Chapter 12, The Casket Summary

Lucy enjoys spending time in the large garden behind the school. While this garden is crowded and noisy during the day, when all the school children enjoy it, it is a quiet sanctuary for Lucy during the early morning and evening hours. There are old stories that back in the days when the school was a convent, a nun was buried alive beneath a tree for breaking her vow, and her ghost is said to haunt the area. Lucy particularly likes the "forbidden alley," a dark and overgrown area that borders the boys' college. It allows her a space to be alone and think. Sitting in the alley one evening, while the rest of the school is at evening prayers, she listens to the sounds of the city. Suddenly a window above her is opened, and a small casket...