In 1921, England is overwhelmed by the loss and grief of World War I. Hoax exposer Florence Cathcart visits a boarding school to explain sightings of a child ghost. Everything she believes unravels as the 'missing' begin to show themselves.

[last lines]
Florence Cathcart: Not seeing them, it's not the same as forgetting. Is it?
Robert Mallory: There have been other sightings. The boys believe...
Florence Cathcart: Boys believe in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy. I'm sure some of them even believe in God.
Maud Hill: I never asked anything of the world,but it's a perfect hell on earth to give a woman children to love and to rob her of them.
Florence Cathcart: Without Science, people don't believe in nothing; they believe in anything.
Maud Hill: There's no place on earth people understand loneliness better than here.
Robert Mallory: [holding newspapers] What about these?
Florence Cathcart: Those are footprint catchers.
Robert Mallory: Ghosts have footprints?
Florence Cathcart: No. People pretending to be ghosts do.
Robert Mallory: They must hate you.
Florence Cathcart: Who? The spiritualists?
Robert Mallory: No. The ghosts.
Robert Mallory: It's never darker than when we close our eyes, but we keep them closed. Why is that?
[first lines]
Vera Flood: [answering the door] Miss Simpson? Are you prepared?
Florence Cathcart: [yes] I brought this.
[shows envelope]