"'Not in the least,' I said, 'I will follow you with pleasure, but you must allow me to put something on, as I am suffering from rheumatism, and am afraid of the cold and damp.' "'By all means,' said Captain Carbury. 'I will wait for you in the gallery.' "I then got up and put on my dressing-gown and slippers. Whilst I was doing so, I heard a rustling in the passage as of a woman passing slowly along. I found Captain Carbury, and followed him along the gallery without looking round, but when we reached the end of the gallery and turned to go down the first flight of stairs, I saw the lady with the black brows--whom I now knew to be Lucretia Carbury, the murderess--standing in the doorway, between the gallery and the passage. "'I do not think she can come any farther,' said my guide, and he opened the door leading from the staircase into the garden. "'I am showing you just where they brought me,' said he. "'Who was the man?' I asked. "'I never knew his name, but she married him afterwards.' "He then moved across the lawn _to the bare spot under the plane-tree_. Here he stopped, and, pointing downwards, showed me on the bare ground an exact outline of the dagger which he had drawn from his side. "'Here they dug my grave and here they buried me; a salt spring washes over me.' "At this moment the great clock of St Andrew struck ONE. "'All that you have told me is very sad and strange,' I said, 'but now, will you allow me to ask you why you have appeared to me? Is there anything you want done on earth that I can do? Is there any restitution to be made, or justice to be administered? Anything that you require, I am ready to do, if you will grant me one favour when you return to the spirit realm.' "I had been speaking with my eyes fixed on the ground, but now, happening to raise them, I was surprised to see that my companion appeared to be sinking into the ground. "'My time is up,' he said. '_Remember!_'--and, as his head disappeared, his words came in a hollow, sepulchral voice from beneath _that spot of black earth_--'remember you are my witness!' "I was left standing alone under the plane-tree, with the thought, that in returning to my room, I might probably meet the restless spirit of Lucretia Carbury. "Nothing of the kind, however, occurred. I passed through the doors that had opened at the touch of Captain Carbury, and I noticed that they closed behind me without any effort on my part. I regained my bed, and almost immediately fell asleep. All had passed so naturally, and as a matter of course, that only when I woke this morning, and thought over the events of the night, did I realise that I had passed through such an experience as is given to few human beings.