Tales and Sketches.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 116, 5 July 1873, Page 8

Tales and Sketches.

THE STORY I HEARD IN THE SMOKING ROOM. [From London Society.] We were staying a large party at Thornton Court, at the beginning of the pheasant shooting season, when I heard an account of an optical delusion, which is of such a novel character that I can hardly suppose it will not be interesting to many people. The ladies had gone, or at least were supposed to have gone, to bed; for I have often, on my way back from the smokingroom, at an hour when all but a few confirmed lovers of the weed are believed to be asleep in a country house, heard through the doors, which communicate between some of the young ladies’ rooms and the corridor, sounds of voices and of laughter, which I hardly can imagine proceeded from sleeping occupants, and which have led me to believe that the vague stories we hear of little chats by members of the fairer sex over their bedroom fires are not altogether unfounded.

At any rate, every one had left the drawing-room ; one by one, smokers in every variety and every colour of smokingjacket and of dressing-gown, had dropped into the before-mentioned sanctuary of tobacco, where, under sporting pictures and one or two foxes’ brushes, and shut off from the rest of the house by-double-baize doors, we formed a party of about half a dozen, round the cheerful fire which the chilly days of early October rendered quite acceptable.

After all the members of the social community were supplied with cigars and large glasses, which contained various compounds of effervescing waters, and had settled into their chairs, we chatted over the pheasants, the prospects of hunting, the merits of some well-known racehorses, and such other subjects as form the staple of conversation on similar occasions ; somehow or other the conversation turned upon ghosts and spiritualism. All discussed the subject except the usually conversational Colonel Houghton, who silently pulled away at a large cigar and gazed stedfastly into the fire. ‘ Come, Houghton,’ at last said Randon, our host, ‘ what is your opinion on the subject ?’ * I certainly have not the least belief in ghosts, but a most curious case once occurred to myself for which I have never been able to account,’ was the reply. * Oh, let us hear it, by ail means,’ cried several, charmed with the idea of getting Houghton, who was rather sceptical in most matters, to tell a ghost story. * I have never told it, but I think that now I can do so, as, by giving other than the real names of the men I fancied I saw after their deaths, no one will now be able to tell who they were,’ was the reply. Several new cigars were lighted, some glasses were replenished, and we disposed ourselves to listen, when Colonel Houghton, looking very grave, and with an expression I had never before seen on bis face, began his tale I must tell you that my adventure occurred in a country which I think is the last place on earth where one would have expected to encounter anything mysterious or unnatural ; for it was in China, the countiy of ideal dulness and practicality, that I witnessed the phenomenon I have hitherto been unable to account for satisfactorily. In order to understand the whole case, I must begin at a much earlier period of my life than that at which the circumstances I am about to relate occurred. When I was about sixteen years old, and at school at Eton, I was seized with a most ardent desire to euter the army, and in frequent letters implored my father to let me leave Eton and go to a private tutor’s, where I might undergo a special preparation tor the military profession. My father for a long time opposed the idea, as he wished me to go to the bar ; and as I was not an over-dilligent boy, imagined that in the army I should not do anything except smoke and run into debt.

At last my importunities led him to consent to a compromise, and I was removed from Eton, but not to a military tutor’s ; I was sent to a clergyman in the west of England, who received a very limited number of pupils, and who was to teach me thoroughly such subjects as would fit me for the army, in case I remained steadfast to my wishes, or which otherwise might be useful in a civil career. When I arrived at Dr Warnborough’s I found there only two pupils, one named Charles Granger, and another who left soon after I joined. Granger and lin a short time became warm friends ; we rode together, boated together, had no s&crets from each other, and for eighteen months, were almost inseparable. Dr Warnborough and his wife were a most kind, good-hearted couple, and made us most comfortable in every way, an attention, I am afraid, we did not always entirely reciprocate, for we were both rather wild and foolish, although I must do Charles the justice to say that in all scrapes I was the leader and cause.

One incident which amused us much at the time I may mention en passant. The village in which Dr Warnborough’s rectory was situated abounded with cats, against which we two boys declared a wat of extermination. Many fell before Oilr air-guns (bought surreptitiously at an ironmonger’s in the neighbouring town) before the bright idea struck me of making a rug of their skins ; but the idea, when it did come up in my not over well stocked brain, was regarded, both by myself and Gharles, as quite eqnal to Whatt’s conception of the steam engine, or, what interested us more, the invention of airguns.

Naturally my idea was soon acted upon. The next cat that we killed was skinned with our pocket-knives, the body buried, and all seemed well, when a new difficulty arose. How were the skins to be dried ? It would not be safe to place them in any of the out-houses, for the doctor might find them, and would lecture us on what would appear to him cruelty, although to us it seemed only in obedience to the dictates of youthful nature that we should kill cats.

My invention again came to the fr'Dnt ; the dining-room table was turned up-side down, and the skin nailed on its under surface; the table being restored to its proper position, and the cover put on, no trace of the currier’s establishment below was visible.

But vision is not our only sense; next day at breakfast Mrs Warnborough began to think that some of the drains were out of order ; but as desiccation bad only just set in, her idea was pooh-poohed by the doctor, and we boys had too strong stomachs to feel any inconvenience from a smell of which we so well knew the cause. By dinner-time, however, there was no doubt on the subject, and the good lady felt, I think, almost a little triumph even on such a subject, when the doctor was obliged to confess she had been in the right in the morning. Every search was made to discover the cause of the evil, which increased hourly. The drains were examined, but all without avail. The room with the table (which no one thought of examining) standing in its centre was uninhabitable; and at lust I felt I must tell the doctor ; so I went to him, received a mild reproof, and the nuisance was repressed.

At the first mention of the table with the catskin stretched below it, several of the audience expected some account of tabel-rapping, or of the supposed spiritualism, for the demonstrations of which this very useful article of domestic furniture used a few years atro to be the favourite instrument. Webb, of the Artillery, who knew that cats-skin generated electricity, was prepared to account for the phenomenon by the electric agency of the catskin below the table; but as the termination of this part of the story opened no chance to him for broaching this theory, it was only in a confidential moment next morning he discovered to me what had been passing in his mind.

Colonel Houghton, after a few moments’ pause, recommenced : For about eighteen months Granger and I lived most happily in Dr Warnborough’s house ; but at the end of that time the poor doctor caught a cold in returning at a late hour from a visit to a dying parishioner, which settled in his lungs, and from the effects of which he died within a tew weeks.

Both Granger and myself were deeply affected by the loss. We had both loved sincerely theworthy,estimable man, whose only fault (if he had one at all) had been too much kindness to us.

As this loss left Mrs Warnborough totally unprovided for, the curate, who received the late doctor’s living, being an unmarried man, generously gave Mrs Warnborough the free use of the rectory, and engaged himself to read with us, so that Mrs Warnborough might still receive what our parents paid for our board and lodging to help to eke out her own little income.

About three months after Dr Warnborough’s death, a match at football took place in the village between our parish and a neighboring one. Charles and I were players on our side, and. worked hard at a rather uphill game all the afternoon. In the evening we left the drawing room and retired to the dining-room, which after dinner was devoted to our use for the preparation of our lessons. This evening the severe exercise of the afternoon told on us so much, that Charles, after a vain attempt on a piece of French composition, threw himself on a sofa and in a few minutes was fast asleep. A quarter of an hour more of Euclid made me follow his example in the arm chair by the fire. The room was well lighted with four candles and a tolerably bright fire. Charles’s sofa was at the end of the room furthest from the door, and I was sitting iu the arm-chair, which had its back towards the door.

After being asleep about an hour, and a little before ten o’clock, as I afterwards found my watch, I was aroused by a sadden cry from Charles. On awaking, I distinctly saw Dr Warnborough, dressed in his moraing-gown, walk across tho

room from the end nearest Charles to thp door, where he disappeared either through the door of by Opening it and closing it after him ; in my surprise I could not see Which. A few moments sufficed to completely awake me, and I rushed out of the door to try to perceive some thing more of the extraordinary vision ; but all was still and undisturbed in every part of the house.

Charles and I discussed the matter very seriously. He informed me that he had awoke and seen the doctor standing looking at him ; the sight caused him to call out and thus awake me. We neither of us believed in ghosts, but were much depressed and puzzled by this strange appearance, which we resolved to confide to no one, in case it might reach Mrs Warnborough’s ears and give her pain. Often and often we talked to each other, however, on the subject, and ultimately made a compact that if it were possible; whichever of us died first should appeal? to the other after death.

In a few months after this I was retnofed from Mrs Warnborough’s, and at the same time Granger went abroad to look after his father’s business, in Austria. For six or seven years I was quartered with my regiment in several parts of the United Kingdom ; I occasionally saw Granger when we both happened, to come to London together, which was not often; but in the excitement of early military life, I thought no more of optical delusions, and almost forgot my compact with Granger and the vision of Dr Warn* borough. I was afterwards sent to India, where! still received occasional letters from Granger; but different tastes and pursuits rendered our correspondence unfrequent and uncertain. When the expedition to Pekin was determined on in 1860, the cavalry regiment to which I was-attached was ordered to China, and we arrived without incident at Talien Bay, where the English army was disembarked in order to wait for the French previous to a common descent on China at the mouth of the Peiho.

The shores of Talien Bay did not afford facilities for encamping the whole army together on account of the small space between the beach -and a high rocky range of mountains which ran along the bay at a distance of about half a mile from the sea in some places, but which ran close down to the water in others. The cavalry were encamped in an open part of the 1 shore where there was room for their camp between the hills'and highwater mark. Another portion of the army occupied a similar encampment about six miles further up the bay. On account of the rocks running down to the sea between the two camps, there was no road or means of communication along the shore; the only way to go from one oainp to the other was to pass through a gap in the hills behind our camp, where we always had a picket, ride about five miles across a plain, and re-enter the hills by another gap behind the infantry camp, where pickets were regularly established. I had many friends in the neighboring camp, and used often to ride over there, not unfrequently staying to dine, and riding back at night. These expedi- I tions were not, I believe, known to the I superior authorities, who would probably I have stopped my evening rides beyond I the sentries, as it was not certain whether E the country was infested with Tartars, E who might have carried off any stragglers; E but trusting to a revolver and my Arab B horse, I had individually no fear of being B taken, even if attacked B One night I had been over to the in- B fantry, and had stayed till about eleven B o’clock, when I started to ride home, BE There was a tolerably bright moon shin- B ing, and I trotted quickly through tbs I bills, past the infantry picket, and into B the plain, where I drew my horse into a B walk and smoked a cheroot while be E walked quietly along on the smooth turf- E About half way across the plain I B aroused from a deep reverie in which i B

certain lady in England, who is nowmj wife, took a prominent place, by my usually quiet horse manifesting an inclination to bolt. I attributed his restivenes* to a desire to get home, but was astonished' after I had quieted him, to find he burst into a cold sweat and. trembled violently* Fearing he was ill, I was about to dismount, when a noise behind me struct upon my ear. I looked round and sa^. 8 human figure walking behind meat adistance of about a hundred yards. My l ®’ pression was that I was about to 1,8 attacked at last by some Tartars, so Iff®, my revolver out, and urged my horse vn difficulty into a trot. In a few minute 3 again looked behind, expecting to h ar i left my pursuer far in the distance, bu ! to my great surprise, he had W®**, faster than my horse could trot, and a

gained upon me. , ( I was more astonished still when. 85 , continued to gain on me, I perceived was dressed in ordinary English costume, especially as I did not th' n . dress of that kind could have been in the whole army, for we always , uniform adapted to the climate, and . little enough baggage allowed us wff. carrying any superfluities.

My follower still continued to gain on roe, and I was so much astonished, that I contined to gaze on him as, coming nearer and nearer, he became more distinctly risible. When he was within a few yards, I S aw that the front of his shirt was entirely covered with something red, which looked to me as if a bottle of port had been spilled over it.

Nearer and nearer he came ; slowly and steadily the moon, high up in the sky, but directly on the way I was going, came from behind a slight cloud, just as he reached my girths. She shone full on a Te ry pale face, which was turned up to mine, on a mouth from which blood was slowly issuing, and on a pair of eyes which, although they now appeared fierce and staring, I well knew. It was Charles Granger. Still he walked steadily but quickly; he passed ray horse’s shoulder, then his head. The poor brute shook as if he was going to fall. I was so surprised that I could not speak, nor did I remember that I held a pistol in my right hand. When the spectre (for so I then thought it) had passed on, I could distinctly see it in front of me walking away from me, but straight along the path I was pursuing. Then I recovered my presence of mind and called after him ; in vain I implored, imprecated, and threatened to fire if he did not stop ; but on he went, steadily, though quickly, without appearing to hear me. I then urged my horse (who had recovered from his fright) into a canter and pursued, but could not gain on my extraordinary fellow traveller ; the faster I cantered, and even galloped, the faster he went; but he never ran, his movement was always a long steady stride. After a pursuit of about ten minutes, I saw the sentry of the outpost at the pass of the hills leading to our camp standing directly in the path the figure was pursuing; loudly I called to him to let no one pass. I saw the sentry bring his musket to the charge when the apparition was within thirty yards or so of him, and heard his cry, ‘ Turn out the guard.’ The men who were loitering near fell in almost instantaneously and quite closed the pass in the rock*' when the figure appeared to fade away. I hastened forward, and asked the sentry. ‘ Did you see a man walking in front of me P’ ‘No sir,’, was the answer; ‘no one has been past ,by here to-night since we mounted.’ * Why did you turn out the guard ?’

laid I. ‘ Because I saw you galloping and calling out, sir, and I thought you were being chased by Chinamen.’ The sergeant and other soldiers fully confirmed the sentry’s assertion that no person had passed their post; and as I did not wish to be thought absurd, I simply said I suppose I had been mistaken, and rode into camp without seeing anything more of the figure of Granger. ‘Did you. drink much wine at dinner, Houghton ?’ here inquired Randon. ‘ No ; upon my boner,. all I drank that day was one glass of rum-and-water, and that early in the afternoon. I never did drink much of anything in the East for the sake of health; and that I was perfectly sober at the time of the occurrence *ll my brother officers could testify.’ ‘Did you. ever see it again?’ asked some one, almost acknowledging, by the form of his interrogation, that the story had told on him.

'-I.soon got over the effect of this delusion, which I believe it must have been, although I cannot account for it,’ resumed Houghton; * but. I received another shock when we were well on the road into Pekin, about two months afterwards, and the English mail arrived. I was away for a day or two from my own regiment when the letters came, and did not receive my own; but in the papers which came to the re ßiraent I was quartered with, I read that Charles Granger had died on the very jay I had thought I had seen him at Talien Bay. A day or two afterwards, % own letters came to me. One was in Warnborough’s handwriting. She writing, she told me, to give me the particulars of the death of poor Charles, m y old fellow-pupil, who had been cut off suddenly, which she had heard from hja relations. He had dined at a public jf'wier at Vienna, when suddenly he fell ot ward senseless, having broken a bloodJ?»el ; The blood poured in torrents over shirt, and he had bled to death, with--o,k speaking a word, before medical aid ®ould arrive. She then gave the hour and °f his death. Allowing for the differjJ Ce , of time which exists between orthern China and Vienna, almost to a at the very time I fancied I saw the plain of Chinese Tartary.’