tired himself in a long, loose dark coat which had
seen service at the diggings, and sallied out; the coat which had been
mistaken for a riding habit.

He enjoyed himself to his heart's content, receiving more fun than he
had bargained for. It had not occurred to him to personate Frederick's
_ghost_; he had only thought of personating Frederick himself; but to
his unbounded satisfaction, he found the former climax arrived at. He
met old Matthew Frost; he frightened Dan Duff into fits; he frightened
Master Cheese; he startled the parson; he solaced himself by taking up
his station under the yew-tree on the lawn at Verner's Pride, to
contemplate that desirable structure, which perhaps was his, and the
gaiety going on in it. He had distinctly seen Lionel Verner leave the
lighted rooms and approach him; upon which he retreated. Afterwards, it
was rather a favourite night-pastime of his, the standing under the
yew-tree at Verner's Pride. He was there again the night of the storm.

All this, the terrifying people into the belief that he was Frederick's
veritable ghost, had been the choicest sport to John Massingbird. The
trick might not have availed with Robin Frost, but they had found a
different method of silencing him. Of an easy, good-tempered nature, the
thought of any real damage from consequences had been completely passed
over by John. If Dan Duff did go into fits, he'd recover from them; if
Alice Hook was startled into something worse, she was not dead. It was
all sport to free-and-easy John; and, but for circumstances, there's no
knowing how long he might have carried this game on. These circumstances
touched upon a point that influences us all, more or less--pecuniary
consideration. John was minus funds, and it was necessary that something
should be done; he could not continue to live upon Roy.

It was Roy himself who at length hit upon the plan that brought forth
the certainty about the codicil. Roy found rumours were gaining ground
abroad that it was not Frederick Massingbird's ghost, but Frederick
himself; and he knew that the explanation must soon come. He determined
to waylay Tynn and make an apparent confidant of him; by these means he
should, in all probability, arrive at the desired information. Roy did
so; and found that there was no codicil. He carried his news to John
Massingbird, advising that gentleman to go at once and put in his claim
to Verner's Pride. John, elated with the news, protested he'd hav