"Oh, yes, it will come all
right." Perhaps he understood that in the midst of my anxiety I could not
stay with him as I should have done otherwise. But the girls were more
surprised than it is possible to describe. They looked at me with
wondering eyes. "If I were ill, papa, and you only stayed with me a
moment, I should break my heart," said Agatha. But the boy had a
sympathetic feeling. He knew that of my own will I would not have done
it. I shut myself up in the library, where I could not rest, but kept
pacing up and down like a caged beast. What could I do? and if I could do
nothing, what would become of my boy? These were the questions that,
without ceasing, pursued each other through my mind.

Simson came out to dinner, and when the house was all still, and most of
the servants in bed, we went out and met Dr. Moncrieff, as we had
appointed, at the head of the glen. Simson, for his part, was disposed to
scoff at the Doctor. "If there are to be any spells, you know, I'll cut
the whole concern," he said. I did not make him any reply. I had not
invited him; he could go or come as he pleased. He was very talkative,
far more so than suited my humor, as we went on. "One thing is certain,
you know; there must be some human agency," he said. "It is all bosh
about apparitions. I never have investigated the laws of sound to any
great extent, and there's a great deal in ventriloquism that we don't
know much about." "If it's the same to you," I said, "I wish you'd keep
all that to yourself, Simson. It doesn't suit my state of mind." "Oh, I
hope I know how to respect idiosyncrasy," he said. The very tone of his
voice irritated me beyond measure. These scientific fellows, I wonder
people put up with them as they do, when you have no mind for their
cold-blooded confidence. Dr. Moncrieff met us about eleven o'clock, the
same time as on the previous night. He was a large man, with a venerable
countenance and white hair,--old, but in full vigor, and thinking less
of a cold night walk than many a younger man. He had his lantern, as I
had. We were fully provided with means of lighting the place, and we were
all of us resolute men. We had a rapid consultation as we went up, and
the result was that we divided to different posts. Dr. Moncrieff remained
inside the wall--if you can call that inside where there was no wall but
one. Simson placed himself on the side next the ruins, so as to intercept
any communication with the old house, whic