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。’
