J. S. Le Fanus Ghostly Tales, Volume 3 | Page 4

gait. And having tired of her,
he took in his head to marry a lady of the Barnets, and it behoved him
to be shut o' her and her children; and so she nor them was seen no
more at Mardykes Hall. And the eldest, a boy, was left in care of my
grandfather's father here in the George."
"That queer Philip Feltram that's travelling with Sir Bale so long is a
descendant of his?" said the Doctor.
"Grandson," observed Mr. Peers, removing his pipe for a moment; "and
is the last of that stock."
"Well, no one could tell where she had gone to. Some said to distant
parts, some said to the madhouse, some one thing, some another; but
neither she nor the barn was ever seen or spoke to by the folk at
Mardykes in life again. There was one Mr. Wigram that lived in them
times down at Moultry, and had sarved, like the Captain here, in the
king's navy in his day; and early of a morning down he comes to the
town for a boat, sayin' he was looking towards Snakes Island through
his spyin'-glass, and he seen a woman about a hundred and fifty yards

outside of it; the Captain here has heard the bearings right enough.
From her hips upwards she was stark and straight out o' the water, and
a baby in her arms. Well, no one else could see it, nor he neither, when
they went down to the boat. But next morning he saw the same thing,
and the boatman saw it too; and they rowed for it, both pulling might
and main; but after a mile or so they could see it no more, and gave
over. The next that saw it was the vicar, I forget his name now--but he
was up the lake to a funeral at Mortlock Church; and coming back with
a bit of a sail up, just passin' Snakes Island, what should they hear on a
sudden but a wowl like a death-cry, shrill and bleak, as made the very
blood hoot in their veins; and looking along the water not a hundred
yards away, saw the same grizzled sight in the moonlight; so they
turned the tiller, and came near enough to see her face--blea it was, and
drenched wi' water--and she was above the lake to her middle, stiff as a
post, holdin' the weeny barn out to them, and flyrin' [smiling scornfully]
on them as they drew nigh her. They were half-frighted, not knowing
what to make of it; but passing as close as the boatman could bring her
side, the vicar stretched over the gunwale to catch her, and she bent
forward, pushing the dead bab forward; and as she did, on a sudden she
gave a yelloch that scared them, and they saw her no more. 'Twas no
livin' woman, for she couldn't rise that height above the water, as they
well knew when they came to think; and knew it was a dobby they saw;
and ye may be sure they didn't spare prayer and blessin', and went on
their course straight before the wind; for neither would a-took the worth
o' all the Mardykes to look sich a freetin' i' the face again. 'Twas seen
another time by market-folk crossin' fra Gyllenstan in the self-same
place; and Snakes Island got a bad neam, and none cared to go nar it
after nightfall."
"Do you know anything of that Feltram that has been with him
abroad?" asked the Doctor.
"They say he's no good at anything--a harmless mafflin; he was a long
gaumless gawky when he went awa," said Richard Turnbull. "The
Feltrams and the Mardykes was sib, ye know; and that made what
passed in the misfortune o' that young lady spoken of all the harder;
and this young man ye speak of is a grandson o' the lad that was put

here in care o' my grandfather."
"_Great_-grandson. His father was grandson," said Mr. Peers; "he held
a commission in the army and died in the West Indies. This Philip
Feltram is the last o' that line--illegitimate, you know, it is held--and the
little that remained of the Feltram property went nearly fourscore years
ago to the Mardykes, and this Philip is maintained by Sir Bale; it is
pleasant, notwithstanding all the stories one hears, gentlemen, that the
only thing we know of him for certain should be so creditable to his
kindness."
"To be sure," acquiesced Mr. Turnbull.
While they talked the horn sounded, and the mail-coach drew up at the
door of the George and Dragon to set down a passenger and his
luggage.
Dick Turnbull rose and went out to the hall with careful bustle, and
Doctor Torvey followed as far as the door,