play of benevolent feelings have given even a sacred beauty to her homely features the dwarf has disappeared and there remains instead a grave but venerable matron � honored like a queen ix t � i t hit a t i nonsense there is no such thing life is not a game of chance any more than is if yon lose yon have no one but yourself to blame this was said by a young lieutenant in the navy to a middle aged his elder brother do you mean to say that luck had nothing to do with fine gentleman passing for lieutenant and my being turned back was the though a is a good seaman and � and the speaker looked another way and hesitated i am not you would if you had fishing age but i say i am and a better seaman than practically perhaps for you are ten years older in the service but it was in the part of which is equally important � that you broke down before the continued the younger officer in tones of earnest but sorrowful reproach you never would study i u teu you what it is master said the elder not without a show of displeasure i don t think this is the correct sort of conversation to be going on between two brothers after a five years separation the young lieutenant laid his hand soothingly on his brother s arm and entreated him to take what he said in good part well well rejoined the with a laugh half forced take care what you are about or by jove i inform against you what for why for preaching without a license besides you were once as bad as you pretend i am the ghost of james i own it with sorrow but i was warned in time by the wretched end of poor james of whom asked the elder brother starting back as he pushed his glass along the table you don t mean jovial as we used to call him once my in the yes i do what i dead yes why it was one of our great delights when in harbor and on shore to go the rounds � as he called it � with jovial he understood life from stem to stem � from to he knew everybody from the first lord downwards i have seen him recognized by the duke one minute and the next pick up with a strolling player and familiarly treat him at a tavern he once took me to a party at the of s where he seemed to know and be known to everybody present and then to the where he was equally intimate with all sorts of queer characters though a favorite among the aristocracy he was equally welcome in less exclusive societies he was brother past master noble grand or president of all sorts of and uncommonly knowing was in all sorts of club and fashionable gossip he knew who gave the best dinners and was always invited to the best balls he was a capital judge of champagne and when he upon a horse race everybody backed him he could hum all the fashionable songs and was the fourth man who could dance the when it was first imported then he was as profound in stout ale and of bishop as he was in punch french and italian singers afloat he was the soul of fun � he got up all our private told all the best stories and sung comic songs that made even the laugh an extent and variety of knowledge and accomplishments said lieutenant which the ghost op james had the precise effect of his prospects in life he was as you remember at last dismissed the service for and when did you see him last what alive f inquired ing countenance of course i surely you do not mean to that you have seen his ghost i the lieutenant was silent and the took a deep draught of his favorite mixture � equal portions of rum and water � and hinted to his younger brother the lieutenant the of immediately confiding the story to the for he declined to credit it he then ventured another recommendation which was that should throw the impotent he was then over the side of the ship � which meant the tavern of that name in at the open bow window of which they were then sitting � and clear his by something stronger i can afford to be laughed at said the younger fishing because i have gained by tbe delusion if it be one but if ever there was a ghost i have seen the ghost of james i like yourself and he was nearly ruined by love of amusement and when or whatever else it might have came to my aid let us i see i am in for a ghost story well it was eighteen forty one when i came home in the arrow with from the coast of africa you were lying in the in the ours you know was rather a thirsty station a man inclined for it comes home from the with a determination to make up his lee way i did mine with a vengeance as usual i looked up jovial twas easy to find him if you knew where to go i did know and went he had by that time got tired of his more aristocratic friends respectability was too slow for him so i foimd him over the at the the ghost of james union jack he received me with open arms and took me aa you say tlie rounds i can t recall that week s without a shudder we rushed about from ball to tavern from theatre to supper room from club to gin palace as if our lives depended on losing not a moment we had not time to walk so we galloped 