-course was, and would ask in court, "What is the 'Stock
Exchange'--is it a cattle market?"

[Illustration]

Lord Justice Pimblekin's head was drooped hopelessly upon his bosom; and
he now covered his face with his trembling hands, while a bright tear
crept out between his fingers, as he murmured in a quivering voice, "I
am one of you now! I'm a pal--that's what I am; straight, and no kid, my
pippin!" The painful effort with which these words were uttered was
apparent in his whole frame. He had not finished speaking; he was
obviously struggling with another word, which threatened to choke him.
With an expression of horror and despair, he clutched his bald head; and
then the word came--the single word "Blimey!" It was uttered in the same
soft, mincing, judicial accents.

Then his lordship moved across the room and, sitting upon the table near
the fire, drew out a short dirty clay pipe, lit it at the candle, and
sat puffing at it; an occasional tear still creeping down his furrowed
cheek.

"You may proceed with your deliberations with a perfect sense of
security," he said anon. "Djeer, old pal? _I_ ain't goin' to give yer
away."

Every phrase of this kind evidently inflicted upon the unfortunate judge
the most acute pain.

"To convince you how little you have to apprehend from me," he
continued, "I may inform you that I shall never again occupy my former
judicial position; in fact, I am incapacitated from doing so by the fact
that I am a GHOST!"

[Illustration]

Now, Jemmy Wedge and Bill Slinker were superstitious and nervous to a
degree, as most burglars are; and at that announcement their hair rose,
and they stood gazing at the speaker with glaring eyes and chattering
teeth.

"I am sorry to cause you such alarm," said the spectre, "and assure you
I should only be too happy to go; but I cannot--it is not permitted me
to do so.

[Illustration]

"The balloon in which I ascended was found to have some defect in the
valve, which made it impossible to descend; it, consequently, after
rising to a great altitude, burst, hurling myself and the three other
occupants of the car into the sea. I was unfortunately drowned--a most
terrible loss to society! The three others were drowned also; but, as
they were neither judges nor counsel, but merely ordinary persons,
liable to be called as jurors or witnesses, their loss need not further
concern us. If they had survived, they would have been subsequently
killed at some