The Ghost: A Modern Fantasy

than any music-hall in London. They were designed to throw the best possible light on humanity in the mass, to illuminate effectively not only the shoulders of

from the raised platform in the main salon, people regard this coup d'oeil with awe, and feel glad that they are in the dazzling picture, and even the failures who are there imagine that they have succeeded. W

good-natured and so obviously anxious to be friendly, that I felt bound to appear, if only for a short time. As I stood in the first room, looking vaguely about me at the lively throng of resplen

attention upon themselves; and their various methods of reaching this desirable end were curious and wonderful in the extreme. For all practical purposes, they were still on the boards which they had left but an hour or two before. It seemed as if they regarded the very orchestra in the light of a specially

a Theatre, the leading lady of Sullivan's long-lived musical comedy, "My Queen." I needed no second glance to convince me that Miss Deschamps was a very important personage indeed, and, further, that a large proportion of her salary of seventy-five pounds a week was expended in the

kness. Of course, she put me out of countenance, particularly when she

u out to me the other night when you were at the Diana. Now, don't say you aren't, or I shall look such a fool;

olently, I took the small hand which she offered, and assured her

er of her own. "Now you shall take me to Sullivan, and he shall introduce us. A

g?" I inquire

lked the cow?

on me; and with such like converse we went in search of Sullivan, while everyo

e orchestra, "listening to the band. He should have a band

end," he went on to me, "you know your way about fairly well. But there!

ully well, Mr. Foster?

should rathe

And I've got a lot of newspaper chaps here. It'll be in every paper to-morrow. I reckon I've done this thing on the right lines. It's only a reception, of course, but let me tell you I've seen after the refreshments-not snacks-

ot," the l

e everywhere-not quite! By the way, it's abou

ell me all about that business. I'm told you we

iness?" I

en Alresca broke his thigh. Didn'

save his life, but

cretly married to

n't say, but

ut it, because one of our girls has a sister who's in the Opera chorus, and h

sion of Marie Deschamps. I was astonished at my own enterprise. I p

xclaimed, when

sure

ing," Sull

a thing," she observed, dra

gan to talk confidently in Sullivan

ie. And I say, Carl, the wife said I was to tell you parti

hen I must go down to where the champagne is flowing. But not with you, not with you,

in a much smaller apartment crowded with whispering seekers after knowledge of the future. This room was dimly lighted from the ceiling by a single electric light, whose shade was a

!" she cried pleasantly. Then she recognized me,

laimed, coming forward and ignoring al

ve come. And, please, I want to see som

glanced

n as I had done receiving, and I've already had I don't know how many clients. I sha'n't be able to stop long

y charming of you!

delicious!"

take first?" Emmel

ion or a doubt, though she and I had come in last. And the oth

hen," said Emm

if to fo

Marie. "You just stay h

tière, and a faint giggle, soon suppress

om, I took myself off for a stroll, in the hope of encountering Rosetta Rosa. Yes, certainly in

prospective crystal-gazers was empty, a

exclaimed.

u see, of course, one has to mingle with one's

d. "Am I not going to have

n of hers, and I was being simply jocular when I made that remark. Emmeline, however, took it seriously. As her face had changed when

?" she questioned me,

bish-but suppose there is s

said

es

e, t

y on a black marble table. The effect was rather disconcerting at first; but the explanation was entirely simple. The light came from an electric table

n," said

one of the chairs, at op

shade of the lamp, and for a second her long and heavy, yet handsome, features were displayed to the minutest part in the blinding ray of the lamp, and the next second they we

eline began

mixture of the absolutely conventional and of something quite else-something bizar

" I mu

eve in the s

th anything that might be a manifestation of it. But I may say that I a

se," she

it's so serious to you, why do yo

I thought the crystal would be such a good thing for Sullivan's reception. It is very important to Sullivan that t

o na?vely, so simply and unaffectedly, tha

e crystal?"

the dark portion of the table's surface into the oval of light. And it was so exactly spherical, and the table

s it," I

id not know. I saw it again and again-and always the same scene. Then I saw you at the Opera last week, and Sullivan

I spoke

an whom I saw

at least trying to smile. "And wha

standin

ople. But this little dark room, with its sharply defined oval of light, was utterly shut off from the scene of gaiety. I was aware of an involuntary shiver, and for the life of me I could not keep my g

raid, are you?

urse I

tell you. You shall try to see for yourself. You may succeed, if I help yo

towards me from u

murmured

ng depths of the crystal, full of strange, sho

You'll have to tel

yet. Look again. Take my

After a few minutes, the crystal darkened and then s

," she breathed so

coming. Yes, I see myself, and-and-a woman-a

oice vibrated like a lamentation in my ear. I did r

Rosetta

see?" my questioner

re I cannot make out. It is threatening me. It is threa

rolled off the table to the floor, and fell with a thud unbroken o

ulled apart, and some one stood there in

to come with me," said a voice

nd her wa

'd be here," la