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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. 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 knows how long "afterward" it is when people realize they have seen the ghost.
(b) He asks if Mary remembers seeing the ghost in October.
(c) He asks if she ever wonders exactly how he made the money they used to buy the house.
(d) He asks if the mysterious stranger has come back to the house at any point.

2. Why is Mary unsure what Ned has or has not already told her about Beb Elwell?
(a) Because she does not pay much attention when he talks about work.
(b) Because Ned has a habit of lying about what he has or has not told her.
(c) Because ever since they moved into the house, her memory is getting weaker.
(d) Because the Bob Elwell story is very similar to another incident in their past.

3. Mary thinks about the "latent" significance of a piece of information on page 83. What kind of meaning does this information have?
(a) Meaning that stays with a person and is hard to "shake."
(b) Meaning that seems positive at first but later reveals a negative side.
(c) Meaning that was always there but takes time to emerge.
(d) Meaning that reveals a hidden aspect of the speaker.

4. In section "III," when Mary looks at the house from across the property, what does she feel about the house?
(a) That it seems to be trying to communicate something urgent to her.
(b) That is is like an evil creature squatting in the landcape.
(c) That it is like a kindly older person that keeps secrets for the good of others.
(d) That it seems to be laughing at her, somehow, almost mockingly.

5. When does Mary first realize that Ned is missing?
(a) When Trimmle comes in to ask her whether she has seen Ned.
(b) When the stranger reappears and asks for him again.
(c) When she tries to find him to tell him that lunch is ready.
(d) When the boiler repairman asks to speak with him.

6. On page 95, Mary mentions the "fun of the frisson." What is a frisson?
(a) A sensation of chills or prickling down one's back.
(b) The feeling of "butterflies" in one's stomach.
(c) A teasing remark.
(d) A frightening story.

7. Why are Ned and Mary so interested in living in an isolated location?
(a) They want to avoid questions about their money.
(b) They are very introverted.
(c) They are afraid of the crime associated with larger populations.
(d) They want peace and quiet to enjoy their new hobbies.

8. For the past week, what has Mary been assuming is the cause for Ned's need to be alone and his odd mood?
(a) She thinks that he has seen the ghost.
(b) She thinks that he misses having a regular job to go to.
(c) She thinks that he regrets moving to England.
(d) She thinks that his book is not going very well.

9. On page 84, the reader learns about the "prodigious windfall" that Ned and Mary experienced. Where did this "prodigious windfall" come from?
(a) The Blue Star Mine.
(b) The Waukesha Sentinel.
(c) Ned's engineering job.
(d) The death of their cousin Hugo.

10. According to Alida, what is unusual about the ghost at Ned and Mary's new house?
(a) No one knows they have seen it until quite a while after they actually see it.
(b) It can assume a physical form.
(c) It can take different forms depending on who is living in the house.
(d) It can come and go--it is not "bound" to the house itself.

11. From what period is Ned and Mary's new home?
(a) Edwardian.
(b) Georgian.
(c) Tudor.
(d) Regency.

12. What event causes Mary to temporarily forget about the mysterious man they saw in October?
(a) She and Ned climb Meldon Steep.
(b) She receives a letter from Alida Stair.
(c) One of the housemaids quits.
(d) The greenhouse boiler breaks.

13. 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 trained to grow flat against the wall.
(b) They are grafted with many different kinds of pears on each tree.
(c) They are miniature pear trees.
(d) They are draped with nets to keep the birds away from the fruit.

14. Why does the narrator say that Ned and Mary are "two romantic Americans" (83)?
(a) Because neither one has any common sense.
(b) Because they tell Alida a far-fetched story about their previous home.
(c) Because they are clearly deeply in love.
(d) Because they are not being practical about their search for a house.

15. Ned asks Alida a question about the ghost's "signalement" (84). What is he asking about?
(a) Its movements and habits.
(b) Its motivations.
(c) Its physical description.
(d) Its background.

Short Answer Questions

1. As Mary thinks back over the events of October, she sees a figure coming toward the house again. Who is it?

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?

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

4. When Ned speeds off to talk with the mysterious visitor on that day in October, why does it take Mary so long to follow?

5. Who is the author of "Afterward"?

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