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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. After Mary thinks more about the house and its ghost, what does she begin to wonder?
(a) Whether it is possible that Alida lied to them about the ghost.
(b) Whether her household servants have ever seen the ghost.
(c) Whether she might actually already know the identity of the ghost.
(d) Whether Ned has seen the ghost and this is the cause of his strange mood.

2. What causes Mary to finally be certain that the ghost was Bob Elwell?
(a) Her visitor recognizes him from her description.
(b) Her visitor sees the ghost and knows that it is Elwell.
(c) She reads a letter that Elwell wrote.
(d) She sees a picture of Elwell.

3. On page 84, the narrator links isolated environments to "acuities of emotion." What are "acuities of emotion"?
(a) The ability to perceive emotion with sharp accuracy.
(b) Bluntness or dulling of emotion.
(c) Quickly changing emotions.
(d) Exaggerated emotion that is difficult to control.

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

5. When Mary discards her first two ideas about what is bothering Ned, she comes to a conclusion that upsets her. What is it?
(a) Ned is angry at her.
(b) Ned is keeping a secret from her.
(c) Ned is having an affair.
(d) Ned is probably ill.

Short Answer Questions

1. From what period is Ned and Mary's new home?

2. When Mary finally catches up with Ned on that October day, what is he doing?

3. Which character opens the story on page 83 by saying "Oh, there is one, of course, but you'll never know it"?

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

5. When Ned is still gone by the time Mary finishes lunch, where does she decide he must be?

Short Essay Questions

1. How has Ned's mood changed on the morning after he and Mary first discussed the Blue Star lawsuit, and what does Mary believe changed his mood?

2. In the narrative present at the beginning of the story, where is Mary and what is she doing?

3. What horrifying chain of events does Mary understand once she sees Bob Elwell's picture?

4. What do the Boynes tell Alida Stair about why Lyng's drawbacks are not problems from their point of view?

5. Describe the emotional condition that Mary is in in section "IV" of the story.

6. On the day of his disappearance, what is so frustrating for Mary about her conversation with her staff about where Ned is?

7. What draws the Boynes to England?

8. What is Mary doing on the morning that Ned disappears?

9. What happens with the mysterious visitor on the day that Ned disappears?

10. After she finds out that he has gone out with the mysterious man and not yet returned, why is Mary immediately alarmed?

(see the answer keys)

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