a-coming hard."

"Something frightened him, no doubt. The belief in poor Rachel's ghost
has been so popular, that every night fright is attributed to that. Who
was it went into a fainting fit in the road, fancying Rachel's ghost was
walking down upon them; and it proved afterwards to have been only the
miller's man with a sack of flour on his back?"

"Oh, that!" slightingly returned Mrs. Duff. "It was that stupid Mother
Grind, before they went off with the Mormons. She'd drop at her shadder,
sir, she would."

"So would some of the rest of you," said Lionel. "I am sorry to hear
that Dan is so ill."

"Mr. Jan's in a fine way over him, sir. Mrs. Bascroft gave him just a
taste of weak brandy and water, and Mr. Jan, when he come to know it,
said we might just as well have give him pison; and he'd not answer for
his life or his reason. A pretty thing it'll be for Deerham, if there's
more lives to be put in danger, now the ghost have took to walk again!
Mr. Bourne called in just now, sir, to learn the rights of it. He went
up and see Dan; but nothing could he make of him. Would you be pleased
to go up and take a look at him, sir?"

Lionel declined, and wished Mrs. Duff good-day.

He could do the boy no good, and had no especial wish to look at him,
although he had been promoted to the notoriety of seeing a ghost. A few
steps farther he encountered Jan.

"What is it that's the matter with the boy?" asked Lionel.

"He had a good fright; there's no doubt about that," replied Jan. "Saw a
white cow on its hind legs, it's my belief. That wouldn't have been
much. The boy would have been all right by now, but the women drenched
him with brandy, and made him stupidly drunk. He'll be better this
evening. I can't stop, Lionel; I am run off my legs to-day."

The commotion in the village increased as the evening approached. Jan
knew that young Dan would be well--save for any little remembrance of
the fright which might remain--when the fumes of the brandy had gone
off; But he wisely kept his own counsel, and let the public think he was
in danger. Otherwise, a second instalment of the brandy might have been
administered behind Jan's back. To have a boy dying of fright from
seeing a ghost was a treat in the marvellous line, which Deerham had
never yet enjoyed. There had been no agitation like unto it, since the
day of poor Rachel Frost.

Brave spirits, some of them! They volunteered to go out and meet the
apparition. As twilight