LETTER VII. 79 



conceit for some time ; but, being a good looking youth, 

 the ladies of our establishment below stairs did their 

 best to spoil him. 



Jack had also a rival, in the shape of a footman, who 

 often tried to frighten him with stories about ghosts. Our 

 house, being an old-fashioned structure, was of course 

 haunted, as all such places are supposed to be. One 

 dark winter's night, when Jack was doing up his horse 

 after hunting, Mr. Thomas proposed to the fair ladies 

 to try Jack's courage by exhibiting himself as a ghost at 

 the stable door. He accordingly shrouded himself in a 

 long flowing robe, as those worn in the East, for which 

 purpose the table-cloth sufficed, and rubbing his face 

 over with phosphorus, sallied forth to frighten Jack into 

 fits. Arrived at the stable door, the ghost commenced 

 a low moaning. Jack listened, but, as he told me after- 

 wards, he could not make out at first where it came 

 from. ** The wind," thought Jack — another groan. 

 " No," 'taint wind ; 'tis one of the horses in the other 

 stable." Jack went to see, thinking he had got the fret. 

 No, he was all right. '^ Well," thought Jack, " some- 

 thing outside it must be. I'll look out ; who's afraid ?" 

 Jack wasn't ; but certain ideas about ghosts did obtrude 

 themselves notwithstanding, and I have a notion Jack 

 was far from being easy in his mind on that score. Jack 

 peeped cautiously out, saw something white, and quickly 

 popped his head in again. " 'Tis one at last, sure 

 enough 1" thought Jack, and his hair began to feel rather 

 uncomfortably stiff on his head — ^in short, his hackles 

 began to rise as his courage began to fall. " Well 1" 

 thought Jack, " this won't do at any rate. I must get 

 out of the stable somehow, for it is near supper time, and 

 T shall be laughed at by Mary. I'll have another peep." 



