"Here," said Jan, making light of it. "I'll marshal you up." He held the candle, and the girl flew up the stairs as fast as young Cheese had flown from the ghost. Her breath was panting, her bosom throbbing. Jan blew out the candle, and he and Mr. Bourne departed, merely shutting the door. Labourers' cottages have no fear of midnight robbers. "What do you think now?" asked Mr. Bourne, as they moved along. Jan looked at him. "_You_ are not thinking, surely, that it is Fred Massingbird's ghost!" "No. But I should advise Mr. Verner to place a watch, and have the thing cleared up--who it is, and what it is." "Why, Mr. Verner?" "Because it is on his land that the disturbance is occurring. This girl has been seriously frightened." "You may have cause to know that, before many hours are over," answered Jan. "Why! you don't fear that she will be seriously ill?" "Time will show," was all the answer given by Jan. "As to the ghost, I'll either believe in him, or disbelieve him, when I come across him. If he were a respectable ghost, he'd confine himself to the churchyard, and not walk in unorthodox places, to frighten folks." They looked somewhat curiously at the seat near which Alice had fallen; at the Willow Pond, farther on. There was no trace of a ghost about then--at least, that they could see--and they continued their way. In emerging upon the high road, whom should they meet but old Mr. Bitterworth and Lionel, arm in arm. They had been to an evening meeting of the magistrates at Deerham, and were walking home together. To see the vicar and surgeon of a country village in company by night, imparts the idea that some one of its inhabitants may be in extremity. It did so now to Mr. Bitterworth-- "Where do you come from?" he asked. "From Hook's," answered Jan. "The mother's better to-night; but I have had another patient there. The girl, Alice, has seen the ghost, or fancied that she saw it, and was terrified, literally, out of her senses." "How is she going on?" asked Mr. Bitterworth. "Physically, do you mean, sir?" "No, I meant morally, Jan. If all accounts are true, the girl has been losing herself." "Law!" said Jan. "Deerham has known that this many a month past. I'd try and stop it, if I were Lionel." "Stop what?" asked Lionel. "I'd build 'em better dwellings," composedly went on Jan. "They might be brought up to decency then." "It's true that decency can't put its head into such dwellings as that of the Hooks'," observed the vicar. "People have accused me of showing leniency to Alice Hook, since the scandal has been known; but I cannot show harshness to her when I think of the home the girl was reared in." The words pricked Lionel. None could think worse of the homes than he did. He spoke in a cross tone; we are all apt to do so, when vexed with ourselves. "What possesses Deerham to show itself so absurd just now? Ghosts! They only affect fear, it is my belief."