'My darling, thank God you are back; you must always stay with me now,' cried Mrs Otis, and she kissed the trembling child, and smoothed the gold hair on her head.

'Papa,' said Virginia quietly, 'I have been with the Ghost. He is dead, and you must come and see him. He was a very bad man but he is really sorry for everything he did, and he gave me this box of beautiful jewels before he went away.'

The whole family looked at her with great amazement, because they could see that Virginia was not joking. Virginia turned around and went back through the secret opening in the staircase and down a narrow corridor.

Everyone followed, and Washington took a lighted candle from the table to light their way. Finally, they came to a big oak door, with many rusty nails in it.

When Virginia touched the door, it swung back slowly, and the family went into in a little room, with a low ceiling, and one tiny window.

There was a huge iron ring in one wall, and there was a skeleton chained to it. This skeleton was lying flat on the stone floor.