“Wereyoubroughttoanuntimelyendbypoison？“——“Yes。“
“Howwasthepoisonadministered，inbeerorinpurl？“——“Inpurl。“
“Howlongwasthatbeforeyourdeath？“——“Aboutthreehours。“
“Canyourformerservant，Carrots，giveanyinformationaboutthepoison？“——“Yes。“
“AreyouKent’swife’ssister？“——“Yes。“
“WereyoumarriedtoKentafteryoursister’sdeath？“——“No。“
“Wasanybodyelse，besidesKent，concernedinyourmurder？“——“No。“
“Canyou，ifyoulike，appearvisiblytoanyone？“——“Yes。“
“Willyoudoso？“——“Yes。“
“Canyougooutofthishouse？“——“Yes。“
“Isityourintentiontofollowthischildabouteverywhere？“——“Yes。“
“Areyoupleasedinbeingaskedthesequestions？“——“Yes。“
“Doesitcaseyourtroubledsoul？“——“Yes。“
[Heretherewasheardamysteriousnoise，whichsomewiseacrepresentcomparedtotheflutteringofwings。]
“Howlongbeforeyourdeathdidyoutellyourservant，Carrots，thatyouwerepoisoned？——Anhour？“——“Yes。“
[Carrots，whowaspresent，wasappealedto；butshestatedpositivelythatsuchwasnotthefact，asthedeceasedwasquitespeechlessanhourbeforeherdeath。Thisshookthefaithofsomeofthespectators，buttheexaminationwasallowedtocontinue。]
“HowlongdidCarrotslivewithyou？“——“Threeorfourdays。“
[Carrotswasagainappealedto，andsaidthatthiswastrue。]
“IfMr。Kentisarrestedforthismurder，willheconfess？“——
“Yes。“
“Wouldyoursoulbeatrestifhewerehangedforit？“——“Yes。“
“Willhebehangedforit？“——“Yes。“
“Howlongatimefirst？“——“Threeyears。“
“Howmanyclergymenarethereinthisroom？“——“Three。“
“Howmanynegroes？“——“Two。“
“Isthiswatchheldupbyoneoftheclergymenwhite？“——“No。“
“Isityellow？“——“No。“
“Isitblue？“——“No。“
“Isitblack？“——“Yes。“
[Thewatchwasinablackshagreencase。]
“Atwhattimethismorningwillyoutakeyourdeparture？“
Theanswertothisquestionwasfourknocks，verydistinctlyheardbyeverypersonpresent；andaccordingly，atfouro’clockprecisely，theghosttookitsdeparturetotheWheatsheafpublic-house，closeby，whereitfrightenedminehostandhisladyalmostoutoftheirwitsbyknockingintheceilingrightabovetheirbed。
TherumouroftheseoccurrencesverysoonspreadoverLondon，andeverydayCockLanewasrenderedimpassablebythecrowdsofpeoplewhoassembledaroundthehouseoftheparishclerk，inexpectationofeitherseeingtheghostorofhearingthemysteriousknocks。Itwasatlastfoundnecessary，soclamorousweretheyforadmissionwithinthehauntedprecincts，toadmitthoseonlywhowouldpayacertainfee，anarrangementwhichwasveryconvenienttotheneedyandmoney-lovingMr。Parsons。Indeed，thingshadtakenaturngreatlytohissatisfaction；henotonlyhadhisrevenge，buthemadeaprofitoutofit。Theghost，inconsequence，playeditsanticseverynight，tothegreatamusementofmanyhundredsofpeopleandthegreatperplexityofastillgreaternumber。
Unhappily，however，fortheparishclerk，theghostwasinducedtomakesomepromiseswhichwerethemeansofutterlydestroyingitsreputation。Itpromised，inanswertothequestionsoftheReverendMr。AldritchofClerkenwell，thatitwouldnotonlyfollowthelittleMissParsonswherevershewent，butwouldalsoattendhim，oranyothergentleman，intothevaultunderSt。John’sChurch，wherethebodyofthemurderedwomanwasdeposited，andwouldtheregivenoticeofitspresencebyadistinctknockuponthecoffin。Asapreliminary，thegirlwasconveyedtothehouseofMr。Aldritchnearthechurch，wherealargepartyofladiesandgentlemen，eminentfortheiracquirements，theirrank，ortheirwealth，hadassembled。Aboutteno’clockonthenightofthe1stofFebruary，thegirlhavingbeenbroughtfromCockLaneinacoach，wasputtobedbyseveralladiesinthehouseofMr。Aldritch；astrictexaminationhavingbeenpreviouslymadethatnothingwashiddeninthebedclothes。Whilethegentlemen，。
inanadjoiningchamber，weredeliberatingwhethertheyshouldproceedinabodytothevault，theyweresummonedintothebedroombytheladies，whoaffirmed，ingreatalarm，thattheghostwascome，andthattheyheardtheknocksandscratches。Thegentlemenenteredaccordingly，withadeterminationtosuffernodeception。Thelittlegirl，onbeingaskedwhethershesawtheghost，replied，“No；butshefeltitonherbacklikeamouse。“Shewasthenrequiredtoputherhandsoutofbed，andtheybeingheldbysomeoftheladies，thespiritwassummonedintheusualmannertoanswer，ifitwereintheroom。Thequestionwasseveraltimesputwithgreatsolemnity；butthecustomaryknockwasnotheardinreplyinthewalls，neitherwasthereanyscratching。Theghostwasthenaskedtorenderitselfvisible，butitdidnotchoosetogranttherequest。Itwasnextsolicitedtogivesometokenofitspresencebyasoundofanysort，orbytouchingthehandorcheekofanyladyorgentlemanintheroom；
butevenwiththisrequesttheghostwouldnotcomply。
Therewasnowaconsiderablepause，andoneoftheclergymenwentdownstairstointerrogatethefatherofthegirl，whowaswaitingtheresultoftheexperiment。Hepositivelydeniedthattherewasanydeception，andevenwentsofarastosaythathehimself，upononeoccasion，hadseenandconversedwiththeawfulghost。Thishavingbeencommunicatedtothecompany，itwasunanimouslyresolvedtogivetheghostanothertrial；andtheclergymancalledoutinaloudvoicetothesupposedspiritthatthegentlemantowhomithadpromisedtoappearinthevault，wasabouttorepairtothatplace，whereheclaimedthefulfilmentofitspromise。Atonehouraftermidnighttheyallproceededtothechurch，andthegentlemaninquestion，withanother，enteredthevaultalone，andtookuptheirpositionalongsideofthecoffinofpoorFanny。Theghostwasthensummonedtoappear，butitappearednot；itwassummonedtoknock，butitknockednot；itwassummonedtoscratch，butitscratchednot；andthetworetiredfromthevault，withthefirmbeliefthatthewholebusinesswasadeceptionpractisedbyParsonsandhisdaughter。Therewereothers，however，whodidnotwishtojumpsohastilytoaconclusion，andwhosuggestedthattheywere，perhaps，triflingwiththisawfulandsupernaturalbeing，which，beingoffendedwiththemfortheirpresumption，wouldnotcondescendtoanswerthem。Again，afteraseriousconsultation，itwasagreedonallhandsthat，iftheghostansweredanybodyatall，itwouldanswerMr。Kent，thesupposedmurderer；andhewasaccordinglyrequestedtogodownintothevault。
Hewentwithseveralothers，andsummonedtheghosttoanswerwhetherhehadindeedpoisonedher。Therebeingnoanswer，thequestionwasputbyMr。Aldritch，whoconjuredit，ifitwereindeedaspirit，toendtheirdoubts-makeasignofitspresence，andpointouttheguiltyperson。Therebeingstillnoanswerforthespaceofhalfanhour，duringwhichtimealltheseboobieswaitedwiththemostpraiseworthyperseverance，theyreturnedtothehouseofMr。Aldritch，andorderedthegirltogetupanddressherself。Shewasstrictlyexamined，butpersistedinherstatementthatsheusednodeception，andthattheghosthadreallyappearedtoher。
Somanypersonshad，bytheiropenlyexpressedbeliefoftherealityofthevisitation，identifiedthemselveswithit，thatParsonsandhisfamilywerefarfrombeingtheonlypersonsinterestedinthecontinuanceofthedelusion。Theresultoftheexperimentconvincedmostpeople；butthesewerenottobeconvincedbyanyevidence，howeverpositive，andthey，therefore，spreadabroadtherumour，thattheghosthadnotappearedinthevaultbecauseMr。Kenthadtakencarebeforehandtohavethecoffinremoved。Thatgentleman，whosepositionwasaverypainfulone，immediatelyprocuredcompetentwitnesses，inwhosepresencethevaultwasenteredandthecoffinofpoorFannyopened。Theirdepositionwasthenpublished；andMr。KentindictedParsonsandhiswife，hisdaughter，MaryFrazertheservant，theReverendMr。Moor，andatradesman，twoofthemostprominentpatronsofthedeception，foraconspiracy。ThetrialcameonintheCourtofKing’sBench，onthe10thofJuly，beforeLordChief-JusticeMansfield，when，afteraninvestigationwhichlastedtwelvehours，thewholeoftheconspiratorswerefoundguilty。TheReverendMr。Moorandhisfriendwereseverelyreprimandedinopencourt，andrecommendedtomakesomepecuniarycompensationtotheprosecutorfortheaspersionstheyhadbeeninstrumentalinthrowinguponhischaracter。Parsonswassentencedtostandthreetimesinthepillory，andtobeimprisonedfortwoyears:hiswifetooneyear’s，andhisservanttosixmonths’
imprisonmentintheBridewell。Aprinter，whohadbeenemployedbythemtopublishanaccountoftheproceedingsfortheirprofit，wasalsofinedfiftypounds，anddischarged。
Theprecisemannerinwhichthedeceptionwascarriedonhasneverbeenexplained。TheknockinginthewallappearstohavebeentheworkofParsons’wife，whilethescratchingpartofthebusinesswaslefttothelittlegirl。Thatanycontrivancesoclumsycouldhavedeceivedanybody，cannotfailtoexciteourwonder。Butthusitalwaysis。Iftwoorthreepersonscanonlybefoundtotaketheleadinanyabsurdity，howevergreat，thereissuretobeplentyofimitators。
Likesheepinafield，ifoneclearsthestile，therestwillfollow。