been too dogmatic in his denial of the existence of ghosts, Mrs.
Otis expressed her intention of joining the Psychical Society, and
Washington prepared a long letter to Messrs. Myers and Podmore on
the subject of the Permanence of Sanguineous Stains when connected
with Crime. That night all doubts about the objective existence of
phantasmata were removed for ever.

The day had been warm and sunny; and, in the cool of the evening,
the whole family went out for a drive. They did not return home
till nine o'clock, when they had a light supper. The conversation
in no way turned upon ghosts, so there were not even those primary
conditions of receptive expectation which so often precede the
presentation of psychical phenomena. The subjects discussed, as I
have since learned from Mr. Otis, were merely such as form the
ordinary conversation of cultured Americans of the better class,
such as the immense superiority of Miss Fanny Davenport over Sarah
Bernhardt as an actress; the difficulty of obtaining green corn,
buckwheat cakes, and hominy, even in the best English houses; the
importance of Boston in the development of the world-soul; the
advantages of the baggage check system in railway travelling; and
the sweetness of the New York accent as compared to the London
drawl. No mention at all was made of the supernatural, nor was Sir
Simon de Canterville alluded to in any way. At eleven o'clock the
family retired, and by half-past all the lights were out. Some time
after, Mr. Otis was awakened by a curious noise in the corridor,
outside his room. It sounded like the clank of metal, and seemed to
be coming nearer every moment. He got up at once, struck a match,
and looked at the time. It was exactly one o'clock. He was quite
calm, and felt his pulse, which was not at all feverish. The
strange noise still continued, and with it he heard distinctly the