Ghost
Stoop, seen or unseen, o'er the heads of all. Whittier

It was the eve of the new year, and great excitement prevailed in the
Lemerciers' house. Many of the girls whose homes were at a distance had
remained at school for the short winter holiday, and on this particular
afternoon a number of them were clustered round the stove talking about
the festivities of the morrow and the presents they were likely to have.

Erica, who was now a tall and very pretty girl of eighteen, was sitting
on the hearth rug with Ninette on her lap; she was in very high spirits,
and kept the little group in perpetual laughter, so much so indeed that
Fraulein Sonnenthal had more than once been obliged to interfere, and do
her best to quiet them.

"How wild thou art, dear Erica?" she exclaimed. "What is it?"

"I am happy, that is all," said Erica. "You would be happy if the year
of freedom were just dawning for you. Three months more and I shall be
home."

She was like a child in her exultant happiness, far more child-like,
indeed, than the grave little Ninette whom she was nursing.

"Thou art not dignified enough for a teacher," said the fraulein,
laughingly.

"She is no teacher," cried the girls. "It is holiday time and she need
not talk that frightful English."

Erica made a laughing defense of her native tongue, and such a babel
ensued that the fraulein had to interfere again.

"Liebe Erica! Thou art beside thyself! What has come to thee?"

"Only joy, dear Thekla, at the thought of the beautiful new year which
is coming," cried Erica. "Father would say I was 'fey,' and should pay
for all this fun with a bad headache or some misfortune. Come, give me
the French 'David Copperfield,' and let me read you how 'Barkis Veut
Bien,' and 'Mrs. Gummidge a Pense de l'Ancien.'"

The reading was more exquisitely ludicrous to Erica herself than to her
hearers. Still the wit of Charles Dickens, even when translated,
called forth peals of laughter from the French girls, too. It was the
brightest, happiest little group imaginable; perhaps it was scarcely
wonderful that old Mme. Lemercier, when she came to break it up, should
find her eyes dim with tears.

"My dear Erica--" she said, and broke off abruptly.

Erica looked up with laughing eyes.

"Don't scold, dear madame," she said, coaxingly. "We have been very
noisy; but it is New year's eve, and we are so happy."

"Dear child, it is not that," said madame. "I want to speak to yo