e stool
there in disgrace. He has been punished, not because he said he saw a
ghost last night, but because he is too impudent and too obstinate to
listen to reason, and because he persists in saying he saw the ghost
after I have told him that no such thing can possibly be. If nothing
else will do, I mean to cane the ghost out of Jacob Postlethwaite, and
if the thing spreads among any of the rest of you, I mean to go a step
farther, and cane the ghost out of the whole school."

"We seem to have chosen an awkward moment for our visit," said Miss
Halcombe, pushing open the door at the end of the schoolmaster's
address, and leading the way in.

Our appearance produced a strong sensation among the boys. They
appeared to think that we had arrived for the express purpose of seeing
Jacob Postlethwaite caned.

"Go home all of you to dinner," said the schoolmaster, "except Jacob.
Jacob must stop where he is; and the ghost may bring him his dinner, if
the ghost pleases."

Jacob's fortitude deserted him at the double disappearance of his
schoolfellows and his prospect of dinner. He took his hands out of his
pockets, looked hard at his knuckles, raised them with great
deliberation to his eyes, and when they got there, ground them round
and round slowly, accompanying the action by short spasms of sniffing,
which followed each other at regular intervals--the nasal minute guns
of juvenile distress.

"We came here to ask you a question, Mr. Dempster," said Miss Halcombe,
addressing the schoolmaster; "and we little expected to find you
occupied in exorcising a ghost. What does it all mean? What has really
happened?"

"That wicked boy has been frightening the whole school, Miss Halcombe,
by declaring that he saw a ghost yesterday evening," answered the
master; "and he still persists in his absurd story, in spite of all
that I can say to him."

"Most extraordinary," said Miss Halcombe "I should not have thought it
possible that any of the boys had imagination enough to see a ghost.
This is a new accession indeed to the hard labour of forming the
youthful mind at Limmeridge, and I heartily wish you well through it,
Mr. Dempster. In the meantime, let me explain why you see me here, and
what it is I want."

She then put the same question to the schoolmaster which we had asked
already of almost every one else in the village. It was met by the
same discouraging answer Mr. Dempster had not set eyes on the stranger
of whom we w