Santiago chimed in. "Ah, that is where my poor friend met with his death! I wonder you are not afraid to live in the house, Señor."
"Why should he be afraid?" put in Ida rather indignantly. "Ghosts are not pleasant things," said the Mexican with a shrug.
"Do you mean to say that the wicked Colonel walks?" asked Robin.
"You are talking nonsense," said Herrick who was beginning to find the conversation disagreeable, and in the presence of Stephen, not in good taste. "There are no such things as ghosts, and the room in which Colonel Carr died has been demolished. If you talk like this the ignorant country people will be inventing some legend."
Sidney who had been listening to all this very quietly looking first at one speaker and then at the other, let his grave blue eyes fall upon the doctor. "How do you know that there are no such things as ghosts?" he demanded. "There are. I have seen them myself."
Everybody shuddered, and Santiago looked at the boy with a curious smile.
"Where have you seen a ghost?" asked Herrick quietly.
"In this wood, in the village churchyard; all kinds of shapes and forms. They do not frighten me. Only bad people are frightened. You would be," he added looking at Santiago.
"Yes," responded that gentleman, "you are quite right. I am glad I have not your gift of seeing things."
"You laugh at it I suppose?"