night before, which Nisbet read but did not believe. ‘This is the strangest thing I’ve ever heard or seen,’ said Nisbet. ‘The first thing we must do is take a photograph of the painting before it changes again. Then we should try to find out where this place is in England. I feel there is something strange and terrible happening there.’ ‘Yes, and I also want to ask John Garwood to write a description of what he saw when he looked at the painting last night. We could only just see the person then, under the trees over on this side of the house,’ said Williams, pointing at one side of the picture. John Garwood came over immediately and, while he was writing his description, Nisbet photographed the painting. Then the three friends decided to go for a walk. ‘Perhaps it will help us to think more clearly,’ said Nisbet. They returned to Williams’s house at about five o’clock in the afternoon and were surprised to find Williams’s servant, Robert, sitting and staring at the painting. When the three men entered, he jumped to his feet in embarrassment, ‘I must apologize for sitting in your chair, sir,’ he said to Williams. ‘But I couldn’t stop looking at this picture.’ ‘Please don’t apologize, Robert. What do you think of the painting? I’m interested to hear your opinion,’ said Williams. ‘Well, sir. It’s not the sort of painting I would let my young daughter look at. She’s very easily frightened and I think this strange, thin person carrying a baby would give her bad dreams.’ The three men said nothing. They waited for Robert to go. As soon as the door closed, they rushed to the painting. Robert was right. The strange, bony person was now back in the picture, walking away from the house and, in its long, thin arms was a baby. For two hours the three men sat and watched the picture, but it did not change again. They went to have dinner. After dinner
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