s obscurely lit by a shaded lamp,
placed behind a screen that kept the sun out of the sick man's eyes in
the daytime.

"'Are we alone?' Beaucourt asked.

"'Yes.'

"'Watch the door.'

"'Why?'

"'You will see her on the threshold.'

"As he said those words the door slowly opened. In the dim light I could
only discern at first the figure of a woman. She slowly advanced toward
me. I saw the familiar face in shadow; the eyes were large and faintly
luminous--the eyes of Mrs. Evelin.

"The wild words spoken to me by Beaucourt, the stillness and the
obscurity in the room, had their effect, I suppose, on my imagination.
You will think me a poor creature when I confess it. For the moment I
did assuredly feel a thrill of superstitious terror.

"My delusion was dispelled by a change in her face. Its natural
expression of surprise, when she saw me, set my mind free to feel the
delight inspired by the discovery that she was a living woman. I should
have spoken to her if she had not stopped me by a gesture.

"Beaucourt's voice broke the silence. 'Ministering Spirit!' he said,
'free me from the life of earth. Take me with you to the life eternal.'

"She made no attempt to enlighten him. 'Wait,' she answered calmly,
'wait and rest.'

"Silently obeying her, he turned his head on the pillow; we saw his face
no more.

"I have related the circumstances exactly as they happened: the ghost
story which report has carried to your ears has no other foundation than
this.

"Mrs. Evelin led the way to that further end of the room in which the
screen stood. Placing ourselves behind it, we could converse in whispers
without being heard. Her first words told me that she had been warned
by one of the hospital doctors to respect my friend's delusion for the
present. His mind partook in some degree of the weakness of his body,
and he was not strong enough yet to bear the shock of discovering the
truth.

"She had been saved almost by a miracle.

"Released (in a state of insensibility) from the ruins of the house, she
had been laid with her dead relatives awaiting burial. Happily for her,
an English traveler visiting the island was among the first men who
volunteered to render help. He had been in practice as a medical man,
and he saved her from being buried alive. Nearly a month passed before
she was strong enough to bear removal to Wellington (the capital city)
and to be received into the hospital.

"I asked why she had not telegra