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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When Ned is still gone by the time Mary finishes lunch, where does she decide he must be?
(a) She decides that he has finally left her.
(b) She decides that he must have gone for his afternoon walk a little early.
(c) She decides that he must have gone into town to run an errand.
(d) She decides that he must have walked the visitor back to the train station.

2. When Mary thinks back on the October visit from the mysterious man, she thinks that it "had no mark of the portentous" (86). What does this mean she felt about the visit at the time that it happened?
(a) It did not seem as confusing at the time as it would later become.
(b) It was clearly unlucky.
(c) It was an obvious breach of etiquette.
(d) It did not seem to have any significant meaning for the future.

3. When section "III" opens, Mary is spending the morning working outdoors. She goes into the area where the "espaliered" pear trees are (89). What kind of pear trees are these?
(a) They are miniature pear trees.
(b) They are grafted with many different kinds of pears on each tree.
(c) They are draped with nets to keep the birds away from the fruit.
(d) They are trained to grow flat against the wall.

4. When the story refers to "Boyne," who or what is being referred to?
(a) The house.
(b) Mary.
(c) Ned.
(d) Ned's father.

5. When Ned begins to read the newspaper in the library in section "II," he tries to sound casual as he asks Mary a question. What is the question?
(a) He asks if she ever wonders exactly how he made the money they used to buy the house.
(b) He asks if Mary remembers seeing the ghost in October.
(c) He asks if the mysterious stranger has come back to the house at any point.
(d) He asks if she knows how long "afterward" it is when people realize they have seen the ghost.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why is the information about Bob Elwell's slow death so significant to Mary?

2. Mary thinks about the "latent" significance of a piece of information on page 83. What kind of meaning does this information have?

3. Ned asks Alida a question about the ghost's "signalement" (84). What is he asking about?

4. On that evening in the library in section "II," what does Mary see has happened when she looks up from preparing the tea?

5. When Mary is waiting in the library at the beginning of the story, where is Ned?

(see the answer key)

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