and one can imagine his satisfaction at feeling that he had at last
settled the question for ever. He applied to his wife once more with a
clear conscience, when she gave him an unmistakable sign that she was
speaking the truth, and answered his questions as he desired.

That small household matters may weigh heavily upon a woman's
conscience, even nowadays, is shown by the following interesting story,
which may well be compared with the foregoing.[81] In July, 1838, a
Catholic priest, who had gone to Perth to take charge of a mission, was
called upon by a Presbyterian woman. For many weeks past, she explained,
she had been anxious to see a priest. A woman, lately dead, whom she
knew very slightly, had appeared to her during the night for several
nights, urging her to go to a priest and ask him to pay three shillings
and tenpence to a person not specified.

The priest made inquiries, and learnt that the deceased had acted as
washerwoman and followed the regiment. At last, after careful search, he
found a grocer with whom she had dealt, and, on being asked whether a
female of the name owed him anything, the grocer turned up his books and
informed him that she owed him three shillings and tenpence. He paid the
sum. Subsequently the Presbyterian woman came to him, saying that she
was no more troubled.

The spirits of the worst of the Roman Emperors were, as we should
expect, especially restless. Pliny[82] tells us how Fannius, who was
engaged upon a Life of Nero, was warned by him of his approaching death.
He was lying on his couch at dead of night with a writing-desk in front
of him, when Nero came and sat down by his side, took up the first book
he had written on his evil deeds, and read it through to the end; and so
on with the second and the third. Then he vanished. Fannius was