ong,
shrill, unearthly shriek pealed through the silent passages. It grew
louder and nearer, and seemed to sweep through the room, dying away in
the opposite direction. Miss Patricia fell forward without a word in a
dead faint.

"I looked at Miss Collingham; she had not moved, or shown any sign of
hearing or heeding that awful sound. In a few seconds the room was
filled with terrified women, roused from their sleep by the weird cry
which rang through the house. Miss Patricia was conveyed by some of them
to her own room, where, after much difficulty, we restored her to
consciousness. Her first act was to grasp me by the arm.

"'Mr. Feversham, for the love of the Holy Virgin do not leave me! I have
seen that which I cannot look upon and live.'

"I soothed her as best I might, and at last persuaded her to allow me to
leave her with her own maid in order to visit my other patient,
promising to return shortly.

"I found no change whatever in Miss Collingham. Sir James was in the
room trying to establish some degree of calmness and order among the
terrified women. We succeeded in persuading most of them to take a
restorative and return to bed, and leaving two of the most
self-possessed to watch beside Miss Collingham, who was still completely
insensible, we went together to Miss Patricia's room.

"'Brother, I have seen her!' she exclaimed on Sir James' entrance.

"'Seen who, my dear Patricia?'

"'The pale lady--the spectre of our house,' she replied, shuddering from
head to foot. 'She passed through the room, her hand upraised, and the
blood-spots on her garment. Oh, James! my time is come, and Father
O'Connor is not here.'

"Sir James did not attempt to combat his sister's superstitious terrors,
but appeared, on the contrary, almost as deeply impressed as herself,
and questioned her closely about the apparition. Her answers led to some
mention of the strange vision which Miss Collingham was describing in
her trance just before the scream was heard. At Sir James' request I put
down in writing, as nearly as I could remember, all she had said, and so
great was the impression it made on my mind that I believe I recalled
her very words. Knowing all we did of her abnormal condition while in a
state of trance, it was impossible not to fear that she might have been
describing a scene that was actually occurring at the time; and Sir
James determined to send out a party, as soon as daylight came, on the
road by which Don Lui