Chapter 7

           Fourdaysafterthesecuriousincidents,afuneralstartedfromCantervilleChaseatabouteleveno’clockatnight. Thehearsewasdrawnbyeightblackhorses,eachofwhichcarriedonitsheadagreattuftofnoddingostrich-plumes, andtheleadencoffinwascoveredbyarichpurplepall,onwhichwasembroideredingoldtheCantervillecoat-of-arms. Bythesideofthehearseandthecoacheswalkedtheservantswithlightedtorches,andthewholeprocessionwaswonderfullyimpressive. LordCantervillewasthechiefmourner,havingcomeupspeciallyfromWalestoattendthefuneral,andsatinthefirstcarriagealongwithlittleVirginia. ThencametheUnitedStatesMinisterandhiswife,thenWashingtonandthethreeboys,andinthelastcarriagewasMrs.Umney. Itwasgenerallyfeltthat,asshehadbeenfrightenedbytheghostformorethanfiftyyearsofherlife,shehadarighttoseethelastofhim. Adeepgravehadbeenduginthecornerofthechurchyard,justundertheoldyew-tree,andtheservicewasreadinthemostimpressivemannerbytheRev.AugustusDampier. Whentheceremonywasover,theservants,accordingtoanoldcustomobservedintheCantervillefamily,extinguishedtheirtorches,and,asthecoffinwasbeingloweredintothegrave,Virginiasteppedforward,andlaidonitalargecrossmadeofwhiteandpinkalmond-blossoms. Asshedidso,themooncameoutfrombehindacloud,andfloodedwithitssilentsilverthelittlechurchyard,andfromadistantcopseanightingalebegantosing. Shethoughtoftheghost’sdescriptionoftheGardenofDeath,hereyesbecamedimwithtears,andshehardlyspokeawordduringthedrivehome. 

           Thenextmorning,beforeLordCantervillewentuptotown,Mr.OtishadaninterviewwithhimonthesubjectofthejewelstheghosthadgiventoVirginia.