The next mornin' I see her a-airin' her sweet self on the lawn, so I goes up to 'er all familiar like, and I says, 'Top o' the mornin', Miss Staggles.' "'Who are you, man ?' she says.
"'As nice a chap as you ever see,' I said, 'though I am marked wi' small-pox.

But that ain't my fault, ma'am; it is owin' to the experimentin' o' a waccinatin' doctor.' "'What do you want with me, man ?' she said.
"'Why, ma'am,' I said, 'I'm young and simple, and I wur frightened wi' a ghost t'other night, and I thought as how you, bein' purty hancient, might assist me in findin' things out about it.' "With that, sur, she looked oal strange, and I thinks I'm on the right track, and I says again, 'That 'ere ghost wur well got up, mum.

I've played a ghost myself in a theatre, and I could never git up like you did the other night.' "'Me get up as a ghost!' she screamed.

'Man, you are mad.' "'Not so mad,' I says, 'seein' as 'ow I see you carry that 'ere ghost's wardrobe, and put it in Mr.Blake's room last night.' "She went off without another word, yer honour, and the next thing I heard 'bout her was that she'd gone to London." "And why did you not tell Mr.Temple ?" "Well, Mr.Blake, he didn't know anything 'bout her evenin' rambles wi' that 'ere hinfidel willain, and wasn't acquainted wi' the things that you and me hev talked about; besides, I thought as 'ow you wer the one that ought to know first of all." I thought long over Simon's words, but could not understand them.

Why should Miss Staggles pose as a ghost, even at the instigation of Voltaire?
There could be nothing gained by it, and yet I was sure that it was not without meaning.