e. I wish with all my heart I could put
a bit of flesh on his skeleton hands and skeleton face. I do pity him
so much, so lonesome he is and so sad. But he won't trouble _you_ any
more, my little lass, and I 'll sleep beside you this night.'

'Who is that coming into the room?' said Leucha, as Jasmine appeared on
the scene.

'I've heard a great talk about a ghost,' said Jasmine.

'Well,' cried Hollyhock, 'we had better drop the subject. The poor
thing is so frightened, she doesn't know what she's doing. I feel,
somehow, my whole heart drawn out to her. Leave her to me, for
goodness' sake, Jasmine. I'm just quieting her off. She's too excited
to talk about the ghost any more to-night.'

'I 've seen the ghost--the real ghost,' said Leucha, looking with
hollow eyes at Jasmine. 'He does walk, and he's very tall, and has
skeleton hands and a skeleton face; and he asked me--_me_--to dry his
wet hair!'

'Oh, do leave us alone now!' said Hollyhock. 'Am I not trying to
quieten her down, and you disturb everything?'

'I must speak to you, Hollyhock; I really must.'

'No, no; you mustn't leave me for a minute!' cried Leucha. 'You are
the only one with courage in the school. I 'd go mad if you were to
leave me now.'

'I'll talk to you in the morning,' said Hollyhock. 'I cannot leave
her; see for yourself how excited she is.'

Jasmine certainly saw that Leucha was terribly excited, that she had
got a fearful shock; and although _she_ could put Leucha's mind at
rest, on the other hand, Hollyhock, for the time, had won her round.
Hollyhock, the soul of mischief, whom Leucha had so openly defied, was
now her one support, her sole comfort. Jasmine made up her mind with
some reluctance to let the matter lie over until the morning; then, of
course, it must be told, and by Hollyhock herself. She felt sorry; for
this mischievous little sister had won the coldest heart of the coldest
girl in the school, and if justice was not done, she would cling to
Hollyhock for ever. Was it necessary that justice should be done?

Jasmine went slowly away to her own room, determined to think matters
over very gravely, wondering if she would do a wise thing, after all,
in declaring Hollyhock's guilt.

'What a girlie she is!' thought the sister. 'There never was her
equal. She really has achieved a marvellous victory; but, oh, it was
naughty; it was wrong! I do wonder what I ought to do!'

CHAPTER XIX.

JASMINE'S RES