“Another clerical friend whom the Parminters called in to exorcise the ghost did, I believe, complete the service; but it had no effect—the thing mounted the wall, just as it had done before, and darting downwards put the exorciser to instant flight. The Parminters next resolved to try a West End occultist. It was an expensive proceeding; but terms were at length agreed upon, and the following night the renowned psychic arrived to lay the ghost. When it was time for it to appear, this exorciser insisted upon the Parminters retiring to their room, whilst he himself remained outside on the landing alone.
“They heard him repeat a lot of gibberish, as Parminter afterwards described it to me; and then he rapped at their door and told them they need not worry any more as he had seen the ghost, the spirit of a monk, and given it the consolation it needed.
“‘But why did the monk crawl and make such a queer rattling noise?’ Mrs. Parminter inquired.
“‘Because just before he died he lost the use of his limbs,’ was the reply. ‘Spirits, you know, always come back in the state they were in immediately prior to their death. The rattling was due to the fact that he wore armour; so many of the old monks combined two professions, that of soldier and priest.’
“‘But how about the speed with which the thing darted at us,’ Parminter said, ‘and the feeling we all had that it possessed innumerable legs? That doesn’t look much like a disabled monk, does it?’
“‘He didn’t appear like that to me,’ the occultist replied. ‘In all probability you had that impression because your psychic faculties are not sufficiently developed. At present you see spirits all out of focus, as it were—not in their true perspective. If you went through a proper course of training at some psychic college, you would see them just as I do.’
“‘Possibly,’ Parminter said, ‘but how about the gas? I see you had it full on all the time.’
“‘That would make no difference in my case,’ the occultist replied, ‘because to anyone of my advanced learning ghosts can materialise in the light just as well as in the dark.’
“‘Then you feel certain the hauntings have now ceased?’ Mrs. Parminter observed.
“‘That is what the monk told me,’ was the reply; ‘and now, if you will kindly pay me my fee, I will go.’