t sleep, she
sprang up in the black darkness, wakened by an actual, physical reality
of sensation, the soft laying of a hand upon her naked side,--that, and
nothing else.

"What is that? Who is there?" she cried. "Someone is in the room!"

Yes, someone was there. A few feet from her bed she heard a sobbing
sigh, then a rustle, then followed silence. She struck a match and,
getting up, lighted candles. Her hand shook, but she remembered that she
must be firm with herself.

"I must not be nervous," she said, and looked the room over from end to
end.

But it contained no living creature, nor any sign that living creature
had entered it since she had lain down to rest. Gradually the fast
beating of her heart had slackened, and she passed her hand over her
face in bewilderment.

"It wasn't like a dream at all," she murmured; "it really wasn't. I
_felt_ it."

Still as absolutely nothing was to be found, the sense of reality
diminished somewhat, and being so healthy a creature, she regained her
composure, and on going back to bed slept well until Jane brought her
early tea.

Under the influence of fresh morning air and sunlight, of ordinary
breakfast and breakfast talk with the Osborns, her first convictions
receded so far that she laughed a little as she related the incident.

"I never had such a real dream in my life," she said; "but it must have
been a dream."

"One's dreams are very real sometimes," said Hester.

"Perhaps it was the Palstrey ghost," Osborn laughed. "It came to you
because you ignore it." He broke off with a slight sudden start and
stared at her a second questioningly. "Did you say it put its hand on
your side?" he asked.

"Don't tell her silly things that will frighten her. How ridiculous of
you," exclaimed Hester sharply. "It's not proper."

Emily looked at both of them wonderingly.

"What do you mean?" she said. "I don't believe in ghosts. It won't
frighten me, Hester. I never even heard of a Palstrey ghost."

"Then I am not going to tell you of one," said Captain Osborn a little
brusquely, and he left his chair and went to the sideboard to cut cold
beef.

He kept his back towards them, and his shoulders looked uncommunicative
and slightly obstinate. Hester's face was sullen. Emily thought it sweet
of her to care so much, and turned upon her with grateful eyes.

"I was only frightened for a few minutes, Hester," she said. "My dreams
are not vivid at all, usually."

But howsoever b