that
the best way was to keep quite still about it; and that's jest what they
say over to Need-ham and Sherburne. I've been all round a hushin' this
'ere up, and I hain't found but a few people that hedn't the particulars
one way or another.' This 'ere was what I says to Lady Lothrop. The
fact was, I never did see no report spread so, nor make sich sort o'
sarchin's o' heart, as this 'ere. It railly did beat all; 'cause,
ef 'twas a ghost, why there was the p'int proved, ye see. Cinthy's a
church-member, and she _see_ it, and got right up and sarched the room:
but then agin, ef 'twas a woman, why that 'are was kind o' awful; it
give cause, ye see, for thinkin' all sorts o' things. There was Cap'n
Brown, to be sure, he wa'n't a church-member; but yet he was as honest
and regular a man as any goin', as fur as any on us could see. To be
sure, nobody know'd where he come from, but that wa'n't no reason agin'
him: this 'ere might a ben a crazy sister, or some poor critter that he
took out o' the best o' motives; and the Scriptur' says, 'Charity hopeth
all things.' But then, ye see, folks will talk,--that 'are's the pester
o' all these things,--and they did some on 'em talk consid'able strong
about the cap'n; but somehow or other, there didn't nobody come to the
p'int o' facin' on him down, and savin' square out, 'Cap'n Brown, have
you got a woman in your house, or hain't you? or is it a ghost, or what
is it?' Folks somehow never does come to that. Ye see, there was the
cap'n so respectable, a settin' up every Sunday there in his pew, with
his ruffles round his hands and his red broadcloth cloak and his cocked
hat. Why, folks' hearts sort o' failed 'em when it come to say in' any
thing right to him. They thought and kind o' whispered round that the
minister or the deakins oughter do it: but Lordy massy! ministers, I
s'pose, has feelin's like the rest on us; they don't want to eat all the
hard cheeses that nobody else won't eat. Anyhow, there wasn't nothin'
said direct to the cap'n; and jest for want o' that all the folks in
Old-town kep' a bilin' and a bilin' like a kettle o' soap, till it
seemed all the time as if they'd bile over.

"Some o' the wimmen tried to get somethin' out o' Quassy. Lordy massy!
you might as well 'a' tried to get it out an old tom-turkey, that'll
strut and gobble and quitter, and drag his wings on the ground, and fly
at you, but won't say nothin'. Quassy she screeched her queer sort o'
laugh; and she