Whilst I was recovering from my astonishment at his weird story, the doctor was announced, and came forward to shake hands with his patient.
'Tell the doctor,' said Maxwell to me, 'exactly what I have told you, and let us hear what he has to say.'
I obeyed, and when I had concluded I inquired if he felt able to put any faith in the relation.
'Doctors are often a sceptical folk,' he replied with a smile, 'but if they are wise they try to account for things. Once out of curiosity I stayed a night in a "haunted house," as it was called, and I confess I did not like the experience. I had that curious feeling as of a hostile presence which your friend evidently had both in the church and in the churchyard. I saw nothing, but I had strange impressions borne in on me, and I heard noises I could not account for.'
'Have you ever heard of any one having encountered the form or wraith of this Lord Warden of old?' I inquired.
'I don't think any one in the village would wander in the churchyard after dark,' he replied, smiling. Then he rose up to go, saying he had another appointment, but promised to call again in the afternoon with a sleeping draught, and hoped his patient would be quite well in the morning.
I accompanied him to the inn door, and went down the street with him.
'Tell me,' I said, 'exactly what you do think, for if I mistake not you were purposely reticent with my friend just now.'
'I was,' he said, after a pause, 'because I had reasons. Promise not to mention to your friend either now or at any time later——' I gave the required promise, and waited eagerly for his response.
'Well,' he said slowly, 'I once got a "gliff" myself in exactly the same place as I made a short cut through the churchyard one autumn evening. I was not thinking of the dead Warden or the tomb in the transept, and yet 'twas none other that I saw.'