MrGilmoreistheoldandtriedfriendoftwogenerationsofFairlies，andwecantrusthim，aswecouldtrustnooneelse。’
　　Themarriage-settlement！Themerehearingofthosetwowordsstungmewithajealousdespairthatwaspoisontomyhigherandbetterinstincts。
　　Ibegantothink——itishardtoconfessthis，butImustsuppressnothingfrombeginningtoendoftheterriblestorythatInowstandcommittedtoreveal——Ibegantothink，withahatefuleagernessofhope，ofthevaguechargesagainstSirPercivalGlydewhichtheanonymouslettercontained。
　　Whatifthosewildaccusationsrestedonafoundationoftruth？Whatiftheirtruthcouldbeprovedbeforethefatalwordsofconsentwerespoken，andthemarriage-settlementwasdrawn？Ihavetriedtothinksince，thatthefeelingwhichthenanimatedmebeganandendedinpuredevotiontoMissFairlie’sinterests，butIhaveneversucceededindeceivingmyselfintobelievingit，andImustnotnowattempttodeceiveothers。Thefeelingbeganandendedinreckless，vindictive，hopelesshatredofthemanwhowastomarryher。
　　`Ifwearetofindoutanything，’Isaid，speakingunderthenewinfluencewhichwasnowdirectingme，`wehadbetternotletanotherminuteslipbyusunemployed。Icanonlysuggest，oncemore，theproprietyofquestioningthegardenerasecondtime，andofinquiringinthevillageimmediatelyafterwards。’
　　`IthinkImaybeofhelptoyouinbothcases，’saidMissHalcombe，rising。`Letusgo，MrHartright，atonce，anddothebestwecantogether。’
　　Ihadthedoorinmyhandtoopenitforher——butIstopped，onasudden，toaskanimportantquestionbeforewesetforth。
　　`Oneoftheparagraphsoftheanonymousletter，’Isaid。`containssomesentencesofminutepersonaldescription。SirPercivalGlyde’snameisnotmentioned，Iknow——butdoesthatdescriptionatallresemblehim？’
　　`Accurately——eveninstatinghisagetobeforty-five——’
　　Forty-five；andshewasnotyettwenty-one！Menofhisagemarriedwivesofherageeveryday——andexperiencehadshownthosemarriagestobeoftenthehappiestones。Iknewthat——andyeteventhementionofhisage，whenIcontrasteditwithhers，addedtomyblindhatredanddistrustofhim。
　　`Accurately，’MissHalcombecontinued，`eventothescaronhisrighthand，whichisthescarofawoundthathereceivedyearssincewhenhewastravellinginItaly。Therecanbenodoubtthateverypeculiarityofhispersonalappearanceisthoroughlywellknowntothewriteroftheletter。’
　　`Evenacoughthatheistroubledwithismentioned，ifIrememberright？’
　　`Yes，andmentionedcorrectly。Hetreatsitlightlyhimself，thoughitsometimesmakeshisfriendsanxiousabouthim。’
　　`Isupposenowhispershaveeverbeenheardagainsthischaracter？’
　　`MrHartright！Ihopeyouarenotunjustenoughtoletthatinfamousletterinfluenceyou？’
　　Ifeltthebloodrushintomycheeks；forIknewthatithadinfluencedme。
　　`Ihopenot，’Iansweredconfusedly。`PerhapsIhadnorighttoaskthequestion。’
　　`Iamnotsorryyouaskedit，’shesaid，`foritenablesmetodojusticetoSirPercival’sreputation。Notawhisper，MrHartright，haseverreachedme，ormyfamily，againsthim。Hehasfoughtsuccessfullytwocontestedelections，andhascomeoutoftheordealunscathed。Amanwhocandothat，inEngland，isamanwhosecharacterisestablished。’
　　Iopenedthedoorforherinsilence，andfollowedherout。Shehadnotconvincedme。Iftherecordingangelhadcomedownfromheaventoconfirmher，andhadopenedhisbooktomymortaleyes，therecordingangelwouldnothaveconvincedme。
　　Wefoundthegardeneratworkasusual。Noamountofquestioningcouldextractasingleanswerofanyimportancefromthelad’simpenetrablestupidity。
　　Thewomanwhohadgivenhimtheletterwasanelderlywoman；shehadnotspokenawordtohim，andshehadgoneawaytowardsthesouthinagreathurry。Thatwasallthegardenercouldtellus。
　　Thevillagelaysouthwardofthehouse。Sotothevillagewewentnext。XIOurinquiriesatLimmeridgewerepatientlypursuedinalldirections，andamongallsortsandconditionsofpeople。Butnothingcameofthem。Threeofthevillagersdidcertainlyassureusthattheyhadseenthewoman，butastheywerequiteunabletodescribeher，andquiteincapableofagreeingabouttheexactdirectioninwhichshewasproceedingwhentheylastsawher，thesethreebrightexceptionstothegeneralrudeoftotalignoranceaffordednomorerealassistancetousthanthemassoftheirunhelpfulandunobservantneighbours。
　　Thecourseofouruselessinvestigationsbroughtus，intime，totheendofthevillageatwhichtheschoolsestablishedbyMrsFairlieweresituated。Aswepassedthesideofthebuildingappropriatedtotheuseoftheboys，Isuggestedtheproprietyofmakingalastinquiryoftheschoolmaster，whomwemightpresumetobe，invirtueofhisoffice，themostintelligentmanintheplace。
　　`Iamafraidtheschoolmastermusthavebeenoccupiedwithhisscholars，’
　　saidMissHalcombe，`justatthetimewhenthewomanpassedthroughthevillageandreturnedagain。However，wecanbuttry。’
　　Weenteredtheplaygroundenclosure，andwalkedbytheschoolroomwindowtogetroundtothedoor，whichwassituatedatthebackofthebuilding。
　　Istoppedforamomentatthewindowandlookedin。
　　Theschoolmasterwassittingathishighdesk，withhisbacktome，apparentlyharanguingthepupils，whowereallgatheredtogetherinfrontofhim，withoneexception。Theoneexceptionwasasturdywhite-headedboy，standingapartfromalltherestonastoolinacomer——aforlornlittleCrusoe，isolatedinhisowndesertislandofsolitarypenaldisgrace。
　　Thedoor，whenwegotroundtoit，wasajar，andtheschoolmaster’svoicereachedusplainly，aswebothstoppedforaminuteundertheporch。
　　`Now，boys，’saidthevoice，`mindwhatItellyou。IfIhearanotherwordspokenaboutghostsinthisschool，itwillbetheworseforallofyou。Therearenosuchthingsasghosts，andthereforeanyboywhobelievesinghostsbelievesinwhatcan’tpossiblybe；andaboywhobelongstoLimmeridgeSchool，andbelievesinwhatcan’tpossiblybe，setsuphisbackagainstreasonanddiscipline，andmustbepunishedaccordingly。YouallseeJacobPostlethwaitestandinguponthestoolthereindisgrace。
　　Hehasbeenpunished，notbecausehesaidhesawaghostlastnight，butbecauseheistooimpudentandtooobstinatetolistentoreason，andbecausehepersistsinsayinghesawtheghostafterIhavetoldhimthatnosuchthingcanpossiblybe。Ifnothingelsewilldo，ImeantocanetheghostoutofJacobPostlethwaite，andifthethingspreadsamonganyoftherestofyou，Imeantogoastepfarther，andcanetheghostoutofthewholeschool。’
　　`Weseemtohavechosenanawkwardmomentforourvisit，’saidMissHalcombe，pushingopenthedoorattheendoftheschoolmaster’saddress，andleadingthewayin。
　　Ourappearanceproducedastrongsensationamongtheboys。TheyappearedtothinkthatwehadarrivedfortheexpresspurposeofseeingJacobPostlethwaitecaned。
　　`Gohomeallofyoutodinner，’saidtheschoolmaster，`exceptJacob。
　　Jacobmuststopwhereheis；andtheghostmaybringhimhisdinner，iftheghostpleases。’
　　Jacob’sfortitudedesertedhimatthedoubledisappearanceofhisschoolfellowsandhisprospectofdinner。Hetookhishandsoutofhispockets，lookedhardathisknuckles，raisedthemwithgreatdeliberationtohiseyes，andwhentheygotthere，groundthemroundandroundslowly，accompanyingtheactionbyshortspasmsofsniffing，whichfollowedeachotheratregularintervals——thenasalminutegunsofjuveniledistress。
　　`Wecameheretoaskyouaquestion，MrDempster。’saidMissHalcombe，addressingtheschoolmaster；`andwelittleexpectedtofindyouoccupiedinexorcisingaghost。Whatdoesitallmean？Whathasreallyhappened？’
　　`Thatwickedboyhasbeenfrighteningthewholeschool，MissHalcombe，bydeclaringthathesawaghostyesterdayevening，’answeredthemaster；
　　`andhestillpersistsinhisabsurdstory，inspiteofallthatIcansaytohim。’
　　`Mostextraordinary，’saidMissHalcombe。`Ishouldnothavethoughtitpossiblethatanyoftheboyshadimaginationenoughtoseeaghost。
　　ThisisanewaccessionindeedtothehardlabourofformingtheyouthfulmindatLimmeridge，andIheartilywishyouwellthroughit，MrDempster。
　　Inthemeantime，letmeexplainwhyyouseemehere，andwhatitisIwant。’
　　Shethenputthesamequestiontotheschoolmasterwhichwehadaskedalreadyofalmosteveryoneelseinthevillage。Itwasmetbythesamediscouraginganswer。MrDempsterhadnotseteyesonthestrangerofwhomwewereinsearch。
　　`Wemayaswellreturntothehouse，MrHartright，’saidMissHalcombe；
　　`theinformationwewantisevidentlynottobefound。’
　　ShehadbowedtoMrDempster，andwasabouttoleavetheschoolroom，whentheforlornpositionofJacobPostlethwaite，piteouslysniffingonthestoolofpenitence，attractedherattentionasshepassedhim，andmadeherstopgood-humouredlytospeakawordtothelittleprisonerbeforesheopenedthedoor。
　　`Youfoolishboy，’shesaid，`whydon’tyoubegMrDempster’spardon，andholdyourtongueabouttheghost？’
　　`Eh！——butIsawt’ghaist，’persistedJacobPostlethwaite，withastareofterrorandaburstoftears。
　　`Stuffandnonsense！Yousawnothingofthekind。Ghostindeed！Whatghost——’
　　`Ibegyourpardon，MissHalcombe，’interposedtheschoolmasteralittleuneasily——`butIthinkyouhadbetternotquestiontheboy。Theobstinatefollyofhisstoryisbeyondallbelief；andyoumightleadhimintoignorantly。’