water. I 'm told that I
looked something _fearful_; and the one who did the deed, and drew me,
an innocent girl, into this mess, was Hollyhock Lennox. A poor English
girl went almost raving mad, and no one could tell but that a real
ghost had been about. Well, _I'm_ the ghost, and the wicked one who
led me astray was Hollyhock Lennox. After that she was frightened,
seeing the effect of the ghost on poor Leucha, and she got me for a
long time not to tell, and she won the heart of Leucha, coming round
her as only she knows how. But if _I_ know Leucha, she won't put up
any more with what was nothing but a hoax.-- Will you, Leucha; will
you?'

'Is it true?' said Leucha, turning a ghastly-white face and looking at
Hollyhock.

'Oh Leuchy,' half-sobbed Hollyhock, 'it is true, every word of it. It
was the spirit of mischief that entered into me. But, oh, Leuchy,
Leuchy, when you were so bad my whole heart went out to you, and you
'll forgive your own Holly? For, see for yourself, I love you,
Leuchy--see it for yourself.'

'And I _don't_ love you,' said Leucha. 'You have played on me the
vilest trick I ever heard of, and I'll never believe in you again, or
speak to you again!--Please, Mrs Macintyre, this is too much; my head
reels badly, so may I go out of the room for a few minutes?'

'I had to save my immortal soul,' said Meg, casting down her pious
eyes, and rejoicing in the mischief which she had effectually achieved.

'My precious one, you are safe now,' said Mrs Drummond. 'I have stood
by and listened to a full confession. But what'll you do to that bad,
black-haired girl, Mrs Macintyre? To have her publicly expelled is
what _I 'd_ recommend.'

'Yes, my dear lady,' replied Mrs Macintyre; 'but you do not happen to
be the mistress of the school. I shall take my own course. You can
remove your own daughter if you wish, Mrs Drummond, whose behaviour, in
my opinion, was many degrees worse than Hollyhock's.'

'What do you mean by that?'

'Hollyhock certainly did wrong to allow your girl to impersonate the
ghost; but afterwards, in the most noble way, she won the affections of
the must difficult girl in the school. Now I fear, I greatly tear, we
shall have much trouble with Leucha Villiers; but nothing will induce
me to expel Hollyhock.-- No, my dear little girl; you did wrong, of a
certainty, but you are too much loved in this school for us to do
without you.-- Now, Mrs Drummond, do you wish to remove