300 FEBRUARY 



even in his terror Sterculus was aware that the 

 form which stood over him was not a substantial 

 one, for through and beyond it there shone the 

 weird blue light of another world. He would have 



o 



stood up like a man to any human intruder, but this 

 ghostly visitor knocked him completely out of time, 

 and he fell to his knees, crying 



" Oh, Mr. Ghost, don't 'ee hurt I ! " 



His hair stood upright again on his head at the 

 reminiscence, and he continued his story in trem- 

 bling accents, and with that resort to the vernacular 

 which distinguishes him when he is much agitated. 



" ' Rise ! ' says the ghost, ' rise ! ' a says, an' I 

 stood 'pright on my feet. 



" ' Be you afeard on ma ? ' a axed in a tarrifyin' 

 voice. 



" ' No, sir,' says I, but I 'lows my own voice he 

 trembled a good un. 



" ' Will you listen to my tale ? ' a says. 



11 ' I'd liefer not, sir,' says I. 



"'Why not?' a bellocks fit to bring the house 

 down. 



" ' I dunno,' says I, glutchin' in ma throat an' 

 martly frowtened. 



" * Hark ! ' says the ghost, wi' a cold forefinger 

 on my wrist. ' By all you holds sacred hearken to 

 ma. Do 'ee feel like as if 'ee was goin' to swoon ?' 



" ' No, Mr. Ghost,' I says, ' I wasn't never one to 

 swoon, not like my brother Meshach.' 



" ' That is well,' a says, ' fer if you swoons I must 

 disappear.' 



"I wished then as I was a swoonder, but I knowed 

 'twas no good to try actin' on't wi' a ghost, so I set 



