I dropped my cigar and sprang to my feet in amazement . There was only one door in the room and I had all along been facing it . I could have sworn nobody had entered , yet there , standing between me and the bookcase , was a man -- and that man was my brother Charles ! `` There was no mistaking him ; I saw him as plainly as I see you . He was a tall , rather stout man , with curly hair and a fair , close-clipped beard . He wore the same light-grey suit which he had worn when bidding us good-bye on the morning of his departure for New Orleans . He had no hat on , but wore spectacles , and was standing in his old favourite attitude , with his hands behind him . `` I want you to understand that at this precise moment , although I was surprised beyond measure , I was not in the least frightened , because I did not for a moment suppose that what I saw was -- well , a ghost or apparition of any sort . The thought that flashed across my bewildered brain was simply that there had been some absurd mistake somewhere , and that my brother had never died at all , but was here , alive and well . I took a hasty step towards him . '' ` Good heavens , old fellow ! ' I exclaimed . ` Where on earth have you come from ? Why , we all thought you were dead ! ' `` I was quite close to him when I stopped abruptly . Somehow I could n't move another step . He made no motion , but his eyes looked straight into mine . '' ` Do not let Dolly sail on the Aragon tomorrow , ' he said in slow , clear tones that I heard distinctly . `` And then he was gone -- yes , Jack , I know it is a very conventional way of ending up a ghost story , | but I have to tell you just what occurred , or at least what I thought occurred . One moment he was there and the next moment he was n't .
He did not pass me or go out of the XXXXX .
attitude brain departure door measure mistake room sort step suit