sily arranged, and
soon after Simon and I were together. Away on the open moors there was
no fear of eavesdroppers; no one could hear what we said.

"Simon," I said, after some time, "have you thought any more of the
wonderful ghost that you saw last night?"

Instantly his face turned pale, and he shuddered as if in fear. At any
rate, the ghost was real to him.

"Yer honour," he said, "I don't feel as if I can talk about her. I've
played in 'Amlet, yer honour, along with Octavius Bumpus's travellin'
theatre, and I can nail a made-up livin' ghost in a minnit; but this
ghost didn't look made up. There was no blood, yer honour; she looked as
if she 'ad bin waccinated forty times."

"And were the movements of her legs and arms natural?"

"No j'ints, Master Blake. She looked like a wooden figger without proper
j'ints! Perhaps she 'ad a few wire pins in her 'natomy; but no j'ints
proper."

"So you believe in this ghost?"

"Can't help it, yer honour."

"Simon, I don't. There's some deep-laid scheme on foot somewhere; and I
think I can guess who's working it."

Simon started. "You don't think that 'ere waccinatin', sumnamblifyin'
willain 'ev got the thing in 'and?"

I didn't speak, but looked keenly at him.

At first he did nothing but stare vacantly, but presently a look of
intelligence flashed into his eyes. Then he gave a shrug, as if he was
disgusted with himself, which was followed by an expression of grim
determination.

"Master Blake," he said solemnly, "it's that waccinatin' process as hev
done it. Simon Slowden couldn't hev bin sich a nincompoop if he hadn't
bin waccinated 'gainst whoopin' cough, measles, and small-pox. Yer
honour," he continued, "after I wur waccinated I broke out in a kind of
rash all over, and that 'ere rash must have robbed me of my senses; but
I'm blowed--There, I can't say fairer nor that."

"Why, what do you think?"

"I daren't tell you, yer honour, for fear I'll make another mistake. I
thowt, sur, as it would take a hangel with black wings to nick me like
this 'ere, and now I've bin done by somebody; but it's the waccinatin',
yer honour--it's the waccination. In the Proverbs of Job we read, 'fool
and his money soon parted,' and so we can see 'ow true the teachin' is
to-day."

"But what is to be done, Simon?"

Simon shook his head, and then said solemnly, "I'm away from my
bearin's, sur. I thought when I wur done the last time it should be the
last time. It wur in this way,