"But I'm afraid o' neither man nor ghost, and I'm ready to lay a fair bet.

_I_ aren't a turn-tail cur." "Aye, but there's this in it, Dowlas," said the landlord, speaking in a tone of much candour and tolerance.

"There's folks, i' my opinion, they can't see ghos'es, not if they stood as plain as a pike-staff before 'em.

And there's reason i' that.

For there's my wife, now, can't smell, not if she'd the strongest o' cheese under her nose.