‘And you left Mr. Egerton on board?’ ‘There was a passenger o’ that name, and I left him aboard.’ ‘Both boats were picked up, I believe, by a passing vessel on the second day?’ ‘They was,’ answered Mr Symonds. ‘And you are quite certain the passenger known as Mr. Egerton was not on board either of the boats?’ ‘Sartin.’ ‘I think, Dr. Birnie, that is satisfactory?’ said Limpet, turning to the gentleman addressed. ‘Quite,’ said the doctor, with a bow. ‘Dr. Birnie, I should say, that all present may understand the position, is left sole executor of our—I fear I must say, in fact, I will say—our late client’s will. He therefore is interested in proving the death of our late client. Mrs. Turvey—ahem! ‘Perhaps, Mr. Grigg, you——’ ‘Certainly,’ said Grigg. Grigg always talked to the ladies. ‘Mrs. Turvey. Madam, under the provisions of the will, you receive a legacy of five hundred pounds. Old servant. Very proper, and all the rest of it. Go on, Mr. Limpet.’ ‘Exactly. Mrs. Turvey, therefore you also are interested in proving the death of our late client.’ Mrs. Turvey said ‘Thank you,’ and dropped a curtsey, and wondered whether she ought to shake hands with Grigg and Limpet or not. ‘Now,’ continued Mr. Limpet, ‘everything would be satisfactory, but for the extraordinary statement of—Mr. Grigg, perhaps you——’ ‘Certainly,’ said Grigg. ‘You see, madam, you and your daughter——’ ‘Niece,’ said Mrs. Turvey, rising and curtseying. ‘Same thing. You and your niece saw a ghost. Law doesn’t acknowledge ghosts. Either you saw Mr. Egerton, not at the bottom of the deep blue sea, but at his own front door, which is a different place altogether. Very, Eh? You did, you know, or you didn’t. Eh? Which?’ Mrs. Turvey rose and curtseyed to the assembly. ‘Which, if it’s the last words I ever speak, gentlemen, I see Mr. Egerton’s ghost that night a-standing at the door, all white and looking dreadful. My niece see it first, and she screams and I comes up, and I shudders now to think of it. I’ll take my happydavid of it, sir, as I’m a Christian woman; and so’ll Topsy: won’t you, dear?’ ‘Yes,’ said Topsy, rather scared at being appealed to. Whether the ‘happydavid’ she was required to take was a powder or a sweetmeat, Topsy didn’t know; but in the presence of Grigg and Limpet she would have said ‘Yes’ to anything. ‘My good lady,’ said Grigg, ‘we don’t doubt you; but the law will. Excuse me—mere form of words—you weren’t drunk?’ ‘Lor’, no, sir; I don’t do it,’ said Mrs. Turvey, bridling up. ‘Of course not. Well, then, if sober, you saw a man, not a ghost. Little daughter—beg pardon, niece—saw a man. Both sober; both saw same thing. What was it? Who was it? Eh?’ ‘I attended this lady,’ put in Dr. Birnie, ‘and I found her suffering from a shock to the nervous system. I am sure she saw something. It couldn’t have been a ghost, and I really don’t see how it could have been the lamented Mr. Egerton.’