From out the Vasty Deep

ell Hall, should have a Christmas tree. Hers, also, that the treat for the children was to be combine

at Wyndfell Hall had been gathered together. But still, there were all sorts of last thi

for he had only a life interest in the house itself. But Varick was determined to have a good, old-fashioned country Christmas; and he was seconded in his desire not only by Bubbles, but by Helen Brabazon, who entered into everything with

anyone in the least like Bubbles! At first I confess I thought her very odd-she almost repelled m

ly. "You're quite right as to one thing, Miss Brabazon-she has a very kind, warm

mple yet sensible friend as was this enormously rich girl. "And if you really like Bubbles," went

Yes?" she exclaimed. "I wish you would! Bubb

her very much regret her going in for all t

h think it's only thought-r

clever of the girl to have said that. But no dou

ing carried very far. The kind of power Bubbles showed the night before last

dinary thought-reading. And I suppose that it's true that she

hem. I think she only perceived each image in t

gly, "that you haven't the slighte

n almost evolve the figure of a ghost. I think that's what happened to my maid the other night. Pegler's a most sensible person, yet she's quite c

ompanion's face, she added quickly: "D'you think that you

wife. Perhaps I feel as I do because, of course, I know that this strange and beautiful old house was once her home. It's pathetic, isn't it, to see how very little remains of her here? One might, indeed, say th

n the dining-room and the servants' offices. I believe it was there that Miss Fauncey, as the people about here still call her, used to d

letter-quite a mad letter, in fact. It struck me as so queer that before answering it I sent it on to Mr. Varick. She wanted to see me, to talk to me about poor Milly's last illness. She has a kind of crazy hat

her day. He allows her a hundred a

dered if the room I'm sleeping in now was that in which Milly slept as a girl. Sometimes I feel as

hey had thought out every arrangement to make it "go" as well as was possible. They were all to have a sort of ear

t on making it. He wanted to get into touch with his poorer neighbours-not only in a material sense, by distributing gifts of beef and blankets; that he had

rightened, as well as angered him. He watched the unattractive millionaire with jealous eyes. It was only too clear that Bubbles had fascinated James Tapster, as she generally did all dull and unimaginative people. But Donnington, perforce, had to keep his jealous feelings to hims

which were to take place thereon only contained two items. The first of these took most of the Wy

Lionel Varick's guests in front, were seated, when suddenly there leapt on to

clapping of hands and stamping of feet-for, of course, it was Bubbles! Bubbles dressed up as a wit

ion, wishing all there present the best of luck in the coming year. And then she exec

with a feeling that perhaps the time had come for him to allow himself to be "caught" at last; Helen Brabazon with

those present imagined that they saw the light, airy-looking

was so strange, so uncanny, so vivid. Bill Donnington heard one of the village women behind him say: "Ther

the sensation it might have done had he been the first instead of the second item on the programme. But as he stood there, a fine figure of a man, his keen, good-

ely rare-who regarded his tenants as of less interest than the livestock on his home farm. What he had done for them he had

e people standing there-meant to him the fulfilment of a life-long dream. And that was not all. As he was hesitating for his first word, his ey

quire; he was the kind of man who would have helped the boys to get on in the world-the girls, if need be, to make happy marriages. James Tapster looked rather out of it all; he looked his apathetic, sulky self-a man whom nothing would ever galvanize into real good-fellowship. How could so intelligent

ock of dark-brown hair, and there came over him a slight feeling of discomfort. Bubbles had worked like a Trojan. All this could not have happened but for her; and yet-and yet Varick again t

minute, and then Varick made his pleasant little speech, welcoming the people there

eet and handclapping, and then gradually

ome to be that half-hour just before she dressed for dinner, when Pegler, with gentle, skilful fingers

Miss Farrow's bed-time, when, after a quiet, short evening, t

e of the pleasantest Christmas days she had ever spent. Everything had gone off so well, and she could see that Varick had enjoyed every moment of

ather charming, wasn't it? Everyone happy-the children and the old people

, ma'am, in a way, and, as you say, it all went off very

r? What d'you

ady, the one who used to live here-" Pegler stopped speaking sud

e with a touch of impatience. "

m maid here a matter of twenty years back, said she saw her as clear as clear, up on the platform, wearing the sort of grey dress she used to wear when she was a girl, ma'a

solute n

shocked as

If you'll pardon me, ma'am, for saying so, it don't seem nonsense to me. Afte

n't you sometimes looked at a thing and thought it

hting was very bad. Some of the people hope that Mr. Varick's going to

ge doesn't really belong to him, Pegler. It was wonderfully kind of him to give what

she found it impossible to go to sleep. What a curious, uncanny, uncomfortable story-that of "poor Milly's" ghost appearing on the l

-of a man hung up in chains padlocked by British officers, and then, a moment later, that same man, freed, standing in their midst, the chains rattling together, empty-flo

uttered. One of the men present, a distinguished scientist, had actually seen the trick done. He had seen an Indian swarm up the rope and disappear-into thin air! What had he called it? Collective hypnotism? Yes, that was the expression he had used. Some such power Bubbles certa

et sinister story had spoilt the pleasant memories of her day,