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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When Ned speeds off to talk with the mysterious visitor on that day in October, why does it take Mary so long to follow?
(a) She is dizzy and has to move carefully.
(b) Ned tells her not to follow him.
(c) She is too frightened of the ghost to move, at first.
(d) One of the heels of her shoes has come loose.

2. For the past week, what has Mary been assuming is the cause for Ned's need to be alone and his odd mood?
(a) She thinks that he regrets moving to England.
(b) She thinks that his book is not going very well.
(c) She thinks that he has seen the ghost.
(d) She thinks that he misses having a regular job to go to.

3. According to Alida, what is unusual about the ghost at Ned and Mary's new house?
(a) No one knows they have seen it until quite a while after they actually see it.
(b) It can assume a physical form.
(c) It can take different forms depending on who is living in the house.
(d) It can come and go--it is not "bound" to the house itself.

4. Why does Mary ask the mysterious young man whether he has an appointment with Ned?
(a) Ned has specifically asked her to turn away visitors.
(b) She instinctively mistrusts the young man.
(c) She is trying to protect Ned's writing time.
(d) She is actually not sure that she knows where Ned is at the moment.

5. 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.

6. When the story refers to "Boyne," who or what is being referred to?
(a) The house.
(b) Ned.
(c) Mary.
(d) Ned's father.

7. In section "V," who comes to visit Mary?
(a) Hugo.
(b) Alida.
(c) Bob Elwell's widow.
(d) Parvis.

8. When Mary searches Ned's desk, to whom does she find he has been writing?
(a) Parvis.
(b) The Waukesha Sentinel.
(c) Bob Elwell.
(d) Alida Stair.

9. While she is thinking it over in the library, where does Mary finally decide the blame lies for Ned's distracted, anxious mood?
(a) With herself.
(b) With Ned.
(c) With the house and its ghost.
(d) With Ned's business affairs.

10. When Mary thinks back on the October visit from the mysterious man, she thinks that it "had no mark of the portentous" (86). What does this mean she felt about the visit at the time that it happened?
(a) It did not seem as confusing at the time as it would later become.
(b) It did not seem to have any significant meaning for the future.
(c) It was an obvious breach of etiquette.
(d) It was clearly unlucky.

11. What detail does the narrator relate as evidence of how much Ned and Mary have yearned for a life like the one they have in England?
(a) They had already pre-planned every detail of how they would spend their days.
(b) They made an agreement with one another that they would do "anything" it took to make their dream come true.
(c) They had a map of England pinned over their kitchen table at their old house in America.
(d) They were discussing a move to England even before they got married.

12. To what do Mary and Ned attribute the great beauty they see in England?
(a) Its small size.
(b) Its history.
(c) Their own hatred for the American Midwest.
(d) New places always seem attractive at first.

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

14. What have Mary's new neighbors told her about the ghost?
(a) That it is often absent for long stretches of time.
(b) That it can only be seen at night.
(c) That she will not know when she sees it.
(d) Nothing.

15. Which character opens the story on page 83 by saying "Oh, there is one, of course, but you'll never know it"?
(a) Ned Boyne.
(b) Trimmle.
(c) Alida Stair.
(d) Mary Boyne.

Short Answer Questions

1. When Mary tells Ned what she has learned from her mail, how does Ned react?

2. Where is Mary and Ned's house located?

3. When the story opens, in which room of her house is Mary waiting?

4. What aspect of the house does Alida mention that finally convinces Ned and Mary that it is as old as they are hoping?

5. What does Mary learn from the contents of the envelope?

(see the answer keys)

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