THE GHOST IN BROCADE.

Southland Times, Issue 14814, 15 December 1900, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE GHOST IN BROCADE.

IJy Fergus Hume. Author of The Mystery of & Hansom Cub,' 'The Third Vplamo,' 'The Lone Inn,' ■For the Defence,' &?., &<.\

COPi'RIGaT.

On hoaidiogs, in fields, on the covers of raag«?,inee,oa the back sheets of newspapers, an advertisement headed 'S.S.S.' appoars with tho rcgu'arity of the sun. Additional information ia accorded fct> the eul'i&us by t'te expansion of these mystic signs into the word?, 'Sarah's^-Salutaiy Sauce'— a coadimeat invented by Sarah Brag to tickle the palates of the epicure?. Her hatband, a compositor in the office of a provincial journal, made a fortune out) of , ib for both of them. He commenced quite in a sipaall way by advertising it in the columns .■■'■'" Übo6 up, while Sarah, renting euitiblo premises in the town, personally manufactured her invention. The advertisements were lead, the sauce was approved of, and as elides on the water its faaie widened round the world. In twenty years Mr and Mi a Brag were almost millionaire?, and having turned their concern into a limited liability company, retired to eojoy &n old age of ■well-earced eate and comfort at Alliaton Hall. 'S.S.S.' did its work well, and for once Fortm c bestowed her favours oa the deserving. , They were wholly unlike the millionaires of commerce or of fiction, these %vto. For they were neither anxious t« get into society nor deeirods of displaying their wealth with ostentation.' Mr Brag, indeed, bad rubbed off some of his natural roughness whiltt shouldering his way through the world, tut, Sarah his wife wes vs much a cook ai she bad .been when she presided over the kitchen of AUiflton Hall. Now she «at in the drawicgand could without doubt have set up as a fine lady had eh a 60 desired. But her -heart was ever in the back premises and her visits there were by no meana infrequea'. She remained always the ui:edacited, rough, warm-htarbed woman, devoted to hor home and to her husband. I knew-^ her value belter than anyone, save perhaps Hilsn; and both of ns were extremely fond of her, aad indeed of Mr Br»g also. They were a typical Mr and Mrs Boffio. Bub who am I, you will aik— and who is Helen, too 1 Well.l who tell you this Btory am Geoffrey Beaaebamp, au idle Oxonian andprivate secretary to Mr Brag. 'When Ileft Balliol, my father, failing in , business, took bis loea of mouey and reputa- ■ tion to seriously that he died of a broken heart, and joined my mother in the next world, whither aha had long preceded him. Finding myself an orphan, peonilesß, and without a profession, 1 cast about for employment. I apiweredanadvertißemeDt for aeebretary. In -this ! way it was that I became acquainted with Mr Brag. For three yeirs pisb I V»va looked after his affair*— that is to jay, I have wiitfen his letters, adViecd biro a 9 beat I could, and have stood between his too kindly Boulaad the hungry horde of money -hnntcri*. And he on his parb treated me more like a son tbaa a paid servant, which I have not failed to appreciate. ' So coir fcr table a position and bo kindly a friend come nob to every man. Then there is Heleo. Sho is looked upon au the daughter of the house, as indeed she 'is, seeiDg that sho was born at tbe Hall. , When Sir Ralph Alliston died, after a spendthrift career, ho lefb his only child without a penny. The Hall was sold, and tjha proceeds went to pay off th? mortgage» 7 and the rest of the debts. So Helen, poor > helpless girJ, bad no choice bats to go out as 1 Wgoverneas'. But Sarah Brag soon changed all that. ,Sbe remembered Helen as a child? and when the Hall was parohaeed by the money made out" of 'S.S.S.,' she sought out the orphan and insisted upon her returning. 'As my own child,' explained the good soul; 'teem' that J and me ain'j; bin blessed with babies, Not that I'm a lady, roy dear, noi.could ever have a daughter like you. But we'll pat it like that to satisfy the "oonveniances" of society.' What could Helen do but accept; an offer so kindly and so liberally made ? So she came back to, her ancestral home, and found existence made aa pleasant) for her as Mr and Mrs Brag could rmk3 it. Then ib came about that as I was young and Helen altogether charming we fell in love with each oth6r, much to the delighb, be ib said, of our patroas. Eventually i^ was arranged that X should, bo "Helen's husband, and that she . should expect to inherit the aubsiantial profitß from *SiSiß. v .r .'•And'if I- mig^hb «3viae Mr Boanchamp,' ■•id Mr Brftg, beaming, *ypo should tako the .iiama and arms of Alliston, by'right of '£lfn . here ;ap that' when we are dead and the old iamiiy will atill be in the eld place where they have been for Lord knows what nuimbsr of years.' 'Thipk,' cried Mrs Brag, jabilantly, 'of fcHe a.nceetbrß'yon ? ll h&ve. 'Why thete'a a chutoh chook foil of 'em— all kaights and bat'nites. Fine, ain't it ?' ' ''"'I agreed that It naa r fine,' and with - Helen's consent, indeed, at her exprees wish, I promifled the worthy couple to take tha ntWHe cf AllißtOQ when. I should lead the last ec:qn of tha family to the ultar. And tbiß waß the position of affairs when the ghost came ; a&d I do not think there were four heppier people in the whole woild up to that p time. Lady Marian Bpoilb it. all. . . Lady Marian was theghosb's name. She bad been a (Georgian beauty a couple of hundred years ago— had ruatlad in silken broc>dein the midsb of Jacobite cocspira.ies Her husband had preferred KtDg George to King' Jamea, ; and Uesirouß of tae^iog h» ' hitfatl and prpjperty bad given her to underfitind as muob. -But it would seem that ezcitemenb was the breath of Lady Marian's * nostrils and she made the Hall a centre of ' ictrigues.whioh inoluded the midnight visits * of Jesuit priestp, of French emiEßariea from i.is Majesby over the water, and of sulky Sqairea who curssd the Hanoverian in their ■•■:"onVi(.-'r r "■' \ ■-■.■■■■•' Sir Walter Alliston, being a jaalons hus- . band ;'»i. well as* loyal subject, disapproved of his wife's pranks t apd accused her of using pblitios for the masking of intrigues against his/hopour and her own. The lady, being of high spirit, denied the accusatioD,and swore nerer again to epeak to her husbind. He, •• more furiouß than ever, kept a close watch apoa her, and one evening found a masked galUnt If av tog her aparbmtntg. Without a mqment'fl : heaitation he ran the intruder ' thrdngh with biarapier. When he tore off the fouhH to his horror that the viev ,tim was lady Marian herself, disguised for some excursion. Dying, she uuraed hitn and his, and .declared tbac she would haunt him and bis descendants evermore. kept her worflj 1 -.mid Mm Brag, Vho told m» the glory, 'for when Sir Walter died she jerked down the picture gallery the bight before. She always comes to tell when one of the family is to die. I 'card as she was eeeajmt before 'Blen'a father went off, and when Lady Alliston died in giving birth to that dear girl I saw the ghoab my- ■ ae if # > ■ 'Nonsense, Mrs Brag ! There is no such thing aB ghosts,' I said. 'Ob, ain't there, but there is. I tell you, a 9 I'm a livin' breathin' woman I Eaw the Lady Marian gliding along the picture gallery in brocade and 'igh-feled shoes, juati as ehe wore when alive.' 'Have you seen the ghoEt since you bought the HalliMw Brag? - .. 'God forbieVmy dear ; for if Lady Marian cornea again h will only be to take away 'Elen, seoin' as shea the last of them.' A» Mrs Brag, with the superstition of an uneducated pecsop, firmly believed in the warning apparition, I was not eorpriaed on returning from ft month's holiday in Switzerland shprbiy before Christmas, to find her in a^stafcp of great alarm at the reappearapco of her bugbear. Two weeks before my return Lady Marian, brocade, high-heeled shoes, cane and all, had twice been SBen in the picture-gallery— on each ocoasion at the midnight hour. Mra Brag was certain thab it meant Helen's death, and unable utterly to keep feeliug of any kind to herself , iad succeeded in infecting the whole hous3 with her feaw. Nob a servant would enter the Long Gallery, as it waß called, aftor dark ; aod even Mr Brag, B«epbic as he was, beoamo uneasy when ho came to think cf what it might meas. .ifhß girl herself did not look bo well as ,'-(^f£i-feßd'lei(>fw my holid»y. She was

p^le and thin, »nd singularly silent. Hci I eyes, too, s.-emed unnaturally bright. Afcer Mrs Brag had delivered herself of the &toiy; and hud slated her intention of calliofr in tho Vicar to exorcise the ghost, I was 1 fc alone in the drawing-room with Helen. 'My darling, you look ill,' I said, olnsping her in my erins ; 'tiurely you do not believe in'all this nonsetw.' She shivered. 'I don't know,' Bho Baitf, nervously. 'Both the housekeeper and the butler have sesn the ghrst. Mrs Bag U always talkicg about it, and teilly lambsginning to ti'iok there mutt be some truth iv it. 9 'Nonsense ! nonaensa ! All this talk acd fuse baa made you nervous aud ill; baea'oit, dear?' 'Yea, G»r ffrey ; I was quite well ontil the ghost came.' I saw very plainly how nuttm ttootl. Helen wa? seDsitivo&ud highly strung, und Mrs Brag'a foolish talk had wrought her up to each a pit)h that the tortured nerves reacted on Ler delicate body. She was never a strong gitl, bub she was always very healthy. Worry was evidently what had in da her ill. Ino longer wondered that the Allistons had di-d when Lady Marian was rumoured to have appeared. They were n nervous race. I realised therefore that if I did not do something to exorcise thi3 spiiit, if BUCh it ,W^t<?, H«Un would become se lovely ill, and might even dio. 'It is a good thing Ir<-turneV I said to Mr Brag, when Helen retired to (Irees for dinner. 'That girl will die if this s;rt of thing goes en ' 'I dessay, I dcesiy; Geoffrey; but how do youpropoie to etop it ?' 'JBirid out the trick, to b? sure.' 'But 'ow do you know It's a I rick, Geoffrey?' 'I'm sure of it. Teil ire, have you Sien tbfi ghost Y *Lor J nd I ain't a COWAtd, Gaoff ey, but wild 'orsee wouldn't drag me to that, gallery at night. I ain't seen it, bub Porsono and Mrs Jaok&on 'aye.' 'Or think they have. What th-y have seen h corns one dressed up as Lady Maiiar, mark me. Or else they suffer from hallu- ! cination. Persons i« sobsr, I know.' 'Oh yes; and even if ho ait*'-, Mrs Jscksoo is. She never touches a drop to my knovrledge. No, 'taiu'c drittk, whatever it is.' 'And thry both declare they have seen ahe gboso V 'Lcr', yes. They take their o&ths they have.' 'Then it muet be a trick. And if I catch tbe person who is playing it I'll— well, I'll make the falsa ghost a real one. Will you leb mo take charge of this matter, Mr Brag?' 'Of course, Geoff.ey. I was juat waitiu' for you to come back. l iad out what's wrong, aad knock all this stuff out of my old < woman's bead. She's mostly in hysterics o' nights. 1 ' &nd no wocder when Helen looks so ill. Belisve me, ghosts went out wheu gas came in. I think I shall manage to prove to yon that this spectral Lady Marian is very substantial flesh and blood.' 'But she may not be,' urged Mr Brag, somewhat dubiously. 'Lots of these 'igh families - have their ghosts to see them into the next world, I bilieve. B-Jsidi?, who could fee p'.ayiB 7 this wild trick ?' *Ab, that's jaau what wa havo to find out.' But it via? nob so easy to find out. I questioned Mrs Jackson and Parsons in the most exhaustive manner. They eorroooiatad each others story with such verisimilitude and wealth of detail as lo leave no doubt in my mind of their good faith. Evidently bfaey hud eeen a brocaded lady in the picture gallery; bnb of court e it could be no such thing as a ?isibant fi om the other world. Thas waß where they went wrong. 1 was certain it was someone playing a brick. *.O'i, you may l*ugh, Bir/ said Mrs Jackqon. &he was tweh a stiff p'd dame. 'But I do aesotd you tint I caw thogaott with my ownsyej. I was co-niog turough the )oog gallery from Miss Alis'onVroom, aud in the moonlight it came on, clack', clack, clack, in bigb-heeled shoes. I oonld hear distinctly bLe rustle of the dress, and us it swept pas!; me I Bmeli a perfume like that of dried roieleaves. It was Lady Marian sure onough.as I caw from the portrait ia the gallery. I fafcted dead away, Mr Beauohamp, sir; and when I came to myself it was gone.' I confess to feeling a trifla uncomfortable .at all th(B. Then Parsons took up the story. . 'I didn't faint, sir, 'nob 'bein* a woman,' said lie, 'but my fleth was mighty creepy as it weat patt, 1 6tarcd at it like a etnek pig, thi ugh it was plain enough in the moonlight. It vanished all of a sadden by the painted winder at the end of the gallery. 1 ♦Wh&t wtra you doing in the Long Gallery at that honr, Parsons ?' 'Comin' from master, bir. He'd a bad cold and I took him up some 'ot rum and water* I wouldn't go to that there gallery again, Bir, for all the Orown jewels. Ib was a ghost, sure enough.' *oh, wm it?' said I showing plainly by my bone tbafc I did not think ib was. ' Call Che servant^, P&rsoßS.*" In a few minutes ail the domestic 3 in the house' wsra assembled, and a very whitefaced crowd they were. Maoy of them would have been frightened away .from tbe hall had ib not'been that the place was such a good one. I tnppose, too, it was a case in which they felo there was comfort ia numbers. I harangued them pretty freely f»r what I termed tfteir nonsensical fear?. 'Men and women come to years of <*enae, ; I wonb on : 'well, I'm tu-prued. How oari you believe such rubbish ? Soma one of you is playing a trick, aod who it is I shall find out, so bawafe all of you.* Of course they protested vehemently, but that was to be expected. 'However,' I said, 'you can tako this warning from me. I shall watch in the gallery mysdf with a Buraight-ahooting revolver, and if that gho3t I appears it Bbali have a taata. of ie lam not ' going to have your master aud mistress and Miss AUieton frightened by this silly triok.' Again they all protested. But I sent the lob or them away with more blood in their chceke. Then I turned upstairs to dress for dinner. As I did so I noticed a pretty, timid-looking young woman whose fuca I did [ sot rfeoogniee. She glanced at me uneasily, and was evidently dUtarbsd. \ 'Who are you?' 1 asked abruptly, pausing before her. 'Jane Riordau, sir,' she replied, with a cqrtsey. 'I am new here.' 'What are you V 'Under-hoosennid, sir. Ob, pleaae, eir,do you really think there is a ghost ?' v *No, yos silly girl. Tho dead never return to tbiß world.' 'Please, sir, what about the Witch of Endor and Samuel, sir ?' •Oh,you are a theologian, I see. Well.we won'b discuss that apparition. You musb jusb look upon bbat as a miracle, and not be afraid.' She shuddered and lookod over her Bhoulder apprehensively, •I am terribly afraid, Bir; ii'a no vne my denying id. I shall ask mis I res 3 to let me go.' 'Yon will ask nothing of the kind, 1 said I in my most psremptory manner. 'Your going- would only be the sigcal for general flight. You'll stay here like a sensible girl, until all this myttery is cleared up.' ♦Oh sir, bub will ib be cleared up t •Of course ib will, and by a very substaotialloadea bullet, too. Now geb on with your work, and don't be a fool.' I saw that there wa9 only one way to deal with the thing, in that I Bpoke more, bruequely to the girl than I would have obherwiso.donr. Besides, she irribabed we j she seemed so absolutely terrified with fear. She was calcuhbcd to infect tbe resb of tfcetn, thoagh they Beemed bad enough aB it was. I went off to dress in no very good humonr. Mr Brag* wunfc of common sense over 'this affair aamzsd mo. Usually he was a coolheaded and logical nun, ac WM eoDclusivoly proved by the position to wWch he had attained. Yeb apparently he was as nervous and distraught now as any of the women. The ghost seemed to havo been too much for him, to have knocked the grib out. of him, so bo speak. He was no more fit) than a baby to deal with the situation. I put down his shortcoming ab this juncture in no small degree to his lack of education. Then there wa3 the constant chatter of his wife, of whom this element of the supernatural had tuken firm hold. She never ceaaod talking about it, and I suppose tho strongest, mind is in the end influenced by reiteration. It seemed as if Mr Brag's was be:omiog uuhioged.

I was glad that I had returned so opportunely. At laast if I could throw no light on the subject I could g t to work with a cool head aud an unuifj idice'J mind to clear it up. Mis Brag eoutJnui-'d to talk c f little else but the ghoit, whoso uppeariin: c she seemed to thir.k WBB qiUo ill keeping with the season. Ib waß aitouniiug the number of legends she s emed to h»ve accumulated. Headleas phantom- 1 , churchyard apparitions, ghosts in armour with olauking chains and 'presetce*,' wi;o she Buid could not bo seen b»t only felt in tha roost horrific way— upon all theee ehe descanted in the most appalling manue'. Helen ahudd^reJ, Mr Brag shook his htsad portentously, and I must) confess that even I felt uuomfoi table. The o!d lady seemed so to environ us with the atmosphere of the supernatural than when a c-ial dropped from the fire we all jumpei and she shrekt d. It wag really a most tsrrible state of tbin&s, especially for Chii'toia*. I mked h*r about Jadb Riorrtap. My question forbanntaly turned! ihe subjeot, far igdreemed that Mrs4'<rag had a good deal to sl^ r about this joung womm. 'Ah,' ha said, 'hera is a sad history, my dear. Her father and mother Wtre feUtr'sorwat tj of mine when I was cook hers. The name wasn't Riorrlnn, for tbat'a Jant'd marritd n^ane, Craik'a what we onl ed 'em — 'Eory aad L : Zi Craik, burler nnd housekeeper.' Helen looked up with intf>.re<t. 'Het>ry C. aik ?' she paid, 'why, that wo,* the man whn f tole my mo', hers jswels !' Tho same, my dear. Oh, ho «:is a ban on 9, he wis; yet jou'd think butter aouMiA melt in his mouth to look at 'im. L'/. * w*s a' ways siyii.' us Yd die in g-tol and disgrace \r, Mil 'ed'.d.' 'Were the jewels reco/crod, Mrs Brag ?' •No, Geiilfrey, they werei,' . My lidy mifiatd 'em one HlPmißg after a b.'ll'cie, when thß bouse wa3 foil ot g ips-f , The whole bos was stoltn — five o- aix thousaud pounds worth, no lass ; and she only waved what the wore at the ball. All kinds of people were suspected of 'avin' gone to 'er room and t-k-.n 'em, but no one thought as Craik had dona it.' 'I heard s?nn;hicgof tha story myself,' obai r?ed Mr Biag. 'Ho was caught seiliog a b acelet, wast't he ?' 'Yir, J., he wa^. He to, leave fo visit a. dyiog triend in London, the old f« x; and the friend was a pawnbroker, iftl 'c told the police, seem' -as 'c reooguieed tho bracelet from the 'acclbi'ls puo ab ut, Ciaik was ar. Re-ted and sent to goal for yrar?. He died there, and they nover gotf anything out of 'im. Where ha hid ihn jewels no oae knows, and jo one ever will, my dears ; for twenty years 'aye gone by since they were stolen.' 'And how does Jane Riordau come to bo here V I asked. 'Her mother died the oihar day, and sent her to me, my dear. L'z* and I were born in the village, and lived uere for years as 'oueekaeper nod cook. I cin't B*yaa I liked 'er over much, she was s'y and deceitful ; bat I don't thiwk she ha;i anything to do with Craik stealing the jswela. He was bad enough to do that by himee'.f. Whr n ho died in gaol Liz* wrote to ny, aud 1 sent her money to bring up Janr. Th^n Jane married a bad husband, who left \-r, and when L'zi died she (same 'ere aod aek d me ' o help 'er f-»c 'er mother's Bike. S ••! raa J .e 'er un-der-'ousemaid. I thick sha's afojl, Geoff. ey, but honest enough.' 'She appeared to be nervous, however.' 'And no wontfer with this 'orril ghos 1 1' cried Mra Brag, looking r>ucd 'I tell you Waa*» J., if you don'c get tho p*noa bo excrciie tha l ; thing, I'll le-vo tho house,that I wil I .' '.Steady, old lady, we mush ioa what Gecffrey can do first Ho's waichiug i Q the Long Gallery to-night.' 'Oh, Geoffrey, the ghost '11 \ue you for but.' 'ihs ghost wilT hava a d->^e of l-al, M' 9 Bf»g- H you h >»r a shot d >n't b « alarmed. 5 •iiut y->v, oaa 1 ; shoo 1 ; ghpt«, Geoff -.'ey ;■ thty're thadospe, my dear. y jU cai etc through 'em.' 'I daresay. I never paw one myself, but this ghost is pretty substantial Til be bound. But Cell me, Mrs Brag; was anything ever found out about the jewels ?' 'Nn,' said Helen, before tho old lady could answer. 'I remember my futher searched everywhere for them and offered a big reward-. He saw Craik, too; but he refu^ei to pay whab he bad done with them, aad Mrs Craik protested she knaw nothing ab^ut it. They have bean lo*t for years now.' •H'm ! I wonder if Jane Riore?an knows anything about them ' •That she don't,' said Mrs Btag, with eafrgy. 'Liza was an boaesfc woman, l know; and the gal seemß straight enough. If they'd 'ad the jowelfl they .wouldn't 'aye lived in poverty so. ' 'Still, Craik might) have told hia wife where he conceited them.' 'No, GeofL*ey, dear. She'd '«ye come to my Lady or Sir Ra'ph ab9ut them, and got paid for bringing 'em back. If she knew anything she'd have told for 'er own sake; for ahe was es poor as poor. Java told me the most 'arrowing tales of 'ardship.' Tllqnestfon Jane myself/eaid J.iftersome thought;. 'If tbeee j awels could be recovered they would sttit Helen very well.' Holen langhed and Mrs Brag beamed, • If it's jewels she wants I will give 'er 'eapß. Won'fcl, J.f • She's only to ask and to 'avV taid Mr Brag ; 'bub I ooly wish I saw you more rosy and 'oaithy, my dear,' 1 I'm afraid thia ghost ia upsetting my nerves terribly,' tt&id Helen : 'do what I will I can' 6 help thinking about if.' 'Ob, J, c*n't> we havo'sDine 'oly water and get it away ?' implored Mrs Brag. 1 'Oly water, no. I won't* have no popery here, Sarah. S.S.S. shall never go to fatten i the prioatßif I ouj 'dp ib. I'm surprised at you. I am.' | 'She ia over-wrought, Mr Brag,' eaid Helen, rising. • Indeed, i think wo »H are, with ibis horrid Lady Marian about. Come along to beft, Mrs Brag. I'll come up with you.' • You'll have to stay with me all night, '• my dear,' whimpered the old lady, 'for I don't know as Geoffrey firm' off pistols won't be as bad as the ghost. Are you goin' to i stay up too, J V •There is no necessity,' I interposed. ' I c*n watch quite \fe\\ alone. When Mr Brag hears a shot he can come to me if he likes. 'Ob, I'll oome fast enough,' said the old man, aturdily : 'taint flesh and blood I'm soared of, though I own I don' 6 like the other thing. However, if the blessed thing belooga 6% this world or the next it's quite certain we've got to put a stop to its going on 'ere. If you don't citch it, Geoffrey, we'll shut ap the house and go abroad. I'm getting quite tkeery myself, and I ain't got over much nerve fco speak of.' •Well, let me try my hand at exorcising the thing, Mr Brag. If I oan'b manage it we'll do what you Bay. Helen wM die if thia sort of thing goea on.' •Lard, you don't think it's come for 'er ? "No, I don't. It Is some trick, I fc-jll you. Leave me fco find ib out ' Mr' Brag shook his head doubbful'y and retired to bed 'ia his turn. Left alone I started on an exploration of the house with a lamp in one band and a revolver in the other. I examined all the doors and windows and found them securely bolted and barred. I looked into what' rooms I could, from collar to attio, and found them empty. Ib was quite clear that beyond tha inmates of the house there was no pne. Then I made for the happy hunting ground of the ghost). It had lately been snowing, bub now the night was frosty and clear. A bright moon dispelled the darkness, And the white world without was as clear as day. Tho Long Gallery stretched the whole length ot the wflsb wing. On one side a row of tall windows admitted a good light on to the pictures on the opposite wall. There was a fair collection of these, bub the AUißtons had nover been sufficiently artistio in their tastes or sufficiently acute in their judgment), to acquire mafiberpioeeß. Thfr. portraits of Helen's ancestors were of mo6t interest to me. There was a long eories of them, dating from lha Tudor time and repreeentiogsome of tbe bcab work of the masters. Thoso were, let into the oak panelling with their gilded frames, and could not bo dut*ohed from the wall. A 6 the further end j of the gallery nai an ornate window of staiiuid glass, and -through this the moonligbfc fell, now weaving coloured arabesques oa the floor and portraits. Jlero 1 paused before, tho picture of Lady Marian AHlstoo, 81)0 muat hivo boen a supremely beautiful woman, this Jacobite conspirator, with the high spirit) and strong will. Hero she was portrayed as tall and Btately of figure. A

proud expression was on her almost swa'tby face, aud in the slenderest of white hautis Bhe gripped a walking-cane. In a dieis of rich brooade, with jewels on neok and armi, red-Seeled shoes, and the towering head-dre:s < f the period, the looked every inch a queeo, and in her day must surely have move i und ruled aa one. I could imagiue those imperious brows frowniog at the ma^blon of the Elector ! I ouli knoy those firm lips speaking the curae on her too hasty husband. There was something about this fair dead woman which reminded me of Beatrix Esmond : filed with thpj>y if lif- and born to dominate by the piwer of beamy and intelleot, Yotßho failed as Thackeray 'd heroine failed ; but died more nobly, in the prima of loveliness without withering out int.) aad o'd age. . Had Sir Walters rupior nob Br ack through the proud heart ahe mipht have been a Sarah Je»oinge. At ib Ws ahe .was thwarted by Fate : t%n<\ it waß her sad destiny to appsar as o bird of ill-omen to those who sat in her seat of pride. Yet I could imugine her wrath when alive at the idea that her fair phantom would descend to soaring an old cook and her piebian husband. How i'ouiral a fate ! But all this preamble le-»da to no'-hing. Although I watched m ihe gallery until dawn Isaw no ghost. I f . was hitrariy cold ; and the vigil whb uncomfortable and in vaio. I did act even hear tbe rurtle of her skirts, much lesa stt eyes on her face ; aid whau I descended to breakLst, nfieran hour or so | of sleep, it was t> laugh a: the sr.psi ßillions of my frieafls. •Itis as I thought,' 6*i I I, 'l^r^u? and Mrß Jackson both drP3med they saw the phantom. Ltdy Marian ia too wise to revisit t Vi c S3ene of her death.' •Ah, bub she don't apyer evnry night,' pro'ented Mrs Brag, wuely. 'You waif, Gfoffrey. Shb'llfr.jszeyinr blood yet.' 'Not while she knocvß that an armed Wa'cher has hia eye en her. Mri Brag.' 'You still beliQve it is t> trick, Geofffv-y ?' 'If Lady Marian's phantom is not mereiv the eraation of Parson's and Mn Jaoksou's dreams, I sfcll balie 'a h is a tiic c.' But trick or no trick, all my vigils were in vain. Night after night for gu te two weeks I watehod in thab infernal gallery for the ghost which cc f er came. Yob not with t vnci - ing my die*pf ointiifn" I ooul 1 cot til mysolf ot the feoli g thtt there was a; mo mystery üb?nt) the apparition. It vas p s ibis tbab my publ c anuouucem»tt to sho t ih-' so-called ghost had scirtd the pers >n who, I truly believed, reprea ;ct3 l if.. Wi r vh thi* idea I went on a new task, and or.ca more assembled the houre'iolrt. •I have watchf d for fourteen nlght3, more or leas,' I said, 'aad no ghost has come to Boare me. The e F orc, I believe Mr Parsons and Mrs Jackson have been deceivfd ia thinking they saw one. Tharo is uo phantom hf rv 1 , soyou cia all »ot your mm's at te-st. For my pxrf,' and this was the mo*t important point of my speech.' 'I in" end to watoh no more. If Lady Marian cornea ngain she must go without) an audience. Now all of you go away, and leb me have no more of this rubbißh.' Butler and housekeeper were bobh iudignanb ab my aspersions, but they knew bet er tban to protest openly, and wenb away with tho resb of the servants bo grumble in secret. Au air of calm pervaded the ta'e, aod Mrs Brag began to pluck up courage. Also H>.len, to prove what was undermining her health, became more cheerful and less hysterical. My common sense had exorcised the ghost &o far, bub to had nob solved the mystery. D. - bermined bo fathom tb ; s I scill continued to watch in the gallery. Bab no one knew of my vigils, nob even Hdan ; so if the trickster c&me, he or the, whatsoever io might be, would find me waiting. For two or three nights the gallery was empty ns tne palm of my hand. But ou the fourth night my chance came, aud with it tbe ghoat. It wa i ab. ub midnight, aud the moon shining through the clear glasi of the eido windows and nfleotiog her light from an expay bo of &oow made the gallery almost) as brlliantas day. Iwat hidden behind a curtain, midway aloug the gallery, and half drowsily was looking out into the maza of shadow and silver radiance. Suddenly in the ab:Oiute stillness I heard a faint souad. It was a tapping of heels, the rustle of silk skirts, and iv a moment under the paint td window I caw the gho.sb. It appeared from nowhere, and I must confess ie startled me very considerably. Ie was Lady Marian sure enough. 1 was sufficiently close to it to see that. There she stood, wibh tha tall head -drett aad cano, and rich brocaded gown, exactly as sho was represented in her portrait, I caught jaat a glimpse of her face, bad ie was not euffic enb for m * to say with certainty whether it was idectioil with thatin thepiotme. Bat the figare was cutiinly the same. I sab quite t bill and watched and waited, one finger ready on the trigger of my revolver. With the clacking sound desotibed by Mrs Jackaon-ib o&me down the ga'lery, The stick tapped, and the long train rustled, and the moonlighb pliyed upon the rich hues of the brocade. Ib did nob come near me, but kept cl.se by the range of the family pictures, fingering the frames aud passing its white band over the surfaces. At times ib fctoppad, aud wi'h beat bead scrutinised more closely (ho faces of the portraits. Then it began to glide baok more swiftly tban it had come. I rose, perhaps too incautiously, and I must havo made some noise, tor before I could rais9 my revolver to take aim the ghost started, retreated rapidlybowurda the painte.l Window, «nd vanished. Ybf,. before my very eyesib v&nUh-sd. I hurried to the spot where I had list Jseea it, bub nob a brace of anything could I fiod. Unless it had dropped through the floor or had passed through a solid wall I could nob, see for the life of me how ib bad got away. Could ib be a brue phantom Rf (er all ? No, my reason wouldn't allow such a supposition. Boyond doubt ib was flesh and bood — some n>Bmber of the household got ap lo resemble Lady Marian. I was more th*n ever perplexed. I related evorybhing to Mr Brag next morning. Bub he kept my story carefully from his wife and Helen. They were recovering their spirits somewhat, and ib would cob do to damp them again by saying thab I had j seen bhe thing myself. Mr Brag, indeed, was considerably agitated at this seeming confirmation of the apparition, and it was as much as over I could do to talk him out of the omvictioa that spiritual ib wac ' Bub what on earth can ib be, man ?' he said. * 'Well,' I replied, 'I have some sort of idei, bub at present I won't siat-e it lest I should prove to be wrong, I propose that you watoh with me to-night, Mr Brig, and together wall ace if we can'b unmask the ghost,' 'Bub do you think ib will oome again tcnighb ?' I can'b say. Perhaps not. It may be that the trickster, whoever it rmy be, ha? had a fright and will delay furtbor operations for a while. It is someone in bhe house, I am convinced of tha 1 ". When I announced that I would watch nothing vai seea of it. Bub directly I said I would give up watching, Lidy Marian appears. What we must do ib to watoh regularly, Mr iirag ; even thould ib not appear for a week or more.' Ib turned out thab I was right. Nighb after nighb we concealed ourselves bahiud the curtain, I with my revolver, Brag with a large dinner bell, with whioh ho intended alarming the house when Lady Marian was oapburod. This went on for no less than ten nights. Tben I took Mrs Brag and Helen into confidence, and arranged a pretended departure from the house. I wenb gjT to Loadon with gre&b fusß and ceremony. But I gob out of the train at the first station and returned bo the hall by road secretly. And at eleven o'olook that night Brag and I were in our hiding-places once more. And it was Christmas Eve, the very time when ghosts Bhou d be abroad, according to legend. 'Now,' I whispered, 'the ghost is off its guard : take my word for it ha or she, whichever ib i 9, will oomo.' Brag said nothing, bub gripped viciously at the tnudle of his diuner-boll. Ib fell out) as I had anticipated. Shortly after midnight Lady Marian re-ippoaral in the Bamo guise as before. I could hear Brag's t«cth chattering as he saw tho apparition. ThomooDl'gbt wai as strong as it had bjon on the previous occasion, and Lady Marian, clacking and tapping as beforo, moved through ib in precisely the same way. Sho glided along by the pictures and fingered bhe frames. Suddenly we tuacd her give aj>you9 exclamation, und I hero was a alidiug sound as of something pushed back. A portrait vanished, aod a black caviby was Been in ita place*

Now was the time. I jumped up, and poising my revolver fired astiuly as I could, and at the tame momeofc B rug's bell clanged oat vigorously. Thore was a shriek and ft hurried scamper. Then as before the ghost of Lady Mirian vanished before we could retch the i-pot. •Where tlte deuoe haa she £one ?' cried B.'og, who was still ringing his bell hard. 'Tlliough a sliding panel,' I replied, guessing tbe items of exit waj through the cavity As 1 lighted tho lamp there wasjmre noise and paltering of feet, aud the halMiessed servants io »ll stages of deshabille and alarm o&me crowding in,to the gallery. Some carried lights, others pokers and stick?, but ono end all were as frightene I as they well could bo. no wocdar ; fur the clamour of Brag's be:l wna enough to wake the de»d. Then same Helen and Mra Brag fully dressed, fur they both bad waited up to witness the eucce s of my scheme. Aod it was a success — greubpr than I had rfa-rd to dr<-am. As I said, a picture — that of Lady Marian had vanished— thai ia it had slid back into the wall, leaving a cavity which we procaee'ed to examine Thortia we found ao iron box fast locked. B Jt Brag so^n had it tjrn opoD, to find that ib cou. ta'n'd velvet -lined drawers and trays all heaped with fhe mo&t splendid jewellory. Gold, diamonda, rabies, emeralds — tbo m«s glitured like a rainbow. 1 See, Hclcd, your mother' 3 long loat jewels. So that is what tho ghost of Lidy Ma'inn came for,' 'My gracioua I' ori«d Mra Bra?, dr-ippinq on h^r knfiei». 'Look my dear, all my Ladj'a jewoU ! You'll wear them at your wedding after all.' Bub Helen did not tojk at them. She jast sUred at me, ner^oua aud shaking, •(ieoffray, who is the ghott?' 'Cannot you gueißl Jane Riortfan.' 'Impowiblo. lsD't sbe here?' 'No, mies,' paid P*rs>tiP, glaDoing'rouml ab the eervsnt?, 'dhe a'n'c with ug.' ' Oh, Geoffrey, I hope yoa haveu't shot her.' 'Serve '*r right if 'e '»b,' cried Brag. 'But don't cry, my pretty, ehe went through another sliding panel. Come, Geoffrey, leb ua look.' 'The spricg is in the frame, Mr 8.-ag l'«n : sure of that.' Instantly a dozsn hands were busy with the frame?, an I we soon tama upon a spii-jg io that of a picture at the far end of tho gallery. Ib opened noiselessly, and I stepped inbo tre open space, followed by Brag bearing the lamp. We proceeded along a narrow passage, asconded a tiighb of etose steps, and finally emerged through another sUding panel into the back part of the house. On our way wo picked up the tall caoe, the grey wig and headdress and the brocade ekirt. 'She stripped herself to geb away,' ta T d Brag, nodding. 'Let us go to her room. She haa one to herself, you know. Asked my old woman bo give her one aa a special favour : aad for Eliza Craik'e aike she got it.' The room was reached and we found it empty, wibh the luetremnintß of the disguise on the floor. Oa going to tbo back door we discovered that it \v*s open, and through it Jane Riordan had vanished into the night nerer to retnru. • So it was t ! mt I exoroisel the ghost of Lady Marian. Ou Cbti*tm*B Day at breakfast we discussed thoroughly the stirring 'events of tbe nighb. Mrs Brag was filled with auger ab the way in which Jane Riorhad had tn'cked her. 'I wonder how ehe knew about my Lady's jewels,' the faid. 'Oh, there's no difficulty iv guessing that,' I replied. 'Tbe father must have told hia wife where ho had hidden them. I darcsaj he intonded to fetch them himself when he oirao cub of gaol. But be died before hia sentence expired. However, he let bh wife know, and she, of coarse, told Jane, who came here aad tried to gee them by ma«q«eradiog as Lidy Marian's ghost.' 'Aunt Eliz* roust have tolJ her that story, Geoffrey. We of;en talked of the gho3t. Oh, what a wicked woman !' 'But I wonder why Mrs Craik, being poor, did nob try to get the jewels for herself Sha would hardly wait twenty yoars before doing so.' It wan Helen who said this, and I who replied. •Well, I otpect Mrs Croik wan eithtr afraid, or did not lrarn from her husband, behind whioh picture the jawels were hidden. I expect her res son was the hat; f° r Jane, aa I told you, went up and down the wall fingering *.he frames in order to find the right one. That was why she appeared so often in the gallery. Had she known the true hiding-phes one appearance and vUib would h*ve done. I see now that she feigned fear to me in order to ward oS suspicion. From her looks I never thought she would be so clever.' 'Ah, my dear,' said Mrs Brag, 'she married a scamp, and I daresay, after hearing the story from ? Lt'z*' he pub her ap to the trick.' ' She brought the dress with her, I suppose V 'She muat have ; and it was to oarry on her wicked praaka the.t she made such a point of having a separate room.' 'I wonder how sho knew of the cecret passage,' eaid Brag. ''Liz i again,' oried his wife. 'Sho wns years here bifore I came, aDd po was Cr itj. I diicjay th«y fou> d'-rti-i Btoret pAt«agS together and made u-e of i. «-h^n they s to'e the jewels. Aud mw I oome i> .h'lili of t, my dears, ib was aa aoboi J .ne Riuidun married. Uh, I'm well quio oi her, I am.' 'Yo3, thank goodoosa she's gone,' said Brag- 'We dou'o waut no row about tho thiDg. We've got the jewels, and Helen shall wear them on her wrdding day.' •And what'a more, WbVe gee rid of the ghost,' said I, smiliug. 'I don't tb nk you can ever believe ia ghosts again after b lie, eh, Mrs Brae ?' 'No, Geoffrey, I ean'fc. I daresay the ghos!) of Lady Marian that 1 1 aw myself wa? either Craik or his wife dressed up. No, I'll never believe in ghosts again. Nor did she. So this was our Christmas ghost, which was no ghott. Bub true or false it was a very seasonable apparition ; and brought bo Helen the Christmas gi.'b of her mother's jowelß. She wore them ut her wedding wiih mo shortly afterwards ; for next Christmas there was no Miss Alliston, bub a pretty Mrs Beauchamp. Nor was there any ghoab, Lady Marian, in the person of Jane Riordan, had fulfilled her mission, aad we never saw her again.'