I expect there are things up there that have not been touched for fifty years." "I should suppose," said Ralph, "that the servants of the house would have had some curiosity about such objects, if no one else had." Miss Panney laughed.
"There hasn't been a servant in that garret for many a long year," said she.

"You evidently don't know that this house is considered haunted, particularly the garret; and I suppose that box of bones had a good deal to do with the notion." "Well," said Ralph, "no doubt the ghosts have been a great protection to our family treasures." "And to your whole house," said the old lady; "watch-dogs would be nothing to them." Miss Panney and Ralph ate dinner together.

The old lady would not leave until the doctor had come; and the conversation was an education to young Haverley in regard to the Butterwood family and the Thorbury neighborhood.

At the conclusion of the meal, Phoebe came into the room.
"I went upstairs to see how she was gettin' on, sir," she said; "an' she was awake, an' she made me get a pencil an' paper out of her bag, an' she sent you this note." On a half-sheet of note-paper, he read the following: "Dear Ralph, I went upstairs and looked at the third floor and a good deal of the garret, without you being with me.

I really want to be perfectly fair, and so you must not stop altogether from looking at things until I am able to go with you.