About ten minutes later, the bell rang for dinner, and, as Virginia did not come down, Mrs Otis sent
up one of the servants. After a little time he returned and said that he could not find Miss Virginia
anywhere. So, the whole family started looking for her.
The hours passed, but they could find no trace of Virginia. So, after dinner, Mr Otis ordered them
all to bed, saying that nothing more could be done that night, and that he would contact Scotland
Yard in the morning. Just when everybody was about to leave the dining-room, the clock struck
midnight, and when the last stroke sounded, a secret door opened in the wall and in that door stood
Virginia with a little box in her hand. Everybody ran up to her.
'Good heavens! child, where have you been?' said Mr Otis, rather angrily, as he thought she had
been playing a trick on them.
'Papa,' said Virginia quietly, 'I have been with the ghost. He is dead, and you must come and see
him. He had been very nasty, but he was really sorry for all that he had done, and he gave me this
box of beautiful jewels before he died.'
Then she led the others down a narrow secret corridor to a little low room. There the family found
the skeleton of Sir Simon, who had been starved to death by his wife's brothers. Virginia knelt down
beside the skeleton, and, folding her little hands together, began to pray silently.
Meanwhile, one of the twins was looking out of the window in the little room and suddenly said,
'Look! The old almond-tree has blossoms.'
'Then God has forgiven him,' said Virginia and stood up.
About ten minutes later, the bell rang for dinner, and, as Virginia did not come down, Mrs Otis sentup one of the servants. After a little time he returned and said that he could not find Miss Virginiaanywhere. So, the whole family started looking for her.The hours passed, but they could find no trace of Virginia. So, after dinner, Mr Otis ordered themall to bed, saying that nothing more could be done that night, and that he would contact ScotlandYard in the morning. Just when everybody was about to leave the dining-room, the clock struckmidnight, and when the last stroke sounded, a secret door opened in the wall and in that door stoodVirginia with a little box in her hand. Everybody ran up to her.'Good heavens! child, where have you been?' said Mr Otis, rather angrily, as he thought she hadbeen playing a trick on them.'Papa,' said Virginia quietly, 'I have been with the ghost. He is dead, and you must come and seehim. He had been very nasty, but he was really sorry for all that he had done, and he gave me thisbox of beautiful jewels before he died.'Then she led the others down a narrow secret corridor to a little low room. There the family foundthe skeleton of Sir Simon, who had been starved to death by his wife's brothers. Virginia knelt downbeside the skeleton, and, folding her little hands together, began to pray silently.Meanwhile, one of the twins was looking out of the window in the little room and suddenly said,'Look! The old almond-tree has blossoms.''Then God has forgiven him,' said Virginia and stood up.
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