ly with
her, she answering at intervals. I could hear no words; the ice
was giving, and the burn had begun to murmur. (I tried to
persuade myself that the murmur accounted for the voices, but
the sounds were entirely distinct, and different in quality and
amount.)

This older woman in grey afterwards became familiar. The name "Marget"
was given to her at first half in fun and simply because this was one
of the two names given by Ouija (_cf._ p. 98). She is apparently the
grey woman referred to in the paper published by Mrs. G---- (_cf._ p.
64).

The fact of voices being heard by two persons, while one alone saw the
figures, seems a clear proof that the figures were hallucinatory. It
seems probable that the sounds also were hallucinatory, but were what
is called in the vocabulary of the S.P.R. the "collective"
hallucination of two persons. This seems to render it highly probable
that in the case of each the hallucination had a cause external to
both, although common to both; moreover, hallucinations are often
contagious. _The Times_ correspondent states, that "the lady admitted
that the apparition was purely subjective, but in regard to other
matters was not willing to suppose that she might be the victim of
hallucinations of hearing as well as of sight." On the contrary, as
all readers of Miss Freer's published works are aware, she is entirely
of opinion that such sights and sounds are pure sense-hallucinations,
whatever may be their ultimate origin.

We rejoined the others in silence. Then Mr. MacP---- said to Mr.
C----, "Did you see anything?" "Nothing; I only heard voices."
"What sort of voices?" "Two women. The older voice talked most,
almost continuously. I heard a younger voice, a higher one, now
and then."

_Note by Mr. MacP----._

"I knew previously, though Mr. C---- did not, that Miss Freer
had seen something up the burn; and when waiting for her and Mr.
C----, Mr. F---- told me the whole story."

_February 9th, Tuesday._--Last night we--Miss Moore and I--heard
the "explosive" noises about 11.30 P.M., and speculated as to
the possibility of their being caused by the wind in the
chimney. There was a little wind last night--very little. It is
worth mentioning, that ever since we have been here the air has
been phenomenally still. One can go outside, as we do
frequently, to feed the birds and squirrels without hats and not
feel a hair st