lived long
enough to be the principal witness on his trial. The murderer was found
guilty. Poor Julia's diary, too, which I had abstracted, told fearfully
against him. But he contrived to escape the gallows; he had managed to
conceal poison on his person, and he was found dead in his cell. Mary
Simms I never saw again. I once received a little scrawl, "I am at peace
now, Master John. God bless you!"

I have had no more hallucinations since that time; the voice has never
come again. I found out poor Julia's grave, and, as I stood and wept by
its side, the cold shudder came over me for the last time. Who shall
tell me whether I was once really mad, or whether I was not?

DOCTOR FEVERSHAM'S STORY.

"I have made a point all my life," said the doctor, "of believing
nothing of the kind."

Much ghost-talk by firelight had been going on in the library at
Fordwick Chase, when Doctor Feversham made this remark.

"As much as to say," observed Amy Fordwick, "that you are afraid to
tackle the subject, because you pique yourself on being strong-minded,
and are afraid of being convinced against your will."

"Not precisely, young lady. A man convinced against his will is in a
different state of mind from mine in matters like these. But it is true
that cases in which the supernatural element appears at first sight to
enter are so numerous in my profession, that I prefer accepting only the
solutions of science, so far as they go, to entering on any wild
speculations which it would require more time than I should care to
devote to them to trace to their origin."

"But without entering fully into the why and wherefore, how can you be
sure that the proper treatment is observed in the numerous cases of
mental hallucination which must come under your notice?" inquired
Latimer Fordwick, who was studying for the Bar.

"I content myself, my young friend, with following the rules laid down
for such cases, and I generally find them successful," answered the old
Doctor.

"Then you admit that cases have occurred within your knowledge of which
the easiest apparent solution could be one which involved a belief in
supernatural agencies?" persisted Latimer, who was rather prolix and
pedantic in his talk.

"I did not say so," said the Doctor.

"But of course he meant us to infer it," said Amy. "Now, my dear old
Doctor, do lay aside professional dignity, and give us one good
ghost-story out of your personal experience. I believe you