On this the discussion began in earnest. Charles, who had never heard the circumstances which led to the trial, was greatly astonished to hear what remains had been discovered. He said that he could only declare himself to have thrown in the body, full dressed, just as it was, and how it could have been stripped and buried he could not imagine. “What made folks think of looking into the vault?” he asked.
“It was Mrs. Oakshott,” said Lee, “the young man’s wife, she who was to have married the deceased. She took up some strange notion about stories of phantoms current among the vulgar, and insisted on having the vault searched, though it had been walled up for many years past.”
Charles and Anne looked at each other, and the former said, “Again?”
“Oh yes!” said Anne; “indeed there have been enough to make me remember what you bade me do, in case they recurred, only it was impossible.”
“Phantoms!” said Mr. Harcourt; “what does this mean?”
“Mere vulgar superstitions, sir,” said the attorney.
“But very visible,” said Charles; “I have seen one myself, of which I am quite sure, besides many that may be laid to the account of the fever of my wound.”
“I must beg to hear,” said the barrister. “Do I understand that these were apparitions of the deceased?”
“Yes,” said Charles. “Miss Woodford saw the first, I think.”
“May I beg you to describe it?” said Mr. Harcourt, taking a fresh piece of paper to make notes on.