“how very, very lovely she was to be sure!”
“of whom are you speaking?” i asked. “of some of the orchid or veronique people, or of some of your own company? i did not know you were hard hit old chap.” i was sitting in the smoking-room of the great northern hotel, king’s cross, talking to an old friend, an oxford man, but now the manager of a big theatrical company, when he suddenly made the above remark.
“no, no! of none of those people,” he replied; “but our talking of st andrews reminded me of a ghost, a phantom, or a spectre—call it what you choose—i saw in that ancient city several years ago—no horrid bogie, but a very lovely girl, indeed.”
“by jove,” i said, “tell me about it; i want a new ghost tale very badly indeed. i know a lot of them, but perhaps this is something new and spicy.”
“i am sure i do not know if it be new,” he replied. “i have never seen anything spectral before or since, but i saw that lovely woman three different times. it must be fully ten years ago. i saw her twice on the scores and once in an old house.”
“well, i must really hear all about it,” i said. “please fire away.”
“all right, all right!” he said. “now for her first appearance. i was living in st andrews at the time. it must have been the end of january or beginning of february, and i was strolling along to the kirkhill after dinner and enjoying the fine evening and the keen sea breeze, and thinking about the old, old days of the castle and cathedral, of beaton’s ghost,[60] and many other queer tales, when a female figure glided past me. she was in a long, flowing white dress, and had her beautiful dark hair hanging down past her waist. i was very much astonished to see a girl dressed in such a manner wandering about alone at such an hour, and i followed her along for several yards, when lo! just after she had passed the turret light she completely vanished near the square tower, which i was afterwards informed was known as the ‘haunted tower.’ i hunted all round the place carefully, but saw nothing more that night. queer, wasn’t it?”
“certainly it was,” i remarked; “but i know dozens of weird stories connected with that old tower. but what more have you to tell me?”
“well,” he continued, “as you may imagine, the whole affair worried and puzzled me considerably, but it was gradually vanishing from my mind when near the same place i saw her again. i had my sister with me this time, and we both can swear to it. it was a lovely night with a faint moon, and as the white lady swept past quite silently we saw the soft trailing dress and the long, black wavy hair. there was something like a rosary hanging from her waist, and a cross or a locket hanging round her throat. as she passed she turned her head towards us, and we both noticed her beautiful features, especially her brilliant eyes. she vanished, as before, near that old tower. my sister was so awfully frightened that i had to hurry her off home. we were both absolutely convinced we had seen a being not of this world—a face never to be forgotten.”
“how strange,” i said. “you know, several people saw a girl in that built-up old turret lying in her coffin. a former priest of the episcopal church here saw some masons repairing the wall of that tower, and their chisel fell into the turret through a chink. on removing a stone, they came upon a chamber within, and they saw a girl dressed in white, with long hair, lying in a coffin, wanting the lid. the hole was built up again at once. i know, and have often talked to persons who saw her there. one of them was a mason employed at the work. the doorway of the tower is opened up now, and a grill put in, but there is no sign of the girl. queer stories arose. some said it was the[61] remains of princess muren, daughter of constantine. others said it was the embalmed body of some sweet girl saint concealed there in times of trouble, and so on; but finish your story.”
“i have little more to tell,” he answered. “some months afterwards i was a guest in an old house in fifeshire, and was given the turret room. on the second night i went to bed early, as i had been at golf all day and felt awfully dead beat. i must have fallen asleep suddenly, as i left my candle burning on the table. all of a sudden i woke up with a start to find the now familiar figure of the ‘white lady’ at the foot of my bed. she was gazing at me intently. when i sat up she glided away behind the screen at the door. i jumped up, put on my dressing-gown, seized the candle, and made for the door. the lady was gone, and the door was as i left it when i went to bed—locked. i unlocked it, flung it open, and looked into the passage. there she was, i saw the white dress, the splendid hair, the rosary, and the gold locket quite plainly. she turned her lovely face to me and smiled a sweet, pathetic smile; gently raised her hand, and floated away towards the picture gallery. now for the end. next day my kind hostess took me through the old gallery. i saw pictures of all ages, sorts, and sizes; but imagine my amazement when i saw ‘the white lady’—the same white dress, the lovely sweet face and splendid eyes, the rosary, and a locket, which i now saw had on it the arms of queen mary and lord darnley. ‘who on earth is that?’ i asked.
“‘you seem interested in that painting,’ said mrs ?. ‘well, that is a portrait of one of the lovely mary stuart’s maries. she was madly in love with castelar, the french minstrel, and after he was beheaded at st andrews she became a nun, and it is said died of grief in her nunnery.’
“that is all, old boy,” he said, “and it is late. i think it seems right; that girl i and my sister saw must have been the spirit of marie ?; and perhaps it was she who was the occupant of that haunted tower—who knows? but i shall never, never see such a divinely beautiful face on this earth again.”