withdrew to practise their duets, and more viands were placed on the
table.

The children then began to wait on their father and his guest, and
during a short conversation which ensued concerning Mrs. Peter Melcombe
and her boy, they were quite silent, till a pause took place and the
little Anastasia lifted up her small voice and distinguished herself by
saying--

"Fader, Peter's dot a dhost in his darden."

"Got a ghost!" exclaimed John Mortimer, with a look of dismay; for
ghosts were the last things he wished his children to hear anything
about.

"Yes," said the youngest boy Hugh, "he says he's going to be rather a
grand gentleman when he's grown up, but he wishes he hadn't got a
ghost."

"Then why doesn't he sell it, Huey?" asked the guest with perfect
gravity.

The little fellow opened his blue eyes wider. "I don't think you know
what ghosts are," he remarked.

"Oh yes, I do," answered Brandon. "I've often read about them. Some
people think a good deal of them, but I never could see the fun of
having them myself, and," he continued, "I never noticed any about your
premises, John."