“Wereyoubroughttoanuntimelyendbypoison？“——“Yes。“
　　“Howwasthepoisonadministered，inbeerorinpurl？“——“Inpurl。“
　　“Howlongwasthatbeforeyourdeath？“——“Aboutthreehours。“
　　“Canyourformerservant，Carrots，giveanyinformationaboutthepoison？“——“Yes。“
　　“AreyouKent’swife’ssister？“——“Yes。“
　　“WereyoumarriedtoKentafteryoursister’sdeath？“——“No。“
　　“Wasanybodyelse，besidesKent，concernedinyourmurder？“——“No。“
　　“Canyou，ifyoulike，appearvisiblytoanyone？“——“Yes。“
　　“Willyoudoso？“——“Yes。“
　　“Canyougooutofthishouse？“——“Yes。“
　　“Isityourintentiontofollowthischildabouteverywhere？“——“Yes。“
　　“Areyoupleasedinbeingaskedthesequestions？“——“Yes。“
　　“Doesitcaseyourtroubledsoul？“——“Yes。“
　　[Heretherewasheardamysteriousnoise，whichsomewiseacrepresentcomparedtotheflutteringofwings。]
　　“Howlongbeforeyourdeathdidyoutellyourservant，Carrots，thatyouwerepoisoned？——Anhour？“——“Yes。“
　　[Carrots，whowaspresent，wasappealedto；butshestatedpositivelythatsuchwasnotthefact，asthedeceasedwasquitespeechlessanhourbeforeherdeath。Thisshookthefaithofsomeofthespectators，buttheexaminationwasallowedtocontinue。]
　　“HowlongdidCarrotslivewithyou？“——“Threeorfourdays。“
　　[Carrotswasagainappealedto，andsaidthatthiswastrue。]
　　“IfMr。Kentisarrestedforthismurder，willheconfess？“——
　　“Yes。“
　　“Wouldyoursoulbeatrestifhewerehangedforit？“——“Yes。“
　　“Willhebehangedforit？“——“Yes。“
　　“Howlongatimefirst？“——“Threeyears。“
　　“Howmanyclergymenarethereinthisroom？“——“Three。“
　　“Howmanynegroes？“——“Two。“
　　“Isthiswatchheldupbyoneoftheclergymenwhite？“——“No。“
　　“Isityellow？“——“No。“
　　“Isitblue？“——“No。“
　　“Isitblack？“——“Yes。“
　　[Thewatchwasinablackshagreencase。]
　　“Atwhattimethismorningwillyoutakeyourdeparture？“
　　Theanswertothisquestionwasfourknocks，verydistinctlyheardbyeverypersonpresent；andaccordingly，atfouro’clockprecisely，theghosttookitsdeparturetotheWheatsheafpublic-house，closeby，whereitfrightenedminehostandhisladyalmostoutoftheirwitsbyknockingintheceilingrightabovetheirbed。
　　TherumouroftheseoccurrencesverysoonspreadoverLondon，andeverydayCockLanewasrenderedimpassablebythecrowdsofpeoplewhoassembledaroundthehouseoftheparishclerk，inexpectationofeitherseeingtheghostorofhearingthemysteriousknocks。Itwasatlastfoundnecessary，soclamorousweretheyforadmissionwithinthehauntedprecincts，toadmitthoseonlywhowouldpayacertainfee，anarrangementwhichwasveryconvenienttotheneedyandmoney-lovingMr。Parsons。Indeed，thingshadtakenaturngreatlytohissatisfaction；henotonlyhadhisrevenge，buthemadeaprofitoutofit。Theghost，inconsequence，playeditsanticseverynight，tothegreatamusementofmanyhundredsofpeopleandthegreatperplexityofastillgreaternumber。
　　Unhappily，however，fortheparishclerk，theghostwasinducedtomakesomepromiseswhichwerethemeansofutterlydestroyingitsreputation。Itpromised，inanswertothequestionsoftheReverendMr。AldritchofClerkenwell，thatitwouldnotonlyfollowthelittleMissParsonswherevershewent，butwouldalsoattendhim，oranyothergentleman，intothevaultunderSt。John’sChurch，wherethebodyofthemurderedwomanwasdeposited，andwouldtheregivenoticeofitspresencebyadistinctknockuponthecoffin。Asapreliminary，thegirlwasconveyedtothehouseofMr。Aldritchnearthechurch，wherealargepartyofladiesandgentlemen，eminentfortheiracquirements，theirrank，ortheirwealth，hadassembled。Aboutteno’clockonthenightofthe1stofFebruary，thegirlhavingbeenbroughtfromCockLaneinacoach，wasputtobedbyseveralladiesinthehouseofMr。Aldritch；astrictexaminationhavingbeenpreviouslymadethatnothingwashiddeninthebedclothes。Whilethegentlemen，。
　　inanadjoiningchamber，weredeliberatingwhethertheyshouldproceedinabodytothevault，theyweresummonedintothebedroombytheladies，whoaffirmed，ingreatalarm，thattheghostwascome，andthattheyheardtheknocksandscratches。Thegentlemenenteredaccordingly，withadeterminationtosuffernodeception。Thelittlegirl，onbeingaskedwhethershesawtheghost，replied，“No；butshefeltitonherbacklikeamouse。“Shewasthenrequiredtoputherhandsoutofbed，andtheybeingheldbysomeoftheladies，thespiritwassummonedintheusualmannertoanswer，ifitwereintheroom。Thequestionwasseveraltimesputwithgreatsolemnity；butthecustomaryknockwasnotheardinreplyinthewalls，neitherwasthereanyscratching。Theghostwasthenaskedtorenderitselfvisible，butitdidnotchoosetogranttherequest。Itwasnextsolicitedtogivesometokenofitspresencebyasoundofanysort，orbytouchingthehandorcheekofanyladyorgentlemanintheroom；
　　butevenwiththisrequesttheghostwouldnotcomply。
　　Therewasnowaconsiderablepause，andoneoftheclergymenwentdownstairstointerrogatethefatherofthegirl，whowaswaitingtheresultoftheexperiment。Hepositivelydeniedthattherewasanydeception，andevenwentsofarastosaythathehimself，upononeoccasion，hadseenandconversedwiththeawfulghost。Thishavingbeencommunicatedtothecompany，itwasunanimouslyresolvedtogivetheghostanothertrial；andtheclergymancalledoutinaloudvoicetothesupposedspiritthatthegentlemantowhomithadpromisedtoappearinthevault，wasabouttorepairtothatplace，whereheclaimedthefulfilmentofitspromise。Atonehouraftermidnighttheyallproceededtothechurch，andthegentlemaninquestion，withanother，enteredthevaultalone，andtookuptheirpositionalongsideofthecoffinofpoorFanny。Theghostwasthensummonedtoappear，butitappearednot；itwassummonedtoknock，butitknockednot；itwassummonedtoscratch，butitscratchednot；andthetworetiredfromthevault，withthefirmbeliefthatthewholebusinesswasadeceptionpractisedbyParsonsandhisdaughter。Therewereothers，however，whodidnotwishtojumpsohastilytoaconclusion，andwhosuggestedthattheywere，perhaps，triflingwiththisawfulandsupernaturalbeing，which，beingoffendedwiththemfortheirpresumption，wouldnotcondescendtoanswerthem。Again，afteraseriousconsultation，itwasagreedonallhandsthat，iftheghostansweredanybodyatall，itwouldanswerMr。Kent，thesupposedmurderer；andhewasaccordinglyrequestedtogodownintothevault。
　　Hewentwithseveralothers，andsummonedtheghosttoanswerwhetherhehadindeedpoisonedher。Therebeingnoanswer，thequestionwasputbyMr。Aldritch，whoconjuredit，ifitwereindeedaspirit，toendtheirdoubts-makeasignofitspresence，andpointouttheguiltyperson。Therebeingstillnoanswerforthespaceofhalfanhour，duringwhichtimealltheseboobieswaitedwiththemostpraiseworthyperseverance，theyreturnedtothehouseofMr。Aldritch，andorderedthegirltogetupanddressherself。Shewasstrictlyexamined，butpersistedinherstatementthatsheusednodeception，andthattheghosthadreallyappearedtoher。
　　Somanypersonshad，bytheiropenlyexpressedbeliefoftherealityofthevisitation，identifiedthemselveswithit，thatParsonsandhisfamilywerefarfrombeingtheonlypersonsinterestedinthecontinuanceofthedelusion。Theresultoftheexperimentconvincedmostpeople；butthesewerenottobeconvincedbyanyevidence，howeverpositive，andthey，therefore，spreadabroadtherumour，thattheghosthadnotappearedinthevaultbecauseMr。Kenthadtakencarebeforehandtohavethecoffinremoved。Thatgentleman，whosepositionwasaverypainfulone，immediatelyprocuredcompetentwitnesses，inwhosepresencethevaultwasenteredandthecoffinofpoorFannyopened。Theirdepositionwasthenpublished；andMr。KentindictedParsonsandhiswife，hisdaughter，MaryFrazertheservant，theReverendMr。Moor，andatradesman，twoofthemostprominentpatronsofthedeception，foraconspiracy。ThetrialcameonintheCourtofKing’sBench，onthe10thofJuly，beforeLordChief-JusticeMansfield，when，afteraninvestigationwhichlastedtwelvehours，thewholeoftheconspiratorswerefoundguilty。TheReverendMr。Moorandhisfriendwereseverelyreprimandedinopencourt，andrecommendedtomakesomepecuniarycompensationtotheprosecutorfortheaspersionstheyhadbeeninstrumentalinthrowinguponhischaracter。Parsonswassentencedtostandthreetimesinthepillory，andtobeimprisonedfortwoyears:hiswifetooneyear’s，andhisservanttosixmonths’
　　imprisonmentintheBridewell。Aprinter，whohadbeenemployedbythemtopublishanaccountoftheproceedingsfortheirprofit，wasalsofinedfiftypounds，anddischarged。
　　Theprecisemannerinwhichthedeceptionwascarriedonhasneverbeenexplained。TheknockinginthewallappearstohavebeentheworkofParsons’wife，whilethescratchingpartofthebusinesswaslefttothelittlegirl。Thatanycontrivancesoclumsycouldhavedeceivedanybody，cannotfailtoexciteourwonder。Butthusitalwaysis。Iftwoorthreepersonscanonlybefoundtotaketheleadinanyabsurdity，howevergreat，thereissuretobeplentyofimitators。
　　Likesheepinafield，ifoneclearsthestile，therestwillfollow。