The Anatomy Of Ghosts

which overlooked the Master’s Garden. The garden was still laid out in the old-fashioned style with parterres, shrubs and trees, all deployed with the mechanical regularity of a regiment of soldiers upon a parade square. It was bounded largely by the sweeping curve of the Long Pond, beyond which were more college gardens.

In front of her on the table was Dr Johnson’s Rasselas, a novel she had read several times before. She heard a muffled knocking on the hall door downstairs. She turned a page and appeared absorbed in her reading when Susan, squirming with excitement, announced Mr Holdsworth.

He bowed from the doorway. Elinor responded with a civil inclination of the head. She closed the book and stood up. ‘Dr Carbury had hoped to be here to greet you, sir, but he was unfortunately called away. I trust your journey was uneventful?’

‘Yes, madam,’ Holdsworth said.

‘Would you care to take some refreshment, perhaps?’

‘No, thank you.’

She disliked the way he stared at her almost as much as his lack of conversation. He was uncouth, she decided, a veritable bear of a man. He must have intimidated that poor wife of his. The maid lingered in the room, eyeing the visitor with ill-concealed interest. Elinor told her to leave them.

‘I understand that Mr Cross has informed you of all you need to know,’ she said when they were alone. ‘So -’

‘I wish that were true.’

‘Sir? You are pleased to be droll?’

‘No, ma’am, I spoke no more than the truth. For example, Mr Cross told me little about Mr Oldershaw’s encounter with the ghost. When I inquired further, he referred me to you and Dr Carbury.’

She offered him a chair, partly to give herself time to regain control of the interview. She returned to her seat at the table and looked sternly at him. ‘There is little to say. Mr Oldershaw was in low spirits already, why I do not know. On the evening before he saw – whatever he saw – he had drunk a good deal of wine and his gyp says he also took a dose of laudanum as he retired to bed.’

‘His gyp?’

‘A gyp is a species of servant we have at the University – they condescend to work only for those undergraduates who can afford to pay their exorbitant charges.’

‘A reliable witness?’

‘I do not know the man. His name is Mulgrave. Dr Carbury says he is nobody’s fool, and he is sober in his manner of life. When Mulgrave left Mr Oldershaw at the end of the evening, he believed he was asleep. The rest is speculation, until the porter on duty heard a great shouting and splashing near the Long Pond. If you wish, you may see the spot from here.’

He joined her by the window. The unfashionably large cuff of his shabby black coat brushed her shoulder.

‘You see the water, sir?’ she said. ‘And the great plane tree on the further bank? That was where they found him. He was bellowing like a baby.’

‘What time was it?’

‘A little after two o’clock. The porter raised the alarm and pulled Mr Oldershaw out of the water. He fell into a swoon, and indeed his life was despaired of for several hours, for he was chilled to the bone. When he awoke after dawn, it was found that his reason had fled, and that he could babble of nothing but ghosts.’ She paused. ‘Or, to be more precise, of Mrs Whichcote’s ghost. In a day or two it became clear that his reason had still not been restored, though in other respects he was recovered. Dr Carbury communicated with Lady Anne, and she ordered his removal to Dr Jermyn’s.’

‘Tell me, madam, why -’

A knock at the door interrupted them. Susan announced Mr Richardson. Elinor hoped her face did not betray her irritation. A small, slightly built clergyman came towards her, took the hand she held out to him and bowed low.

‘Your servant, ma’am,’ he said in a soft voice. ‘A thousand apologies – I did not realize you had a visitor.’

‘I am afraid the Doctor stepped out after dinner, sir,’ she told him. ‘I believe he intended to call in at Trinity.’

‘No matter. I shall probably see him later this evening.’

Elinor turned to Holdsworth. ‘I beg your pardon, sir. May I present Mr Richardson? And this, sir, is Mr Holdsworth, who is come down today from London.’

The two men bowed to each other. Richardson was about fifty, a good-looking man with a gentlemanly manner. He had neat, delicate features and bright eyes like chips of glass.

‘Mr Richardson is our senior fellow,’ Elinor continued when they were all sitting down. ‘Dr Carbury informs me that this University holds few scholars who can match the breadth of his learning and the penetration of his intellect.’

‘The Master is so very kind,’ Richardson replied with a smile. ‘But perhaps my reputation sounds more glorious to the ears of a stranger than in fact it is.’ He turned the smile on Holdsworth. ‘I fear that scholars are such a minority in this University now that the labours of those who remain shine with a lustre they do not necessarily deserve. And you must be Lady Anne’s emissary, sir. Dr Carbury told me you would arrive today or tomorrow.’

Holdsworth bowed again. He took out his pocketbook and removed a letter from the inner flap of the cover. ‘Her ladyship asked me to give you this, sir.’

Richardson thanked him with rather more warmth than was necessary. He slipped the letter into his pocket without opening it and turned back to Elinor. ‘And of course you are just returned from seeing Lady Anne, I collect. I trust her ladyship is in better health?’

‘She is no worse.’

‘I am rejoiced to hear that, at least. And, Mr Holdsworth, you must do me the honour of dining with me while you’re here. Where do you lodge?’

‘Why – here, of course,’ Elinor said, hoping to make it quite clear to both men where Holdsworth’s loyalties should lie.

‘Then Mr Holdsworth is indeed fortunate.’ Richardson turned again to Holdsworth. ‘The college is a perfect desert of masculinity. But the Master’s Lodge,’ – he bowed to Elinor – ‘thanks to this charming lady, is become an oasis of femininity. Still, since you are come to look over the library, I hope I may be of service to you. You, too, are a scholar?’

‘Not I, sir,’ Holdsworth said. ‘I have been a printer and a bookseller.’

‘Then I shall be particularly interested to hear your views on our collection,’ Richardson replied smoothly. ‘I have only recently taken over the direction of the library. It has been sadly neglected for at least a generation. All in all, our books are not as I should wish them to be.’ He smiled again at Holdsworth. ‘You may depend upon it, sir, I shall examine you very thoroughly on the subject.’

Elinor asked if they would take tea. Mr Richardson declined, saying that he had promised to look over some lecture notes for a colleague before supper, and took his leave, apologizing again for disturbing them. At the door he turned, raised himself slightly on the balls of his feet, and bowed again.

‘Well, sir,’ she said to Holdsworth when they were alone. ‘And what did you think of Mr Richardson?’

‘I cannot imagine it much signifies one way or the other.’

‘He came here only to look you over.’

‘I thought he looked in to see Dr Carbury.’

‘That was a mere facon de parler,’ Elinor said. ‘Mr Richardson knew that he would see Dr Carbury later this evening, and I am sure he already knew that the Doctor was not in college. Mr Richardson knows everything about Jerusalem. Or almost everything. He will have known of your arrival. Hence his curiosity to see you.’

‘Then I hope he was satisfied with what he saw.’

Elinor said softly, ‘You must be on your guard with him, sir.’

‘He is Mr Oldershaw’s tutor, I understand?’

‘Oh yes – and he made a particular pet of the boy as he was Lady Anne’s son. But I regret to say that he and her ladyship do not always agree.’

‘I do not understand all this,’ Holdsworth said abruptly.

‘Understand what?’