For the rest, he looked upon the story of the Countess and her superstitions as a piece of theatrical exaggeration, amusing enough in itself, but unworthy of a moment's serious attention.
While the gentlemen were absent from the hotel, the room which had been already associated with so many startling circumstances, became the scene of another strange event in which Lady Montbarry's eldest child was concerned.
Little Marian had been got ready for bed as usual, and had (so far) taken hardly any notice of the new room.

As she knelt down to say her prayers, she happened to look up at that part of the ceiling above her which was just over the head of the bed.

The next instant she alarmed Agnes, by starting to her feet with a cry of terror, and pointing to a small brown spot on one of the white panelled spaces of the carved ceiling.

'It's a spot of blood!' the child exclaimed.

'Take me away! I won't sleep here!' Seeing plainly that it would be useless to reason with her while she was in the room, Agnes hurriedly wrapped Marian in a dressing-gown, and carried her back to her mother in the drawing-room.