“Now listen to me, John. I will tell you exactly what happened. You have been allowing yourself to brood over your old master’s death, and it has got on your nerves. You were probably thinking of him because the house was quiet, and when you came into the dining-room, the sun was shining right on to the portrait of Sir James, and you imagined he was standing on the rug. It is really quite a common thing. It’s what we call hallucination. You must not let it worry you. It’s not a warning or anything like that, and you must not think any more of it.”
He spoke with such conviction that the old man was greatly relieved.
But Collins had gone to the old man for another reason. John was standing with his back to a looking-glass, and Collins could see the room. He saw two things, a look of intense annoyance on the face of Sanders, and an expression on Mabel’s face in which gratitude was mixed with relief.
“Mr. Collins is right,” she said. “That is the explanation. I am sure there is nothing else in it. Now don’t worry any more about it.”
“Thank you, sir, thank you, Miss Mabel, it has relieved me a lot,” and the old man went out.
“Well done, Collins,” said Allery, “you have disposed of the ghost in quick time. I hope the old fellow will forget all about it.”
Collins laughed and helped himself to a cigarette from a silver box, but he watched the other. Allery drew a handkerchief from his pocket, and furtively wiped his forehead.
The company drifted off to various interests. Sanders and Mabel found themselves alone for a moment.
“I think I will go to Town to-morrow, if you don’t mind,” he said.
“Why should you go?” she said.