately the 

 noise began went out again, revolver in hand, and 

 found, as usual, nothing. Scarcely was I under the 

 blankets again when it recommenced, and now 

 assumed a tone (if I may be allowed the expression) 

 so^loud and threatening as really to terrify any one. 



