Miss Hernshaw drooping beside him. She alone seemed indifferent to his
pretension; she seemed even insensible of it, as she broke off little
corners of her ice with her fork.

The psychologist fixed his eyes on him with scientific challenge as well
as scientific interest. "Do you mean that _you_ have seen a ghost?"

"Yes--ghost. Generically--provisionally. We always consider them ghosts,
don't we, till they prove themselves something else? I once saw an
apparition."

Several people who were near-sighted or far-placed put on their
eye-glasses, to make out whether Hewson were serious; a lady who had a
handsome forearm put up a lorgnette and inspected him through it; she had
the air of questioning his taste, and the subtle aura of her censure
penetrated to him, though she preserved a face of rigid impassivity. He
returned her stare defiantly, though he was aware of not reaching her
through the lenses as effectively as she reached him. Most of those who
prepared themselves to listen seemed to be putting him on trial, and they
apparently justified themselves in this from the cross-questioning method
the psychologist necessarily took in his wish to clarify the situation.

"How long ago was it?" he asked, coldly.

"Last summer."

"Was it after dark?"

"Very much after. It was at day-break."