The Subletting of the Mansion
the responsibility of the nursing home on my shoulders; not that that would have troubled me in the ordinary way, but occult matters are beyond my ken, and I knew that Taverner always considered that these psychic expeditions were not altogether unaccompanied by risk. I had not a long vigil, however; after about twenty minutes I saw the trance condition pass into natural sleep, and having made sure that the heart had taken up its beat again and that all was well, I left my patient without rousing him and went back to bed. Next morning, as Winnington did not refer to the incident, I did not either, but his ill-concealed elation showed that something had transpired upon that midnight journey which had pleased him mightily. That evening when I went to the pillar box I found Mrs. Bellamy there waiting for me. She began without preamble: “Dr. Rhodes, did your tall friend die during the night?” “No,” I said, looking at her sharply. “In fact he is much better this morning.” “I am glad of that,” she said, “for I saw his wraith again last night, and wondered if anything had happened to him.” “What time did you see him?” I enquired, a sudden suspicion coming into my mind. “I don’t know,” she replied; “I did not look at the clock, but it was some time after midnight; I was wakened by something touching my cheek very softly, and thought the cat must have got into the room and jumped on the bed; I roused myself, intending to put it out of the room, when I saw something shadowy between me and the window; it moved to the foot of the bed, and I felt a slight weight on my feet, more than that of a cat, about what one would expect from a good-sized terrier, and then I distinctly saw your friend sitting on the foot of the bed, watching me. As I looked at him, he faded and disappeared, and I could not be sure that I had not imagined him out of the folds 141