“I beg your pardon, Miss Halcombe,” interposed the schoolmaster a little uneasily⁠—“but I think you had better not question the boy. The obstinate folly of his story is beyond all belief; and you might lead him into ignorantly⁠—”

“Ignorantly what?” inquired Miss Halcombe sharply.

“Ignorantly shocking your feelings,” said Mr. Dempster, looking very much discomposed.

“Upon my word, Mr. Dempster, you pay my feelings a great compliment in thinking them weak enough to be shocked by such an urchin as that!” She turned with an air of satirical defiance to little Jacob, and began to question him directly. “Come!” she said, “I mean to know all about this. You naughty boy, when did you see the ghost?”

“Yestere’en, at the gloaming,” replied Jacob.