"It is ignorance that frightens us," he went on. "In this instance think of the appearances we are speaking of as almost of the nature of a photograph, or the reflection in a looking-glass. I daresay we should have been terrified by these, had we not grown used to them, did we not know what they are. Somebody said lately what appalling things we should think our own _shadows_, if we had suddenly for the first time become aware of them." "I don't mind so much," said Margaret, "when you speak of ghosts as a sort of photograph. But----" she hesitated. "Pray say what you are thinking." "Just now when you said how incredible it was that _real souls_ should return to this earth, you only spoke of good people, did you not?" In his turn Sir Robert hesitated. "It is difficult to draw a line even in thought between good and bad people," he said, "and, thank God, it is not for us to do so. 'To my Maker alone I stand or I fall.' There is evil in the best; there is, I would fain hope," but here his face grew grave and sad, "good in the worst. But even allowing that we could draw the line, is it likely that the bad, even those who have all but lost the last spark, who don't want to be good, is it likely that they, if, as we must believe, under Divine control, would be allowed to leave their new life of punishment--punishment in the sense of _correction_, mind you--to come back here, wasting their time, one may say, to frighten perfectly innocent people for no purpose? No, I think I am quite consistent. Only try to get rid of all _fears_--that is what we can all do. But really I should apologise for all this lecture;" and he was turning to me with a smile, when his eyes fell on the cup which he had replaced on the table. "I cannot get over the impression that I have seen that cup--no, not that cup, but one just like it, before. Not long ago, I fancy," he said. "Oh, you must let us know if you find out anything," we all exclaimed. "I certainly shall do so," he said, and a few minutes afterwards he and Mr. Grenfell took their leave. But I had time for a word or two with the latter out of hearing of the others. "Who is Sir Robert Masters?" I asked. "Have you known him long? He is a very uncommon and impressive sort of man."