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〃The place is close；〃 said her mistress。 〃Go into the next room
there；〃she pointed to a door〃and open the window。 You will soon
be well。〃
〃If you please； Miss； I would rather stay with you。 This place
makes me feel that strange。〃
She had come but lately； and had never been over the house before。
〃Nonsense！〃 said Miss Cameron； looking at her sharply。 〃What do you
mean？〃
〃Please； don't be angry； Miss； but the first night e'er I slept
here； I saw that very lady〃
〃Saw that lady！〃
〃Well； Miss； I mean； I dreamed that I saw her； and I remembered her
the minute I see her up there； and she give me a turn like。 I'm all
right now； Miss。〃
Euphra fixed her eyes on her； and kept them fixed； till she was very
nearly all wrong again。 She turned as pale as before； and began to
draw her breath hard。
〃You silly goose！〃 said Euphra； and withdrew her eyes； upon which
the girl began to breathe more freely。
Hugh was making some wise remarks in his own mind on the unsteady
condition of a nature in which the imagination predominates over the
powers of reflection； when Euphra turned to him； and began to tell
him that that was the picture of her three or four times
great…grandmother； painted by Sir Peter Lely； just after she was
married。
〃Isn't she fair？〃 said she。〃She turned nun at last； they say。〃
〃She is more fair than honest；〃 thought Hugh。 〃It would take a great
deal of nun to make her into a saint。〃 But he only said； 〃She is
more beautiful than lovely。 What was her name？〃
〃If you mean her maiden name； it was HalkarLady Euphrasia
Halkarnamed after me； you see。 She had foreign blood in her； of
course； and； to tell the truth； there were strange stories told of
her； of more sorts than one。 I know nothing of her family。 It was
never heard of in England； I believe； till after the Restoration。〃
All the time Euphra was speaking； Hugh was being perplexed with that
most annoying of perplexitiesthe flitting phantom of a
resemblance； which he could not catch。 He was forced to dismiss it
for the present； utterly baffled。
〃Were you really named after her； Miss Cameron？〃
〃No； no。 It is a family name with us。 But； indeed； I may be said
to be named after her； for she was the first of us who bore it。 You
don't seem to like the portrait。〃
〃I do not； but I cannot help looking at it； for all that。〃
〃I am so used to the lady's face；〃 said Euphra； 〃that it makes no
impression on me of any sort。 But it is said；〃 she added； glancing
at the maid； who stood at some distance； looking uneasily about
herand as she spoke she lowered her voice to a whisper〃it is
said； she cannot lie still。〃
〃Cannot lie still！ What do you mean？〃
〃I mean down there in the chapel；〃 she answered； pointing。
The Celtic nerves of Hugh shuddered。 Euphra laughed； and her voice
echoed in silvery billows； that broke on the faces of the men and
women of old time； that had owned the whole； whose lives had flowed
and ebbed in varied tides through the ancient house； who had married
and been given in marriage； and gone down to the chapel belowbelow
the prayers and below the psalmsand made a Sunday of all the week。
Ashamed of his feeling of passing dismay； Hugh said； just to say
something：
〃What a strange ornament that is！ Is it a brooch or a pin？ No； I
declare it is a ringlarge enough for three cardinals； and worn on
her thumb。 It seems almost to sparkle。 Is it ruby； or carbuncle；
or what？〃
〃I don't know： some clumsy old thing；〃 answered Euphra； carelessly。
〃Oh！ I see；〃 said Hugh； 〃it is not a red stone。 The glow is only a
reflection from part of her dress。 It is as clear as a diamond。
But that is impossiblesuch a size。 There seems to me something
curious about it； and the longer I look at it； the more strange it
appears。〃
Euphra stole another of her piercing glances at him； but said
nothing。
〃Surely；〃 Hugh went on； 〃a ring like that would hardly be likely to
be lost out of the family？ Your uncle must have it somewhere。〃
Euphra laughed； but this laugh was very different from the last。 It
rattled rather than rang。
〃You are wonderfully taken with a baublefor a man of letters； that
is； Mr。 Sutherland。 The stone may have been carried down any one of
the hundred streams into which a family river is always dividing。〃
〃It is a very remarkable ornament for a lady's finger；
notwithstanding；〃 said Hugh； smiling in his turn。
〃But we shall never get through the pictures at this rate；〃 remarked
Euphra； and going on； she directed Hugh's attention now to this； now
to that portrait； saying who each was； and mentioning anything
remarkable in the history of their originals。 She manifested a
thorough acquaintance with the family story； and made； in fact； an
excellent show…woman。 Having gone nearly to the other end of the
gallery；
〃This door；〃 said she； stopping at one； and turning over the keys；
〃leads to one of the oldest portions of the house； the principal
room in which is said to have belonged especially to the lady over
there。〃
As she said this； she fixed her eyes once more on the maid。
〃Oh！ don't ye now； Miss；〃 interrupted Jane。 〃Hannah du say as how a
whitey…blue light shines in the window of a dark night；
sometimesthat lady's window； you know； Miss。 Don't ye open the
doorpray； Miss。〃
Jane seemed on the point of falling into the same terror as before。
〃Really； Jane；〃 said her mistress； 〃I am ashamed of you； and of
myself； for having such silly servants about me。〃
〃I beg your pardon； Miss； but〃
〃So Mr。 Sutherland and I must give up our plan of going over the
house； because my maid's nerves are too delicate to permit her to
accompany us。 For shame！〃
〃Oh； du ye now go without me！〃 cried the girl； clasping her hands。
〃And you will wait here till we come back？〃
〃Oh！ don't ye leave me here。 Just show me the way out。〃
And once more she turned pale as death。
〃Mr。 Sutherland； I am very sorry； but we must put off the rest of
our ramble till another time。 I am； like Hamlet； very vilely
attended； as you see。 Come； then； you foolish girl；〃 she added；
more mildly。
The poor maid； what with terror of Lady Euphrasia； and respect for
her mistress； was in a pitiable condition of moral helplessness。
She seemed almost too frightened to walk behind them。 But if she
had been in front it would have been no better； for； like other
ghost…fearers； she seemed to feel very painfully that she had no
eyes in her back。
They returned as they came； and Jane receiving the keys to take to
the housekeeper； darted away。 When she reached Mrs。 Horton's room；
she sank on a chair in hysterics。
〃I must get rid of that girl； I fear；〃 said Miss Cameron； leading
the way to the library； 〃she will infect the whole household with
her foolish terrors。 We shall not hear the last of this for some
time to come。 We had a fit of it the same year I came； and I
suppose the time has come round for another attack of the same
epidemic。〃
〃What is there about the room to terrify the poor thing？〃
〃Oh！ they say it is haunted； that is all。 Was there ever an old
house anywhere over Europe； especially an old family house； but was
said to be haunted？ Here the story centres in that roomor at
least in that room and the avenue in front of its windows。〃
〃Is that the avenue called the Ghost's Walk？〃
〃Yes。 Who told you？〃
〃Harry would not let me cross it。〃
〃Poor boy！ This is really too bad。 He cannot stand anything of
that kind； I am sure。 Those servants！〃
〃Oh！ I hope we shall soon get him too well to be frightened at
anything。 Are these places said to be haunted by any particular
ghost？〃
〃Yes。 By Lady EuphrasiaRubbish！〃
Had Hugh possessed a yet keener perception of resemblance； he would
have seen that the phantom…likeness which haunted him in the
portrait of Euphrasia Halkar； was that of Euphrasia Cameronby his
side all the time。 But the mere difference of complexion was
sufficient to throw him outinsignificant difference as that is；
beside the correspondence of features and their relations。 Euphra
herself was perfectly aware of the likeness； but had no wish that
Hugh should discover it。
As if the likeness； however； had been dimly identified by the
unconscious part of his being； he sat in one corner of the library
sofa； with his eyes fixed on the face of Euphra； as she sat in the
other。 Presently he was made aware of his unintentional rudeness；
by seeing her turn pale as death； and sink back in the sofa。 In a
moment she started up； and began pacing about the room； rubbing her
eyes and temples。 He was bewildered and alarmed。
〃Miss Cameron； are you ill？〃 he exclaimed。
She gave a kind of half…hysterical laugh； and said：
〃Nonothing worth speaking of。 I felt a little faint； that was
all。 I am better now。〃
She turned full towards him； and seemed to try to look all right；
but there was a kind of film over the clearness of her black eyes。
〃I fear you have headache。〃
〃A little； but it is nothing。 I will go and lie down。〃
〃Do； pray； else you will not be well enough to appear at dinner。〃
She retired； and Hugh joined Hairy。
Euphra had another glass of claret with her uncle that e