"
"Yes, and then it passed through the door without opening it," added
Laura, who was present. "How dear grandmother disliked the woman! She
showed a sort of fear, too, of that door, which made us sure she
believed the story."
"Very natural," said Mrs. Melcombe. sighing, "that she could not bear to
have her misfortunes made a subject for idle talk and curiosity. I am
sure I should feel keenly hurt if it was ever said that my poor innocent
darling haunted the place."
"Had anything been said against him in his lifetime?" Valentine next
ventured to ask. "Had he done anything which was likely to put it into
people's heads to say he might be uneasy in his grave?"
"Oh no, nothing of the sort," said Laura. "And then old Becky is thought
to have added circumstances to the story, so that it came from that
cause to be discredited of late. It is almost forgotten now, and we
never believed it at all; but it certainly is an odd coincidence that
she should have told it of a man who never came back to contradict her,
and who really did die, it appears, about that time.
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