4. The nun to whom was given the name of "Ishbel." This subject has
been already discussed, and the suggestion thrown out that the
phantasm was an erroneous mental picture of the late Rev. Mother
Frances Helen, evolved from the imagination of a half-educated person
who had never seen the lady in question, and knew little about her.
This figure was seen many times by Miss Freer and Miss Langton, twice
by the Rev. Mr. "Q.," and probably by Madame Boisseaux, who unhappily
died suddenly before the editors had an opportunity of asking her for
exact information. There were also earlier witnesses. She was never
seen elsewhere than in the glen, except once by Miss Langton, and on
the one occasion when a Bishop was saying Mass in the house, and Miss
Freer saw her outside the window just after the elevation of the
chalice. It was stated, however, by two separate witnesses, that a
figure, probably the same, had been seen inside the house on at least
one occasion, when, some years before Colonel Taylor's tenancy, Mrs.
S---- was keeping her room, and a maid who was bringing up a tray met
the figure on the stairs, and experienced such a start that she
dropped the tray.
5. The lay-woman dressed in grey to whom was given the name of
"Marget," and who was sometimes seen in the company of "Ishbel,"
usually as though upbraiding or reproving her. She was seen by Miss
Freer and Miss Langton, and her voice in conversation with "Ishbel"
was heard not only by them, but by Mr. C---- and Miss Moore, Mr. "Q."
and Miss "Duff" (_cf._ Mrs. G.'s evidence, p. 68).
6. The appearance of the wooden crucifix seen in No. 3. It was about
eighteen inches long, and the figure was of the same wood as the
cross. Its earliest appearance is to the Rev. P. H----. It afterwards
appeared to the Rev. Mr. "Q.," and lastly to Miss Freer, none of the
witnesses knowing anything in detail of the experience of the others.
It was also seen in the crystal by Miss Langton--possibly by thought
transference from others.
When the Rev. P. H---- saw it he was always drowsy, but when it
appeared to Mr. "Q." its appearance was immediately preceded by a
sensation of acute chill on his part, and its appearance to Miss Freer
by a similar sensation on the part of "Endell." It is perhaps worth
while to remark, that we are told that among spiritualists the
sensation of cold is supposed to be an unfavourable indication as to
the character of the spirits who are present, and that in the cases of
both Mr. "Q." and Mr. "Endell" the appearance of the crucifix seemed
to put an end to the chill.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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