"Mayor Packard and myself both look upon the occurrence as a wholly imaginary one, caused by her secret brooding over the very manifestations you mention.

If she could be convinced that these manifestations had a physical origin, she would immediately question the reality of the specter she now believes herself to have seen.

To bring her to this point I am ready to exert myself to the utmost.

Are you willing to do the same?
If so, I can assure you of Mayor Packard's appreciation." "How?
What?
You believe the whole thing a fraud?
That all these tenants coming from various quarters manufactured all these stories and submitted to endless inconvenience to perpetuate a senseless lie ?" "No, I don't think that.

The tenants were honest enough, but who owned the house before Mr.Searles ?" I was resolved to give no hint of the information imparted to me by Mrs.Packard.
"The Misses Quinlan, the two maiden ladies who live next door to Mayor Packard." "I don't know them," said I truthfully.
"Very worthy women," Mr.Robinson assured me.