Folk-Lore of West and Mid-WalesDavies, Jonathan Ceredig
History
Folk-Lore of West and Mid-Wales
Davies, Jonathan Ceredig
Folklore -- Wales; Wales -- Social life and customs
his dress corresponding therewith. I think she was very particular
in describing the rest of his dress to Mr. Hampson, and he to me at
the time, but I have now forgot the other particulars. He walked down
by the sash-window to the corner of the room and then returned. When
he came to the first window in his return (the bottom of which was
nearly breast high), he rested his elbow on the bottom of the window,
and the side of his face upon the palm of the hand, and stood in that
leaning posture for some time, with his side partly towards her. She
looked at him earnestly to see if she knew him, but, though from her
frequent intercourse with them, she had a personal knowledge of all the
present family, he appeared a stranger to her. She supposed afterwards
that he stood in this manner to encourage her to speak; but as she did
not, after some little time he walked off, pulling the door after him
as the servants had done before. She began now to be much alarmed,
concluding it to be an apparition, and that they had put her there
on purpose. This was really the case. The room, it seems, had been
disturbed for a long time, so that nobody could sleep peaceably in it,
and as she passed for a very serious woman, the servants took it into
their heads to put the Methodist and Spirit together, to see what
they would make of it. Startled at this thought, she rose from her
chair, and knelt down by the bedside to say her prayers. While she was
praying he came in again, walked round the room, and came close behind
her. She had it on her mind to speak, but when she attempted it she was
so very much agitated that she could not utter a word. He walked out
of the room again, pulling the door after him as before. She begged
that God would strengthen her and not suffer her to be tried beyond
what she could bear. She recovered her spirits, and thought she felt
more confidence and resolution, and determined if he came in again
she would speak to him. He presently came in again, walked round and
came behind her as before; she turned her head and said, "Pray, sir,
who are you, and what do you want?" He put up his finger, and said,
"Take up the candle and follow me, and I will tell you." She got up,
took up the candle, and followed him out of the room. He led her
through a long boarded passage till they came to the door of another
room, which he opened and went in. It was a small room, or what might
be called a large closet. "As the room was small, and I believed
him to be a Spirit," she said, "I stopped at the door; he turned
and said, 'Walk in, I will not hurt you.' So I walked in. He said,
'Observe what I do.' I said, 'I will.' He stooped, and tore up one
of the boards of the floor, and there appeared under it a box with an
iron handle in the lid. He said, 'Do you see that box?' I said, 'Yes,
I do.' He then stepped to one side of the room, and showed me a crevice
in the wall, where he said a key was hid that would open it. He said
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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