ul gleam, and
then expired, and while Leucha felt crosser and crosser each moment,
and the night fell over the land, in the ghost's hut Margaret Drummond
was being dressed up to impersonate the hapless youth who had suffered
death by drowning on the night before his wedding.

Hollyhock was in the wildest excitement as she arranged Margaret
Drummond for her part. Margaret was fortunately extremely tall and
thin. Her hands were made to represent those of a skeleton by means of
a quantity of white chalk and black charcoal. Her face was likewise
covered with this ghastly mixture. She was then wrapped from head to
foot in an old Cameron cloak, which Hollyhock had secured from The
Garden during the week. On her head she wore an old-fashioned peaked
hat and a wig with long, dripping locks. Her own hair had been tied
tightly out of sight.

'You are wonderful,' sighed Hollyhock. 'There isn't a boy in the land
that could beat you. Now, then, stay where you are until I come to
fetch you. Then, when I say, "Fly, ghostie! away, ghostie!" you can go
back to the hut and take off the disguise which turns you into so
fearsome an object. I have brought a jug of hot water, and here is a
basin, and you can wash your face and hands. Leuchy will certainly not
recognise you. And now I must be off, for the conspiracy--the best of
all--has begun.'

Hollyhock, beside herself with mirth, had, however, not forgotten to
give the poor ghostie an old-fashioned lantern, which she was to hold
in such a position as to show off her skeleton hands and ghastly face.
This was left lighted in the hut. There was little time to lose, for
soon the girls would be expected to return to the house for their
excellent Saturday supper, a special treat which was given to all those
girls who could not go home.

Hollyhock rushed up to the Summer Parlour. The night was clear and
cold, but there was not a breath of wind blowing. All in vain the two
girls were bending over the fire, which refused to catch. Heaps of
girls were peeping in and watching the efforts of the two who were
trying to light the fire.

'I never did _such_ dirty work in my life before,' said Lady Leucha.
'Come back to the house, Daisy. I shall be sick if I sit and shiver
here any longer.'

'There 's one more bit of candle,' replied Daisy. 'Perhaps that will
do the job. I never heard of a fire being so difficult to set glowing.'

'And I never heard of a girl being so vain and