od grace when he deserves it!"

Bully Tom appealed to Mr. Lindsay.

"Yah! yah!" he howled: "will you see a man killed for want of help?"

But the clever young gentleman seemed even less inclined to give his
assistance.

"Killed!" he said contemptuously; "I _have_ seen a lad killed on such
a night as this, by such a piece of bullying! Be thankful you have
been stopped in time! I wouldn't raise my little finger to save you
from twice such a thrashing. It has been fairly earned! Give the ghost
his shroud, Gardener, and let him go; and recommend him not to haunt
Yew-lane in future."

John did so, with a few words of parting advice on his own account.

"Be hoff with you," he said. "Master Lindsay, he speaks like a book.
You're a disgrace to your hage and sect, you are! I'd as soon fight
with an old charwoman. Though, bless you, young gentlemen," he added,
as Bully Tom slunk off muttering, "he _is_ the biggest blackguard in
the place; and what the Rector'll say, when he comes to know as you've
been mingled up with him, passes me."

"He'll forgive us, I dare say," said Master Arthur. "I only wish he
could have seen you emerge from behind that stone! It was a sight for
a century! I wonder what the youngster thought of it! Hi, Willie,
here, Sir! What did you think of the second ghost?"

Bill had some doubts as to the light in which he ought to regard that
apparition; but he decided on the simple truth.

"I thought it looked very horrid, Sir."

"I should hope it did! The afternoon's work of three able-bodied men
has been marvellously wasted if it didn't. However, I must say you
halloed out loud enough!"

Bill coloured, the more so as Mr. Lindsay was looking hard at him over
the top of his spectacles.

"Don't you feel rather ashamed of all your fright, now you've seen the
ghosts without their sheets?" inquired the clever young gentleman.

"Yes, Sir," said Bill, hanging his head. "I shall never believe in
ghosts again, Sir, though."

Mr. Bartram Lindsay took off his glasses, and twiddled them in his
fingers.

"Well, well," he said in a low hurried voice; "I'm not the parson, and
I don't pretend to say what you should believe and what you shouldn't.
We know precious little as to how much the spirits of the dead see and
know of what they have left behind. But I think you may venture to
assure yourself that when a poor soul has passed the waves of this
troublesome world, by whatever means, it doesn't come back kicki