Vain hope! The thoughts only came the faster, and at last he began to ask himself whether he was going to be ill. "Mark's dead!" he found himself saying mentally; "and there are no such things as ghosts--education killed the last of them years ago. But it does seem horrible to come suddenly face to face with a fellow so like poor Mark that I should have felt ready to declare it was he. Nature does make people different; and yet that officer is as like him as can be. Of course, he would have grown set and more manly. And--oh! but it's impossible! He's dead! he's dead!" He had gone back into the band-room, where, as of old, some twenty men were blowing hard, each working up the parts of new pieces, and utterly regardless, as well as unconscious, of his neighbour--use having given the bandsmen the ability to practice away deaf to the noise produced by others. Here he sat down in his own corner, and began to look over his music, expecting that before long Wilkins would be there to try over a few pieces in proper harmony instead of discord. But the crotchets and quavers became people, and the staves the roads along which they passed; and, the more he tried, the more excited he grew. For a few minutes he enjoyed a rest, for his eyes suddenly rested upon Brumpton, who, looking wonderfully fat, shiny, and happy, sat back, with his jacket unbuttoned, pumping away at the huge brass instrument, whose coils he nursed at his breast while he boomed and burred and brought forth bass notes of the deepest and richest quality. Then Brumpton's smooth, round face grew dim, and in its place there was the haughty, self-satisfied young officer, proud of his regimentals and scornfully gazing at the young bandsman as he passed. Dick could bear it no longer; he felt that he must get back into the open air, and to some place where he could be in peace while he made up his mind what to do. The next minute his mind did not want making up. He had come to a determination; for, feeling that he would never be able to rest until he had got rid of the idea of the officer he had met being his cousin Mark, he set off with the intention of questioning some of the men of the incoming regiment about their officers. He started, and had just got outside the door of the band-room, when he ran against Wilkins, who turned upon him sharply-- "Now, sir! don't run away; I am going to try over that grand march." "Back directly, sir!" cried Dick; and, to the bandmaster's indignation, he was off as hard as he could go towards the barrack gates. CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR. THE STRANGE COMPLICATION. "I shall be in trouble again," thought Dick; "but I can't help it! I feel as if that old bit of excitement was coming over me."