Dance's face brightened, but still wore a puzzled expression. "You must
have dreamed that someone kissed you, dear," she said. "If you were
asleep you could not know anything about it."

"But I was awakened by it, and I am positive that it was no dream." Then
I told her what few particulars there were to tell.

"For the future we must lock your bed-room door," she said.

"Then I should be more frightened than ever. Besides, a real ghost would
not be kept out by locking the door."

"Well, dear, tell me if you are disturbed in the same way again. But as
for the tramping you heard in the room overhead, that is easily
explained. It was no ghost that you heard walking, but Lady
Chillington." Then, seeing my look of astonishment, she went on to
explain. "You see, my dear Miss Janet, her ladyship is a very peculiar
person, and does many things that to commonplace people like you and me
may seem rather strange. One of these little peculiarities is her
fondness for walking about the room over yours at night. Now, if she
likes to do this, I know of no reason why she should not do it. It is a
little whim that does no harm to anybody; and as the house and
everything in it are her own, she may surely please herself in such a
trifle."

"But what is there in the room that she should prefer it to any other in
the house for walking in by night?"

"What--is--there--in the room?" said the old lady, staring at me across