`Ignorantlywhat？’inquiredMissHalcombesharply。
　　`Ignorantlyshockingyourfeelings，’saidMrDempster，lookingverymuchdiscomposed。
　　`Uponmyword，MrDempster，youpaymyfeelingsagreatcomplimentinthinkingthemweakenoughtobeshockedbysuchanurchinasthat！’SheturnedwithanairofsatiricaldefiancetolittleJacob，andbegantoquestionhimdirectly。`Come！’shesaid，`Imeantoknowallaboutthis。
　　Younaughtyboy，whendidyouseetheghost？’
　　`Yestere’en，atthegloaming，’repliedJacob。
　　`Oh！yousawityesterdayevening，inthetwilight？Andwhatwasitlike？’
　　`Arlinwhite——asaghaistshouldbe，’answeredtheghostseer，withaconfidencebeyondhisyears。
　　`Andwherewasit？’
　　`Awayyander，int’kirkyard——whereaghaistoughttobe。’
　　`Asa``ghaist’’shouldbe——wherea``ghaist’’oughttobe——why，youlittlefool，youtalkasifthemannersandcustomsofghostshadbeenfamiliartoyoufromyourinfancy！Youhavegotyourstoryatyourfingers’
　　ends，atanyrate。IsupposeIshallhearnextthatyoucanactuallytellmewhoseghostitwas？’
　　`Eh！butIjustcan，’repliedJacob，noddinghisheadwithanairofgloomytriumph。
　　MrDempsterhadalreadytriedseveraltimestospeakwhileMissHalcombewasexamininghispupil，andhenowinterposedresolutelyenoughtomakehimselfheard。
　　`Excuseme，MissHalcombe，’hesaid，`ifIventuretosaythatyouareonlyencouragingtheboybyaskinghimthesequestions。’
　　`Iwillmerelyaskonemore，MrDempster，andthenIshallbequitesatisfied。Well，’shecontinued，turningtotheboy，`andwhoseghostwasit？’
　　`T’ghaistofMistressFairlie，’answeredJacobinawhisper。
　　TheeffectwhichthisextraordinaryreplyproducedonMissHalcombefullyjustifiedtheanxietywhichtheschoolmasterhadshowntopreventherfromhearingit。Herfacecrimsonedwithindignation——sheturneduponlittleJacobwithanangrysuddennesswhichterrifiedhimintoafreshburstoftears——openedherlipstospeaktohim——thencontrolledherself，andaddressedthemasterinsteadoftheboy。
　　`Itisuseless，’shesaid，`toholdsuchachildasthatresponsibleforwhathesays。Ihavelittledoubtthattheideahasbeenputintohisheadbyothers。Iftherearepeopleinthisvillage，MrDempster，whohaveforgottentherespectandgratitudeduefromeverysoulinittomymother’smemory，Iwillfindthemout，andifIhaveanyinfluencewithMrFairlie，theyshallsufferforit。’
　　`Ihope——indeed。Iamsure，MissHalcombe——thatyouaremistaken。’
　　saidtheschoolmaster。`Thematterbeginsandendswiththeboy’sownperversityandfolly。Hesaw，orthoughthesaw，awomaninwhite，yesterdayevening，ashewaspassingthechurchyard；andthefigure。realorfancied，wasstandingbythemarblecross，whichheandeveryoneelseinLimmeridgeknowstohethemonumentoverMrsFairlie’sgrave。Thesetwocircumstancesaresurelysufficienttohavesuggestedtotheboyhimselftheanswerwhichhassonaturallyshockedyou？’
　　AlthoughMissHalcombedidnotseemtobeconvinced，sheevidentlyfeltthattheschoolmaster’sstatementofthecasewastoosensibletobeopenlycombated。Shemerelyrepliedbythankinghimforhisattention，andbypromisingtoseehimagainwhenherdoubtsweresatisfied。Thissaid，shebowed，andledthewayoutoftheschoolroom。
　　ThroughoutthewholeofthisstrangesceneIhadstoodapart，listeningattentively，anddrawingmyownconclusions。Assoonaswewerealoneagain，MissHalcombeaskedmeifIhadformedanyopiniononwhatIhadheard。
　　`Averystrongopinion，’Ianswered；`theboy’sstory，asIbelieve，hasafoundationinfact。IconfessIamanxioustoseethemonumentoverMrsFairlie’sgrave，andtoexaminethegroundaboutit。’
　　`Youshallseethegrave。’
　　Shepausedaftermakingthatreply，andreflectedalittleaswewalkedon。`Whathashappenedintheschoolroom，’sheresumed，`hassocompletelydistractedmyattentionfromthesubjectoftheletter，thatIfeelalittlebewilderedwhenItrytoreturntoit。Mustwegiveupallideaofmakinganyfurtherinquiries，andwaittoplacethethinginMrGilmore’shandstomorrow？’
　　`Bynomeans，MissHalcombe。Whathashappenedintheschoolroomencouragesmetopersevereintheinvestigation。’
　　`Whydoesitencourageyou？’
　　`BecauseitstrengthensasuspicionIfeltwhenyougavemethelettertoread。’
　　`Isupposeyouhadyourreasons，MrHartright，forconcealingthatsuspicionfrommetillthismoment？’
　　`Iwasafraidtoencourageitinmyself。Ithoughtitwasutterlypreposterous——Idistrusteditastheresultofsomeperversityinmyownimagination。
　　ButIcandosonolonger。Notonlytheboy’sownanswerstoyourquestions，butevenachanceexpressionthatdroppedfromtheschoolmaster’slipsinexplaininghisstory，haveforcedtheideahackintomymind。Eventsmayyetprovethatideatobeadelusion，MissHalcombe；butthebeliefisstronginme，atthismoment，thatthefanciedghostinthechurchyard，andthewriteroftheanonymousletter，areoneandthesameperson。’
　　Shestopped，turnedpale，andlookedmeeagerlyintheface，`Whatperson？’
　　`Theschoolmasterunconsciouslytoldyou。Whenhespokeofthefigurethattheboysawinthechurchyardhecalledit``awomaninwhite。’’’
　　`NotAnneCatherick？’
　　`Yes，AnneCatherick。’
　　Sheputherhandthroughmyarmandleanedonitheavily。
　　`Idon’tknowwhy，’shesaidinlowtones，`butthereissomethinginthissuspicionofyoursthatseemstostartleandunnerveme。Ifeel——’
　　Shestopped，andtriedtolaughitoff。`MrHartright，’shewenton，`I
　　willshowyouthegrave，andthengobackatoncetothehouse。IhadbetternotleaveLauratoolongalone。Ihadbettergobackandsitwithher。’
　　Wewereclosetothechurchyardwhenshespoke。Thechurch，adrearybuildingofgreystone，wassituatedinalittlevalley，soastobeshelteredfromthebleakwindsblowingoverthemoorlandallroundit。Theburial-groundadvanced，fromthesideofthechurch，alittlewayuptheslopeofthehill。Itwassurroundedbyarough，lowstonewall。andwasbareandopentothesky，exceptatoneextremity，whereabrooktrickleddownthestonyhillside，andaclumpofdwarftreesthrewtheirnarrowshadowsovertheshort，meagregrass。Justbeyondthebrookandthetrees，andnotfarfromoneofthethreestonestileswhichaffordedentrance，atvariouspoints，tothechurchyard，rosethewhitemarblecrossthatdistinguishedMrsFairlie’sgravefromthehumblermonumentsscatteredaboutit。
　　`Ineedgonofartherwithyou，’saidMissHalcombe，pointingtothegrave。`Youwillletmeknowifyoufindanythingtoconfirmtheideayouhavejustmentionedtome。Letusmeetagainatthehouse。’
　　Sheleftme。Idescendedatoncetothechurchyard，andcrossedthestilewhichleddirectlytoMrsFairlie’sgrave。
　　Thegrassaboutitwastooshort，andthegroundtoohard，toshowanymarksoffootsteps。Disappointedthusfar，Inextlookedattentivelyatthecross，andatthesquareblockofmarblebelowit，onwhichtheinscriptionwascut。
　　Thenaturalwhitenessofthecrosswasalittleclouded，hereandthere，byweatherstains，andrathermorethanonehalfofthesquareblockbeneathit。onthesidewhichboretheinscription，wasinthesamecondition。
　　Theotherhalf，however，attractedmyattentionatoncebyitssingularfreedomfromstainorimpurityofanykind。Ilookedcloser，andsawthatithadbeencleaned——recentlycleaned，inadownwarddirectionfromtoptobottom。Theboundarylinebetweenthepartthathadbeencleanedandthepartthathadnotwastraceablewherevertheinscriptionleftablankspaceofmarble——sharplytraceableasalinethathadbeenproducedbyartificialmeans。Whohadbegunthecleansingofthemarble，andwhohadleftitunfinished？
　　Ilookedaboutme，wonderinghowthequestionwastobesolved。NosignofahabitationcouldbediscernedfromthepointatwhichIwasstanding——theburial-groundwasleftinthelonelypossessionofthedead。Ireturnedtothechurch，andwalkedroundittillIcametothebackofthebuilding；
　　thencrossedtheboundarywallbeyond，byanotherofthestonestiles，andfoundmyselfattheheadofapathleadingdownintoadesertedstonequarry。Againstonesideofthequarryalittletwo-roomcottagewasbuilt，andjustoutsidethedooranoldwomanwasengagedinwashing。
　　Iwalkeduptoher，andenteredintoconversationaboutthechurchandburial-ground。Shewasreadyenoughtotalk，andalmostthefirstwordsshesaidinformedmethatherhusbandfilledthetwoofficesofclerkandsexton。IsaidafewwordsnextinpraiseofMrsFairlie’smonument。Theoldwomanshookherhead，andtoldmeIhadnotseenitatitsbest。Itwasherhusband’sbusinesstolookafterit，buthehadbeensoailingandweakformonthsandmonthspast，thathehadhardlybeenabletocrawlintochurchonSundaystodohisduty，andthemonumenthadbeenneglectedinconsequence。Hewasgettingalittlebetternow，andinaweekortendays’timehehopedtobestrongenoughtosettoworkandcleanit。
　　Thisinformation——extractedfromalongramblinganswerinthebroadestCumberlanddialect——toldmeallthatImostwantedtoknow。Igavethepoorwomanatrifle，andreturnedatoncetoLimmeridgeHouse。
　　Thepartialcleansingofthemonumenthadevidentlybeenaccomplishedbyastrangehand。ConnectingwhatIhaddiscovered，thusfar，withwhatIhadsuspectedafterhearingthestoryoftheghostseenattwilight，IwantednothingmoretoconfirmmyresolutiontowatchMrsFairlie’sgrave，insecret，thatevening，returningtoitatsunset，andwaitingwithinsightofittillthenightfell。Theworkofcleansingthemonumenthadbeenleftunfinished，andthepersonbywhomithadbeenbegunmightreturntocompleteit。