The search for Virginia proves the importance of Virginia in the family and the Duke’s concern for her. Till now Virginia had lingered in the background, but now she takes centrestage. What could be the writer’s motive behind this? Chapter 6

Virginia was a young girl who went about her own business and kept to herself mostly. She had not played a major role until her interaction with the ghost. But that does not mean that she wasn't an integral part of the family. Therefore, the concern for Virginia post her disappearance was quite genuine especially due to the fact that she had a habit of being left to her own devices and wandering off the in the garden every evening to get flowers for the dinner table. Mrs. Otis had not been alarmed at first but when six o'clock struck and Virginia had not appeared, her mother became really agitated. She sent the boys out to look for her while she herself and her husband searched every room in the house. When the boys could not find any trace of their sister anywhere, the family was found to be in a great state of excitement. Then an elaborate search party was put into action for Virginia while the Duke and Mr Otis set out to look for her on their own. The motive on the writer's part was to focus on the actual hero or heroine of the story who was Virginia, the girl who would brought salvation to the ghost and released him from his purgatory on earth.