98 SPECTKES AND GHOSTS. 



splendid than those in other parts of the street, the Quad- 

 rant is quite a celebrated place for going a shopping in, es- 

 pecially for strangers and visitors in London. 



The Polytechnic Institution, or, as it is more commonly 

 called by abbreviation, the Polytechnic, is situated in Re- 

 gent Street, though it is in the straight part of it, at a con- 

 siderable distance from the Quadrant. John saw one day 

 an advertisement in the papers of an entertainment that 

 was given there every evening, in which the manner in 

 which ghost illusions are produced on the stage was to be 

 explained, and he felt a strong desire to go and see it. 



" Yes," said Lawrence, " I should like to go too ; but, so 

 far as the showing of a ghost is concerned, I can do that 

 here myself for you in this very room." 



" But you can't do it as they do it at the Polytechnic," 

 said John. 



" On the same principle," said Lawrence. " I could not 

 do it on so large a scale, and I could not make the illusion 

 complete, because I could not conceal from you the means 

 by which I should do it ; but I should do it in pi'ecisely the 

 same way, so far as the optical principles are concerned. 

 Still, I should like very much to see how they do it at the 

 Polytechnic." 



" And I should like to see how you do it your way," said 

 John. 



" Very well," said LaAvrence. 



So saying, Lawrence took from the table a card, and cut 

 out from it a figure which formed a rude resemblance to a 

 ghost that is, a fantastic figure, with its arms extended, 

 and covered with a sheet. 



There was a shelf outside the window of the room that 

 Lawrence and John were in, placed there apparently to 

 hold flower-pots, though there were at that time no flower- 

 pots upon it. There were also upon the mantel-piece a 



