"I don't know what you mean, by talking about my country," said Miss
Blake, who was always proclaiming her nationality, and quarrelling with
those who discovered it without such proclamation.
"I mean," he explained, "that all the fanciful legends and beautiful
stories for which Ireland is celebrated have their origin in the
supernatural. There are, for instance, several old families who have
their traditional banshee."
"For that matter, we have one ourselves," agreed Miss Blake, with
conscious pride.
At this junction our counsel interposed with a suggestion that there was
no insinuation about any banshee residing at River Hall.
"No, the question is about a ghost, and I am coming to that. Different
countries have different usages. In Ireland, as Miss Blake admits, there
exists a very ladylike spirit, who announces the coming death of any
member of certain families. In England, we have ghosts, who appear after
the death of some members of some families. Now, Miss Blake, I want you
to exercise your memory. Do you remember a night in the November after
Mr. Elmsdale's death?"
"I remember many nights in many months that I passed broken-hearted in
that house," she answered, composedly; but she grew very pale; and
feeling there was something unexpected behind both question and answer,
our counsel looked at us, and we looked back at him, dismayed.
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