"'I do not think she can come any farther,' said my guide, and he opened the door leading from the staircase into the garden.
"'I am showing you just where they brought me,' said he.
"'I never knew his name, but she married him afterwards.'
"He then moved across the lawn _to the bare spot under the plane-tree_. Here he stopped, and, pointing downwards, showed me on the bare ground an exact outline of the dagger which he had drawn from his side.
"'Here they dug my grave and here they buried me; a salt spring washes over me.'
"At this moment the great clock of St Andrew struck ONE.
"'All that you have told me is very sad and strange,' I said, 'but now, will you allow me to ask you why you have appeared to me? Is there anything you want done on earth that I can do? Is there any restitution to be made, or justice to be administered? Anything that you require, I am ready to do, if you will grant me one favour when you return to the spirit realm.'
"I had been speaking with my eyes fixed on the ground, but now, happening to raise them, I was surprised to see that my companion appeared to be sinking into the ground.
"'My time is up,' he said. '_Remember!_'--and, as his head disappeared, his words came in a hollow, sepulchral voice from beneath _that spot of black earth_--'remember you are my witness!'
"I was left standing alone under the plane-tree, with the thought, that in returning to my room, I might probably meet the restless spirit of Lucretia Carbury.
"Nothing of the kind, however, occurred. I passed through the doors that had opened at the touch of Captain Carbury, and I noticed that they closed behind me without any effort on my part. I regained my bed, and almost immediately fell asleep. All had passed so naturally, and as a matter of course, that only when I woke this morning, and thought over the events of the night, did I realise that I had passed through such an experience as is given to few human beings.
"You see, dear Edie, that my narrative has taken so long to write that I have no time to speak of other things, even if I could bring my mind to think of anything else, which, I confess, I should have great difficulty in doing.--Ever your very affectionate, "M. PORTER."