al, and taking up his position opposite, at once began to make the
usual mysterious and extraordinary signs. The lawyer was very irritable,
he had lost an important case, and was out of spirits, he was unusually
nervous, too. For a while he bore the presence of the ghost and his
extraordinary behaviour with a certain amount of patience, then suddenly
he lost his temper.

"For pity's sake tell me what it is you want with me, and be done with it,
can't you?" he cried angrily.

The ghost immediately stopped his gesticulations, and spoke.
"Ezekiel Grosse," said he, in a hollow, ghostly voice, "Ezekiel Grosse,
follow me. I can show you buried gold, the wealth for which thou
longest."

Now no man in the world loved gold better than did the attorney, but he
was anything but a brave man, and even he himself knew that he was not a
good one, and the thought of going alone with this uncanny guide, to some
desolate spot where no one could see or hear him if he called for help,
made his teeth chatter and his knees tremble.

He hesitated, and gazed searchingly at the little old ghost, but to save
his life he could not utter a word. He nearly suffocated with longing to
possess the secret and know where the treasure lay, but he dared not ask;
and all the time the spectre stood staring at him with unwinking scornful
eyes, as if the sight of the cowardly, trembling man gave him unfeigned
pleasure.

At length, beckoning Ezekiel to follow him, he turned and walked towards
the door. Then Ezekiel, fearful of losing the secret and the wealth,
threw aside every feeling but greed, and sprang to follow--at least, he
tried to spring, but so firmly was he secured to his chair he could not
budge.

"Come," said the ghost imperatively.

Ezekiel tried again, but great as was his longing to find the gold, he
could not obey.

"Gold," whispered the ghost in a whining, craven tone, "don't you hear me,
man? Gold!"

"Where?" gasped the lawyer, making another desperate struggle.

"Come with me, and you shall see," answered the spectre, moving further
through the doorway; and the lawyer struggled like a madman to get free
from the chair and to follow.

"Come, man, come," shrieked the ghost in a perfectly awful voice.
"Ezekiel Grosse, I command thee." And with that Ezekiel, by a power
stronger than his own, was forced to rise and to follow the old man
wheresoever he led him.

Out through the hall they went, down through the park, and on