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This afternoon Mrs. ----, a lady well acquainted with the neighbourhood, came to tea. She asked me about the hauntings, and said they were matter of common talk in the district. She also told me that in the late Mr. S----'s time it had been alleged that the disturbances were intentional annoyances, though she agreed it was rather a sustained effort.
I also called to say "good-bye" to Mrs. S.----, to whom I remarked that, though I could not doubt the existence of phenomena at B----, we had been most comfortable, and had greatly liked the place.
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Early this morning (I am still sleeping in No. 5) I heard the familiar crash under the dome. It was about 2.30. Mr. T---- said at breakfast that he had heard it too.
_Wednesday 7th._--Mr. T---- writes under this date:--
"To bed about eleven. To sleep at once. Awakened at 2.30 by a terrific crash, and the sound of voices. A little later I heard light raps at the foot of my door, as if a dog had wagged his tail against it. Looked out, saw nothing; very disturbed night."
_April 8th, Thursday._--Mr. T---- writes, "Woke last night at 12.30. Heard nothing, but slept very badly. I may mention that I am, as a rule, a very sound sleeper, and as I had taken a lot of exercise every day--fishing, shooting, cycling, and walking, from breakfast-time to dark--there was no reason why I should not sleep."
Mr. T---- had been out the whole of this day with the keepers--heather burning--and was obviously "dead tired" when he went to bed. It is curious that even when not disturbed, he should have slept so badly, but sleepless and nameless discomfort has assailed most persons in No. 1, though the room is large and airy.
_April 8th, Thursday._--We had planned to leave yesterday, but it was borne in upon me that to-day being the anniversary of the Major's death, it would be a pity--on the hypothesis of there being anything supernormal in these phenomena--that the house should not be under observation to-night.
In the morning the Land-steward called, having heard from Mrs. S---- that we had heard footsteps about the house at night, and that I had several times observed a disreputable-looking man about the place, whom I knew not to be one of the farm-servants.