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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Section 1: "Afterward".

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In the opening of the story, what is Mary waiting for?
(a) She is waiting for dinner to be announced.
(b) She is waiting for the lamps to be brought in.
(c) She is waiting for the mail to be brought in.
(d) She is waiting for Ned to arrive.

2. While she is thinking it over in the library, where does Mary finally decide the blame lies for Ned's distracted, anxious mood?
(a) With Ned.
(b) With the house and its ghost.
(c) With herself.
(d) With Ned's business affairs.

3. When the story opens, in which room of her house is Mary waiting?
(a) The front parlor.
(b) The dining room.
(c) Her bedroom.
(d) The library.

4. When Mary finally catches up with Ned on that October day, what is he doing?
(a) Pacing in front of the library fireplace.
(b) Searching the lower floor for the intruder.
(c) Looking through his papers in the library.
(d) Staring out the front door.

5. When Mary tells Ned what she has learned from her mail, how does Ned react?
(a) He gets angry at her and asks whether she trusts him.
(b) He snatches the mail from her and throws it into the fire.
(c) He looks guilty and immediately leaves the room.
(d) He relaxes and tells her it is nothing to worry about.

Short Answer Questions

1. What detail does the narrator relate as evidence of how much Ned and Mary have yearned for a life like the one they have in England?

2. In Mary's mind, what is the only possible source of information about what has happened to Ned?

3. Why does the narrator say that Ned and Mary are "two romantic Americans" (83)?

4. What explanation does Ned give Mary at the time of the mysterious visit in October?

5. What is Ned's joking theory about why the ghost is so hard to see?

(see the answer key)

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