The house 1.was built in the middle of the 18th century. By the time it 2.was bought by my great-aunt and uncle some two hundred years later it 3.had been owned by a long list of different people. Their names 4.have been written on the ownership papers.

As it 5.is situated by the sea, it became a favorite place for various members of the family to visit. It also had an added attraction — it 6.was haunted, at least so my great-uncle said. To this day of course it 7.hasn’t been proved.

The story according to my uncle was that at certain times of the day a small old lady appeared at the bottom of the staircase. She waited a moment, looked up the stairs, climbed a few steps to check as if she 8.was being watched and then suddenly she 9.could be seen no longer.

At this stage in the story it 10.must be said that my great-uncle was a man blessed with a vivid imagination. My mother never believed the stories. When she was 15, she 11.was invited to spend a weekend in the house. “Stay here for two nights and then you 12.will be convinced.” My mother wasn’t especially keen to go, but when you 13.are invited to someone's house, you have to be polite and accept the invitation.

So what happened next? The rest of the story 14.will be revealed later in the exercises.