第16章

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。’