I will close this chapter on ghosts with a story which is firmly believed and told by many of the country people. For obvious reasons I suppress all names.
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, a very rich widower had a house in Smith Street. His first wife had left many small children, to whom in her lifetime she had been devoted, and spent many hours of her day in the nursery. The widower, after a short interval, married again, a young, pretty, and frivolous girl, who utterly neglected her step-children. Then the spirit of his first wife came back for a short time every morning, and washed and dressed them, the curtains of their beds were found pushed back in the mornings, and her silk dress was heard rustling up the stairs, and the children used to say “Mamma dressed us.”[352]
A man residing on the north-west coast had a brother who was drowned whilst out fishing. This man, wishing to do his best for his brother’s family, was sore perplexed some years afterwards, as the family ran great risk of losing their property, owing to the absence of a title deed which he knew to have existed, but which unfortunately had not been registered.
One day, when out fishing, he was greatly surprised to see his brother’s boat coming full sail close to him and just rounding to, with his brother at the tiller, and exclaimed:—“La! te v’lo et ta femme qu’est r’mariaïe!” (Lo! there you are and your wife married again!) The answer he received was:—“Le papier que tu trache est dans un taï endret sus la poutre,” (the paper you are looking for is in such a room, on the beam). Immediately everything disappeared.
Arrived ashore, he searched in the place indicated and found the missing document.[353]
[347] On referring to the Bonamy pedigree, the only Helier Bonamy who appears to have owned Les Câches, is a “Hellier, fils Pierre.” Peter Bonamy being a Jurat in 1548. Helier does not seem to have borne the best of reputations, for Nicholas Bermis writes of him to Bishop Horn: “Guernsey, December 13, 1575. He is a disorderly character, notorious for impiety and obstinacy.… Finally publicly excommunicated from the commune of the Church of God and of His Saints and given over to Satan until he should repent.”—Zurich Letters, Vol. II., p. 224.
[348] Even into the nineteenth century the old ladies would tell you how they walked home, lit by a three-candled lantern from “the Assemblys” and how the last dance was always given to the favourite partner, so that he might have the privilege of accompanying them.
[349] From Miss C. Tardif, who was told the story by her grandmother.
[350] Collected by Miss E. Le Pelley.
[351] Collected by Miss E. Le Pelley.