John nodded. “Silly little place, isn’t it? I say, Babbie, there is one thing that this castle lacks. Dwight and I were talking about it this morning before you came. Don’t you know what it is?”
Babbie considered, frowning. “No, I don’t, and it isn’t nice of you to pick flaws in my castle, John.”
“I’m not picking flaws,” retorted John. “I’m just calling your attention to any little defects I’ve noticed, so that you won’t accept your castle in ignorance and live to repent your rash act later. Can’t any of you guess what I mean?”
“I can,” said Madeline promptly. “It ought to have a ghost. No castle is complete without one. But are you perfectly sure this hasn’t any?”
“I’m afraid it hasn’t,” said John solemnly. “We’ve been here three nights now, and no ghost has walked so far. Besides I consulted the family who live in the farm attached to the castle, and they stoutly deny the existence of a ghost.”
“Oh, but that doesn’t prove anything,” declared Madeline. “Don’t you know that the lords of the castle and their retainers always deny the existence of a ghost? They regard it as a blemish on the property.”
“How absurd of them,” sighed Babbie. “Oh, dear, now that you’ve mentioned it, I do want my castle to have a ghost, and I believe it has one, too. Who knows about the history of Dunstaffnage? Wasn’t anybody ever murdered here, or didn’t some beautiful lady pine away for love? Those are the most likely kinds of ghosts, aren’t they, Madeline?”
Madeline nodded. “When we get back to Oban, we’ll try to find a history of the castle and perhaps we can unearth a ghost for you.”
“Oh, Mr. Dwight!” Betty and Mr. Dwight held a whispered conference, then she turned to Babbie.
“We’ve thought of a ghost for you. Her name is Flora Macdonald. She was imprisoned here once, because she had tried to help bonnie Prince Charles to escape, after there was a price set on his head.”