_May 1st._--I shall have to move the priests. They persist that
they are not frightened, but they are both looking shockingly
ill and worn, and the Rev. MacD---- is not in a state of health
to take liberties with. The Rev. MacL---- seems in the same
mental state as was Mr. P----. He sees nothing, but is
supernormally sensitive, and without any hint from me, declared
that he felt the drawing-room, wing, and No. 7 to be "innocent."
Poor little "Spooks" is the chief sufferer. She sleeps on my bed
now, but even so, wakes in the night growling and shivering, and
she refuses her food, and is in a dreadfully nervous state.
Perhaps I ought not to keep her in No. 8, where we have so often
heard the patterings of dogs' feet, and where Miss Moore was
once pushed as by a dog, in broad daylight.
_May 2nd._--Nothing occurred. We perhaps all slept the sounder
last night, having been kept up till two o'clock waiting for
Madame Boisseaux, who never turned up. She and the M----s and
Mrs. "F." arrived to-day.
Madame Boisseaux arrived, and was put into No. 1.
Her maid " " 2.
Father MacD---- " " 3.
Father MacL---- " " 4.
Mrs. "F." " " 5.
Mr. and Mrs. M---- " " 6 and 7.
Myself " " 8.
_May 3rd._--The general tone of things is disquieting, and new
in our experience. Hitherto, in our first occupation, the
phenomena affected one as melancholy, depressing, and
perplexing, but now all, quite independently, say the same
thing, that the influence is evil and horrible--even poor little
Spooks, who was never terrified before, as she has been since
our return here. The worn faces at breakfast were really a
dismal sight.
In spite of her long journey, Madame Boisseaux could not sleep.
She was so tired, she dropped to sleep at once on going to bed,
but was awoke by the sound of a droning voice as if from No. 3,
and, at intervals, more distant voices in high argument. She
said she dared not go to sleep; she felt as if some
evil-disposed persons were in the room, and it would not be safe
to lose consciousness. But she saw nothing. She looks so ill
that her maid, a very faithful old servant, has been to beg me,
"_pour l'amour de Dieu_," to give Madame another room. So
to-night I will put her in No. 5.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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