d you see?"

"Why, I see the trappin's of that 'ere ghost. The shroud, knife, and all
the rest on't."

"Well, Simon?"

"Well, sur, I takes it to my shanty, and puts it in my own box, to show
you at 'a convenient season,' as Moses said."

"Is that all?"

"Not quite. The next mornin' I see her a-airin' her sweet self on the
lawn, so I goes up to 'er all familiar like, and I says, 'Top o' the
mornin', Miss Staggles.'

"'Who are you, man?' she says.

"'As nice a chap as you ever see,' I said, 'though I am marked wi'
small-pox. But that ain't my fault, ma'am; it is owin' to the
experimentin' o' a waccinatin' doctor.'

"'What do you want with me, man?' she said.

"'Why, ma'am,' I said, 'I'm young and simple, and I wur frightened wi' a
ghost t'other night, and I thought as how you, bein' purty hancient,
might assist me in findin' things out about it.'

"With that, sur, she looked oal strange, and I thinks I'm on the right
track, and I says again, 'That 'ere ghost wur well got up, mum. I've
played a ghost myself in a theatre, and I could never git up like you
did the other night.'

"'Me get up as a ghost!' she screamed. 'Man, you are mad.'

"'Not so mad,' I says, 'seein' as 'ow I see you carry that 'ere ghost's
wardrobe, and put it in Mr. Blake's room last night.'

"She went off without another word, yer honour, and the next thing I
heard 'bout her was that she'd gone to London."

"And why did you not tell Mr. Temple?"

"Well, Mr. Blake, he didn't know anything 'bout her evenin' rambles wi'
that 'ere hinfidel willain, and wasn't acquainted wi' the things that
you and me hev talked about; besides, I thought as 'ow you wer the one
that ought to know first of all."

I thought long over Simon's words, but could not understand them. Why
should Miss Staggles pose as a ghost, even at the instigation of
Voltaire? There could be nothing gained by it, and yet I was sure that
it was not without meaning. Somehow it was connected with Voltaire's
scheme; of that I was sure, but at the time my mind was too confused to
see how.

So far, not one step had been taken to prove whether Kaffar was dead or
alive, and although I knew nothing of a detective's business, I did not
like taking any one into my confidence. I resolved to do all that was to
be done myself.

In spite of everything, I spent a pleasant evening at Temple Hall. We
talked and laughed gaily, especially as Tom was preparing for his
wedding with Miss Edith Gra