t jump up like a little green fountain in front of him; but
now his whole mind was absorbed by the few words he caught at
intervals of the conversation going on between John and the young
gentlemen. What could it mean? Mr. Bartram seemed to have awakened to
extraordinary energy, and was talking rapidly. Bill heard the words
"lime-light" and "large sheet," and thought they must be planning a
magic-lantern exhibition, but was puzzled by catching the word
"turnip." At last, as he was rounding the corner of a bed of
geraniums, he distinctly heard Mr. Bartram ask--

"They cut the man's head off, didn't they?"

Then they were talking about the ghost, after all! Bill gave the
machine a jerk, and to his dismay sliced a branch off one of the
geraniums. What was to be done? He must tell Master Arthur, but he
could not interrupt him just now; so on he drove, feeling very much
dispirited, and by no means cheered by hearing shouts of laughter from
the party on the grass. When one is puzzled and out of spirits, it is
no consolation to hear other people laughing over a private joke;
moreover, Bill felt that if they were still on the subject of the
murdered man and his ghost, their merriment was very unsuitable.
Whatever was going on, it was quite evident that Mr. Bartram was the
leading spirit of it, for Bill could see Master Arthur waving the one
legged donkey in an ecstasy, as he clapped his friend on the back till
the eye-glass danced upon his nose. At last Mr. Bartram threw himself
back as if closing a discussion, and said loud enough for Bill to
hear--

"You never heard of a bully who wasn't a coward."

Bill thought of Bully Tom, and how he had said he dared not risk the
chance of meeting with a ghost, and began to think that this was a
clever young gentleman, after all. Just then Master Arthur called to
him; and he took the bit of broken geranium and went.

"Oh, Willie!" said Master Arthur, "we've been talking over your
misfortunes--geranium? fiddle-sticks! put it in your button-hole--your
misfortunes, I say, and for to-night at any rate we intend to help you
out of them. John--ahem!--will be--ahem!--engaged to-night, and unable
to take his class as usual; but this gentleman has kindly consented to
fill his place ("Hear, hear," said the gentleman alluded to), and if
you'll come to-night, like a good lad, he and I will walk back with
you; so if you do see the ghost, it will be in good company. But,
mind, this is on one cond