WEBVTT

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<v Speaker 1>Ghosts by guide de Maupassant. Just at the time when

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<v Speaker 1>the Concordat was in its most flourishing condition, a young

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<v Speaker 1>man belonging to a wealthy and highly respected middle class

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<v Speaker 1>family went to the office of the head of police

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<v Speaker 1>at p and begged for his help and advice, which

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<v Speaker 1>was immediately promised him. My father threatens to disinherit me,

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<v Speaker 1>the young man then began, although I have never offended

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<v Speaker 1>against the laws of the state of morality or of

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<v Speaker 1>his paternal authority, merely because I do not share his

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<v Speaker 1>blind reverence for the Catholic Church and her ministers. On

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<v Speaker 1>that account, he looks upon me not merely as latitudinarian,

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<v Speaker 1>but as a perfect atheist and a faithful old man

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<v Speaker 1>servant of ours, who is much attached to me, and

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<v Speaker 1>who accidentally saw my father's will, told me in confidence

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<v Speaker 1>that he had left all his property to the Jesuits.

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<v Speaker 1>I think this is highly suspicious, and I fear that

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<v Speaker 1>the priests have been beligning me to my father. Until

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<v Speaker 1>less than a year ago, we used to live very

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<v Speaker 1>quietly and happily together, But ever since he has had

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<v Speaker 1>so much to do with the clergy, our domestic peace

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<v Speaker 1>and happiness are at an end. What you have told me,

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<v Speaker 1>the official replied, is as likely as it is regrettable.

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<v Speaker 1>But I fail to see how I can interfere in

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<v Speaker 1>the matter. Your father is in full possession of all

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<v Speaker 1>his mental faculties and can dispose of all his property

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<v Speaker 1>exactly as he pleases. I also think that your protest

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<v Speaker 1>is premature. You must wait until his will can legally

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<v Speaker 1>take effect, and then you can invoke the aid of justice.

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<v Speaker 1>I am sorry to say that I can do nothing

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<v Speaker 1>for you. I think you will be able to the

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<v Speaker 1>young man replied, for I believe that a very clever

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<v Speaker 1>piece of deceit is being carried on here. How please

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<v Speaker 1>explain yourself more clearly. When I remonstrated with him yesterday evening,

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<v Speaker 1>he referred to my dead mother, and at last assured me,

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<v Speaker 1>in a voice of the deepest conviction, that she had

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<v Speaker 1>frequently appeared to him and had threatened him with all

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<v Speaker 1>the torments of the damned if he did not disinherit

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<v Speaker 1>his son, who had fallen away from God, and leave

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<v Speaker 1>all his property to the church. Now, I do not

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<v Speaker 1>believe in ghosts, neither do I, the police director replied,

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<v Speaker 1>But I cannot well do anything on this dangerous ground

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<v Speaker 1>if I had nothing but superstitions to go upon. You

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<v Speaker 1>know how the Church rules all our affairs since to

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<v Speaker 1>concord it with Rome. And if I investigate this matter

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<v Speaker 1>and obtain no results, I am risking my post. You

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<v Speaker 1>would be very different if you could adduce any proofs

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<v Speaker 1>for your suspicions. I do not deny that I should

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<v Speaker 1>like to see the clerical party, which will I fear

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<v Speaker 1>be the ruin of Austria, receive a staggering blow. Try therefore,

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<v Speaker 1>to get to the bottom of this business, and then

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<v Speaker 1>we will talk it over again. About a month passed

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<v Speaker 1>without the young latitudinarian being heard of, But then he

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<v Speaker 1>suddenly came one evening, evidently in a great state of excitement,

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<v Speaker 1>and told him that he was in a position to

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<v Speaker 1>expose the priestly deceit which he had mentioned, if the

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<v Speaker 1>authorities would assist him. The police director asked for further information.

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<v Speaker 1>I have obtained a number of important clues, the young

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<v Speaker 1>man said. In the first place, my father confessed to

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<v Speaker 1>me that my mother did not appear to him in

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<v Speaker 1>our house, but in the churchyard where she is buried.

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<v Speaker 1>My mother was consumptive for many years, and a few

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<v Speaker 1>weeks before her death she went to the village of

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<v Speaker 1>s where she died and was buried. In addition to this,

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<v Speaker 1>I found out from our footman that my father has

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<v Speaker 1>already left the house twice late at night in company

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<v Speaker 1>of X, the Jesuit priest, and that on both occasions

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<v Speaker 1>he did not return till morning. Each time he was

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<v Speaker 1>remarkably uneasy and low spirited after his return, and had

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<v Speaker 1>three mass is said for my dead mother. He also

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<v Speaker 1>told me just now that he has to leave home

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<v Speaker 1>this evening on business. But immediately he told me that

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<v Speaker 1>our footmen saw that Jez would go out of the house.

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<v Speaker 1>We may therefore assume that he intends this evening to

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<v Speaker 1>consult the spirit of my dead mother again. And this

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<v Speaker 1>would be an excellent opportunity for getting on the track

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<v Speaker 1>of the matter. If you do not object to opposing

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<v Speaker 1>the most powerful force in the empire for the sake

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<v Speaker 1>of such an insignificant individual as myself. Every citizen has

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<v Speaker 1>an equal right to the protection of the state. The

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<v Speaker 1>police director applied, and I think that I have shown

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<v Speaker 1>often enough that I am not wanting encouraged to perform

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<v Speaker 1>my duty, no matter how serious. The consequences may be,

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<v Speaker 1>but only very young men act without any prospects of success,

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<v Speaker 1>as they are carried away by their feelings. When you

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<v Speaker 1>came to me the first time, I was obliged to

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<v Speaker 1>refuse your request for assistance. But today your shares have

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<v Speaker 1>risen and value. It is now eight o'clock and I

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<v Speaker 1>shall expect you in two hours time here in my office.

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<v Speaker 1>At present, all you have to do is hold your tongue.

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<v Speaker 1>Everything else is my affair. As soon as it was dark,

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<v Speaker 1>four men got into a closed carriage in the yard

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<v Speaker 1>of the police office and were driven in the direction

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<v Speaker 1>of the village of s Their carriage, however, did not

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<v Speaker 1>enter the village, but stopped at the edge of a

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<v Speaker 1>small wood in the immediate neighborhood. Here they all four alighted.

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<v Speaker 1>They were the police director, accompanied by the young latitudinarian,

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<v Speaker 1>a police sergeant, and an ordinary policeman who was, however,

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<v Speaker 1>dressed in plain clothes. The first thing for us to

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<v Speaker 1>do is examine the locality carefully, the police director said.

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<v Speaker 1>It is eleven o'clock and the exercises of ghosts will

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<v Speaker 1>not arrive before midnight, so we have time to look

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<v Speaker 1>round us and to take our measure. The four men

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<v Speaker 1>went to the churchyard, which lay at the end of

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<v Speaker 1>the village, near the little wood. Everything was still as death,

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<v Speaker 1>and not a soul was to be seen. The sexton

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<v Speaker 1>was evidently sitting in the public house, for they found

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<v Speaker 1>the door of his cottage locked, as well as the

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<v Speaker 1>door of the little chapel that stood in the middle

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<v Speaker 1>of the churchyard. Where is your mother's grave, the police

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<v Speaker 1>director asked, But as there were only a few stars visible,

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<v Speaker 1>it was not easy to find it. But at last

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<v Speaker 1>they managed it, and the police director looked about in

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<v Speaker 1>the neighborhood of it. The position is not a very

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<v Speaker 1>favorable one for us, he said, at last, there is

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<v Speaker 1>nothing here, not even a shrub behind which we could hide.

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<v Speaker 1>But just then the policeman said that he had tried

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<v Speaker 1>to get into the sexton's hut through the door or

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<v Speaker 1>the window, and that at last he had succeeded in

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<v Speaker 1>doing so by breaking open a square in the window

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<v Speaker 1>which had been mended with paper, and that he had

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<v Speaker 1>opened it and obtained possession of the key, which he

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<v Speaker 1>had brought to the police director. His plans were very

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<v Speaker 1>quickly settled. He had the chapel opened and went in

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<v Speaker 1>with the young latitudinarian. Then he told the police sergeant

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<v Speaker 1>to lock the door behind him, and to put the

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<v Speaker 1>key back where he had found it, and to shut

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<v Speaker 1>the window of the sexton's cottage carefully. Lastly, he made

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<v Speaker 1>arrangements as to what they were to do in case

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<v Speaker 1>anything unforeseen should occur. Where Upon the sergeant and the

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<v Speaker 1>constable left the churchyard lay down in a ditch at

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<v Speaker 1>some distance from the gate but opposite to it. Almost

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<v Speaker 1>as soon as the clock struck half past eleven, they

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<v Speaker 1>heard steps near the chapel, whereupon the police director and

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<v Speaker 1>the young latitudinarian went to the window in order to

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<v Speaker 1>watch the beginning of the exorcism. And as the chapel

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<v Speaker 1>was in total darkness, they thought that they should be

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<v Speaker 1>able to see without being seen, but matters turned out

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<v Speaker 1>differently from what they expected. Suddenly, the key turned in

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<v Speaker 1>the lock, and they barely had time to conceal themselves

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<v Speaker 1>behind the altar before two men came in, one of

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<v Speaker 1>whom was carrying a dark land. One was the young

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<v Speaker 1>man's father, an elderly man of the middle class, who

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<v Speaker 1>seemed very unhappy and depressed. The other, the Jesuit father, kay,

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<v Speaker 1>a tall, thin, big boned man with a thin, bilious

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<v Speaker 1>face in which two large gray eyes shone restlessly under

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<v Speaker 1>their bushy black eyebrows. He lit the tapers which were

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<v Speaker 1>standing on the altar, and then began to say Erequi

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<v Speaker 1>a mass, while the old man knelt on the altar

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<v Speaker 1>steps and served him. When it was over, the Jesuit

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<v Speaker 1>took the book of the Gospels and the holy water

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<v Speaker 1>sprinkler and went slowly out of the chapel, while the

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<v Speaker 1>old man followed him with a holy water basin in

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<v Speaker 1>one hand and a taper in the other. Then the

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<v Speaker 1>police director left his hiding place, and, stooping down so

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<v Speaker 1>as not to be seen, he crept through the chapel window,

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<v Speaker 1>where he cowered down carefully, and the young man followed

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<v Speaker 1>his example. They were now looking straight on his mother's grave.

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<v Speaker 1>The Jesuit, followed by the superstitious old man, walked three

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<v Speaker 1>times round the grave. Then he remained standing before it,

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<v Speaker 1>and by the light of the taper, he read a

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<v Speaker 1>few passages from the Gospel. Then he dipped the holy

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<v Speaker 1>water sprinkler three times into the holy water basin and

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<v Speaker 1>sprinkled the grave three times. Then both returned to the chapel,

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<v Speaker 1>knelt down outside it with their faces towards the grave,

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<v Speaker 1>and began to pray aloud, until at last the jesuit

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<v Speaker 1>sprang up in a species of wild ecstasy and cried

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<v Speaker 1>out three times in a shrill voice. X surgery, ex surgey,

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<v Speaker 1>ex surgery. Scarcely had the last word of the exorcism

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<v Speaker 1>died away, when thick blue smoke rose out of the grave,

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<v Speaker 1>which rapidly grew into a cloud and began to assume

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<v Speaker 1>the outlines of a human body, until at last a

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<v Speaker 1>tall white figure stood behind the grave and beckoned with

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<v Speaker 1>his hand, who art thou? The jesuit asked solemnly, while

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<v Speaker 1>the old man and began to cry. When I was alive,

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<v Speaker 1>I was called Anna Maria b The ghost replied in

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<v Speaker 1>a hollow voice. Well you answer all my questions, the

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<v Speaker 1>priest continued, as far as I can. Have you not

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<v Speaker 1>yet been delivered from purgatory by our prayers and all

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<v Speaker 1>the masses for your soul which we have said for you?

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<v Speaker 1>Not yet? But soon soon I shall be when as

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<v Speaker 1>soon as that blasphemer my son has been punished. Has

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<v Speaker 1>that not already happened? Has not your husband disinherited his

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<v Speaker 1>lost son and made the church his heir in his place.

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<v Speaker 1>That is not enough. What must he do? Besides? He

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<v Speaker 1>must deposit his will with the judicial authorities as his

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<v Speaker 1>last will and testament, and drive the reprobate out of

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<v Speaker 1>his house. Consider well what you are saying, Must this

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<v Speaker 1>really be? It must, or otherwise I shall have to

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<v Speaker 1>languish in purgatory much longer. The sepulchral voice replied with

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<v Speaker 1>a deep sigh. But the next moment it yelled out

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<v Speaker 1>in terror, Oh good Lord, and the ghost began to

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<v Speaker 1>run away as fast as it could. A shrill whistle

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<v Speaker 1>was heard, and then another, and the police director laid

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<v Speaker 1>his hand on the shoulder of the exerciser, accompanied with

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<v Speaker 1>the remark you are in custody. Meanwhile, the police sergeant

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<v Speaker 1>and the policeman who had come into the churchyard had

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<v Speaker 1>caught the ghost and dragged it forward. It was the

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<v Speaker 1>sexton who had put on a flowing white dress, and

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<v Speaker 1>who wore a wax mask which bore a striking resemblance

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<v Speaker 1>to his mother, as the son declared. When the case

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<v Speaker 1>was heard, it was proved that the mask had been

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<v Speaker 1>very skillfully made from a portrait of the deceased woman.

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<v Speaker 1>The government gave orders that the matter should be investigated

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<v Speaker 1>as secretly as possible, and left the punishment of Father

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<v Speaker 1>Kay to the spiritual which was a matter of course

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<v Speaker 1>at a time when priests were outside the jurisdiction of

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<v Speaker 1>the civil authorities, and it is needless to say that

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<v Speaker 1>he was very comfortable during his imprisonment in a monastery

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<v Speaker 1>and a part of the country which abounded with game

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<v Speaker 1>and trout. The only valuable result of the amusing ghost

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<v Speaker 1>story was that it brought about a reconciliation between father

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<v Speaker 1>and son, and the former, as a matter of fact,

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<v Speaker 1>felt such a deep respect for priests and their ghosts.

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<v Speaker 1>In consequence of the apparition that a short time after

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<v Speaker 1>his wife had left purgatory for the last time in

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<v Speaker 1>order to talk with him, he turned Protestant