go until I got sufficiently used to him to
be able to ask what I wanted to know."

"Had he not the grace to do that, Miss Verschoyle?"

"Well, it was only an old military cloak of my father's, which Laurence
had hung over a broom in a corner of the school-room to try my courage."

"I wonder what questions you would ask now?"

"Oh, there are so many things one would like to know," the sweet face
shadowing, and the eyes taking an anxious expression.

"Is the monk supposed to have a predilection for any particular
chamber?" asked Meredith. "Ghosts are uncertain visitors, I know; but it
would be something to pass a night where one might be expected."

"You might find it no jest if he came," said Laurence.

"Oh, I should take him seriously enough. In fact, I have something of
Miss Verschoyle's feeling. There are so many questions one would like to
ask."

She was glancing curiously towards her brother. "Why did he take that
tone--he that, until now, had been as ready as the rest to jest at the
ghost?" But she had no time to speculate as to what was in his mind. Now
that he had returned, she might consider herself off duty in the matter
of doing her share towards entertaining; and she had to help Sally to
prepare a room for the guest, her invalid mother to attend to, and to
contrive a fitting breakfast for the morrow.

The two young men passed out on to the grass terrace before the window,
lighted their cigars, and strolled to and fro in the moonlight. There
was very little interchange of thought. Allan Meredith was speculating
as to how best he could set about helping Margaret Verschoyle's brother;
and beginning to fear it would be very difficult to do so, unless he
were more inclined than he now appeared to put his shoulder to the
wheel. He had little sympathy for a nature such as Verschoyle's; and,
unconsciously perhaps to himself, the few words he uttered conveyed what
was in his mind to the other, who was quick to resent it.

[Illustration: "TO AND FRO IN THE MOONLIGHT."]

"Put me in the way of earning money, indeed! No use asking him for a
loan; he would be putting all sorts of awkward questions," thought
Verschoyle, with the uneasy consciousness that he would find it
difficult to explain without incriminating himself. "No, I won't try it!
It must be the other way--there's no help for it now. Once out of this
hole, I'll put my shoulder to the wheel, and pay him back with the first
money I earn. He isn't like