r stick
up two or three forms on end, to represent a castle. And they saw two
other boys walk majestically on to the platform in ulsters and billycock
hats, and their trousers turned up, and sticks in their hands to
represent soldiers.

"Now you can turn round," cried Stephen.

They did turn round, just at the very moment when Bramble, attempting to
lower the gas still further, turned it right out. The effect was
remarkable. No one and nothing was visible, but out of the black
darkness came the following singular dialogue:--

"_Who's there_?"

"Have you got a lucifer about you, any of you?"

"_Nay, answer me. Stand and unfold yourself_."

"Don't be a fool (in agitated accents); you're shoving me off the
platform."

"Why don't you light up?"

"_Long live the king_."

"Ah, here's one. What's become of the chair?"

Next moment, amid great applause, the gas was re-lit, and the thrilling
tragedy proceeded.

It went on all right till the ghost enters, and here another calamity
occurred. Padger was acting ghost, dressed up in a long sheet, and with
flour on his face. Being rather late in coming on, he did so at a very
unghostlike pace, and in the hurry tripped up on the bottom of his
sheet, falling flop on the platform, which, being none of the cleanest,
left an impression of dust on his face and garment, which greatly added
to the horror of his appearance. He recovered the perpendicular with
the help of two soldiers and a few friends, and was about to proceed
with his part, when the door suddenly opened and Mr Rastle appeared.

He had evidently not come to see the show--indeed he hardly seemed aware
that a show was going on. His face was grave, and his voice agitated,
as he said--

"Has any one here seen Loman?"

No one had seen him since breakfast that morning.

"Is Greenfield senior here?"

"Yes, sir," answered Oliver.

"Will you come with me to the Doctor at once, please?"

Oliver was out in the passage in a moment, and hurrying with the master
to Dr Senior's study.

"I'm afraid," said Mr Rastle, as they went--"I'm afraid something has
happened to Loman!"

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX.

MISSING.

Slowly Oliver followed Mr Rastle to the Doctor's study with strange
forebodings at heart.

What the "something that must have happened to Loman" could be, he could
not conjecture; but the recollection of his unhappy schoolfellow's
troubles and of his difficulties, and--worse still--of his dishon