"I did all I could, sir," said my landlady, "but go he wouldn't. 'Tell him it's Jack,' he said."
"Jack!" I cried, interrupting her. "Show him in at once, and don't let us be interrupted; I have business with him."
Much astonished, she departed on her errand, and the next minute Jack stood before me.
My first impression was that the landlady was right, and that Jack had been drinking. His face was as white as a sheet, his eyes glared, and his limbs shook like a man in a palsy.
"You're a pretty object," I said, sternly; but he did not seem to hear what I said.
"Guv'nor," he gasped, in a horse voice, "is that tea? Will yer give me a cup? My throat's on fire."
"Well it might be," I answered, filling a cup, "but I should have thought brandy was more in your way. You'll come to a bad end, my lad."
Still he did not seem to understand me, but took the cup with his shaking hands, holding it in both lest it should slip to the ground. As it was he spilled half of it before it reached his mouth. I took the cup from him, and placing it on the table said:
"Now, what is the meaning of this? How dare you come here in such a state?"
"Give me time, guv'nor, give me time," he croaked. "I shall be better in a minute. Yer think I've been drinkin'. Yer wos never more mistook. I 'ad a pint o' mild this mornin', but I 'ope I may drop down dead if another drop 'as passed my lips the 'ole of this blessed day. I've 'ad a scare, guv'nor--I've 'ad a scare." He dropped his voice, and bending forward, said: "Did yer ever see a ghost?"
"Not that I'm aware of, Jack. You look as if you'd seen one."
"Ah," said I, becoming interested, in spite of my suspicion that he was drunk, his manner was so earnest, "whose ghost?"
"The ghost of 'im as wos murdered. The ghost of Louis Fordham."
"You are dreaming, Jack," I said, staring at him.
"Not me, guv'nor. I'm wide awake, I am. Oh!" He gave a sudden start, and turned his head over his shoulder, as though a spirit was standing behind him.
"No, guv'nor, but I don't know as 'e mightn't appear in this wery room. Is there such things, or am I goin' mad?"
"Not unlikely, Jack, when you come to me with such a cock and bull story. I recollect your saying that you'd seen the murdered man lying on a green field and on a billiard table. This is something of the same sort, I suppose."