20 
PROFESSOR OWEN 
CH. I- 
recalled my scattered senses in some degree. I 
raised the sheet, and returning a few steps saw 
the moon that had broken out gleaming brightly 
through one of the arrow-slic windows upon the 
central stone pillar. Here I found that advantage 
had been taken of the current of air admitted 
by the arrow-slit to hang up a sheet to dry on 
the opposite pillar. I could also see where a 
nail, driven into a crevice of the stone-work, had 
been apparently used to suspend the sheet. I 
hung the sheet up again and soon saw how the 
upper round opening of the arrow-slit, pictured in 
bright moonlight upon the sheet, had made the 
head of the apparition ; some folds of the sheet 
and an excited imagination completed the ghastly 
physiognomy. Every trace of the supernatural 
had vanished. I was excited even to laughtef 
(my merriment was somewhat hysterical, I must 
admit), and I then deliberately reascended to take 
a second and cool scrutiny of ghost number one. 
It was of course due to the moonlight through 
the other window. It really wanted but little 
imagination to complete the picture. Every- 
thing had concurred to prepare my mind to 
receive the supernatural interpretation of it. All 
the same, I was not sorry to emerge into the open 
air of the courtyard. The old turnkey, when I 
presented myself at the inner gate of the entrance 
tower, could not help asking, as he scrutinised 
my pale face by the light of his lamp, “ what 
