“Oh!” Cuddles didn’t notice Judy’s evident disapproval of this poaching on her preserves. “Really, Mr. Tillytuck?”

“No mistake, Miss Gardiner. Most ghosts is nothing but rats. But this was a genuwine phantom.”

“Did he…did he speak to you?”

Mr. Tillytuck nodded.

“‘I see you’re out for a walk like myself,’ says he. But I made no reply. I have discovered it is better not to monkey with spooks, miss. Interesting things, but dangerous. So irresponsible, speaking romantically. So, as Friend Josiah was right in the road and I couldn’t get past him I just walked through him. Never saw him again. Miss Plum, this is soup.”

Judy had spent the evening swinging from approval to disapproval of Mr. Tillytuck…which continued to be the case during his whole sojourn at Silver Bush. His appreciation of her soup got him another bowlful. Pat was wishing father would come home from Swallowfield. Perhaps Mr. Tillytuck didn’t know he had to sleep in the granary. But Mr. Tillytuck said, as he got up from the table,

“I understand my quarters is in the granary…so if you’ll be kind enough to tell me where it is…”

“Miss Rachel will be taking the flashlight and showing ye the way,” said Judy. “There do be plinty av good blankets on the bed but I’m afraid ye’ll find it cold. There do be no fire since we didn’t be knowing ye were coming.”

“I’ll kindle one in a jiffy.”

“Oh, oh, thin ye’ll be smoked out. That fire has to be lit for an hour afore it’ll give over smoking. There do be something out av kilter wid the chimney. Long…Mr. Gardiner is maning to have it fixed.”

“I’ll fix it myself. I worked with a mason for years. Down at the fox farm they had a bad chimney and I built it over in fine shape.”

“Did it draw?” asked Judy skeptically.

“Draw! Miss Plum, that chimney drew the cat clean up it one night. The poor animal was never seen again.”

Judy subsided. Mr. Tillytuck possessed himself of his bag and his violin and his owl and his dog.

“I’m ready, Miss Gardiner. And as for the matter of names, Miss Plum, the Prince of Wales called me Josiah the whole summer I worked on his ranch in Alberta. A very democratic young man. But if you can’t bring yourself to it plain Tillytuck will do for me. And if you’ve warts or anything like that on your hands”…Cuddles guiltily put a hand behind her…“I can cure them in a jiffy.”

Judy primmed her mouth and took a high tone.