raise the _portière_ that hung between the apartments and stand there in a listening attitude. I immediately gave Mrs. Volckman the hint. "Let us talk of something else," I said, in a low voice. "Jane is in your bedroom." "O! no! she's not," was the reply. "But I saw her lift the _portière_," I persisted; "she has only just dropped it." "You are mistaken," replied my hostess, "for Jane has gone on the beach with the child." I felt sure I had _not_ been mistaken, but I held my tongue and said no more. The conversation was resumed, and as we were deep in the delicate matter, the woman appeared for the second time. "Mrs. Volckman," I whispered, "Jane is really there. She has just looked in again." My friend rose from her seat. "Come with me," she said, "and I will convince you that you are wrong." I followed her into the bedroom, where she showed me that the door communicating with the passage was locked _inside_. "Now, do you see," she continued, "that no one but the 'Green Lady' could enter this room but through the one we are sitting in." "Then it must have been the 'Green Lady,'" I replied, "for I assuredly saw a woman standing in the doorway." "That is likely enough," said Mrs. Volckman; "but if she comes again she shall have the trouble of drawing back the curtains." And thereupon she unhooped the _portière_, which consisted of two curtains, and drew them right across the door. We had hardly regained our seats in the bay window before the two curtains were sharply drawn aside, making the brass rings rattle on the rod, and the "Green Lady" stood in the opening we had just passed through. Mrs. Volckman told her not to be afraid, but to come out and speak to us; but she was apparently not equal to doing so, and only stood there for a few minutes gazing at us. I imprudently left my seat and approached her, with a view to making overtures of friendship, when she dropped the curtains over her figure. I passed through them immediately to the other side, and found the bedroom empty and the door locked inside, as before. CHAPTER XI. THE STORY OF THE MONK.