time to think of the Yew-lane
Ghost till the lesson was ended. It was not till the hymn began (they
always ended the night-school with singing,) that he remembered it.
Then, while he was shouting with all his might Bishop Ken's glorious old
lines--

"Keep me, O keep me, King of kings,"

he caught Mr. Lindsay's eyes fixed on him, and back came the thoughts of
his terrible fright, with a little shame too at his own timidity. Which
of us trusts as we should do in the "defence of the Most High"?

Bill lingered as he had done the last time, and went out with the
"grown-ups." It had been raining, and the ground was wet and sludgy,
though it was fair overhead. The wind was cold too, and Mr. Lindsay
began to cough so violently, that Bill felt rather ashamed of taking him
so far out of his way, through the damp, chilly lane, and began to
wonder whether he could not summon up courage to go alone. The result
was, that with some effort he said--

"Please, Mr. Lindsay, sir, I think you won't like to come so far this
cold night. I'll try and manage, if you like."

Mr. Lindsay laid one hand on Bill's shoulder, and said quietly--

"No, thank you, my boy, we'll come with you. Thank you, all the same."

"Nevertheless, Bartram," said Master Arthur, "I wish you could keep that
cough of yours quiet--it will spoil everything. A boy was eating
peppermints in the shade of his copybook this very night. I did box his
ears; but I wish I had seized the goodies, they might have kept you
quiet."

"Thank you," was the reply, "I abhor peppermint; but I have got some
lozenges, if that will satisfy you. And when I smell ghosts, I can
smother myself in my pocket-handkerchief."

Master Arthur laughed boisterously.

"We shall smell one if brimstone will do it. I hope he won't set himself
on fire, or the scenic effect will be stronger than we bargained for."

This was the beginning of a desultory conversation carried on at
intervals between the two young gentlemen, of which, though Bill heard
every sentence, he couldn't understand one. He made one effort to
discover what Master Arthur was alluding to, but with no satisfactory
result as we shall see.

"Please, Master Arthur," he said desperately, "you don't think there'll
be two ghosts, do you, sir?"

"I should say," said Master Arthur, so slowly and with such gravity that
Bill felt sure he was making fun of him, "I should say, Bill, that if a
place is haunted at all there is no limit to