find
me somewhere else?--though I'm quite sure you'll not be able to find
me any place as comfortable as this."

"Whatt will we do?" she said, much disturbed, and gazed at him
thoughtfully. Then, with sudden inspiration, "There iss the big house
up the garden?" and looked at him hopefully.

"But it's empty."

"Everything iss there, and all ready for them to come any time they
want to. It woult only mean making up a bed and you coult come here
for your meals."

"That would do first-rate if you can arrange it."

"I will write to Mrs. Lee to-day and ask her to tell me by the
telegraph. It will be all right."

"That's all right then. Who's the wretched person who is turning me
out of here?"

"It is two leddies. They wrote to the Vicar, and he asked John Philip
and he told my man."

"Two ladies! Then I can't possibly have my meals in here. You'd better
let me join you in the kitchen,"--a consummation he had been striving
after for some time past, in fact ever since his literary instincts
had shaken off the thrall and got their heads above the mists,--with a
view, of course, of turning a more intimate knowledge of his
surroundings to profitable account.

But his hostess was jealous of her kitchen and would not hear of it.

"There iss no need. I will arrange it, and you will tek your meals in
here just as usual. Which room woult you like in the big house?"

"I'll go up and have a look round. Does it make any difference to you
which I choose? I'd like one with a balcony if it's all the same to
you."

"It iss all the sem, and I will get it ready for you as soon ass I
hear from Mrs. Lee. You will not be afraid, all alone by yourself up
there?"

"Afraid? No. What is there to be afraid of?"

"Och, I do not know. Only--all alone--sometimes one iss afraid--"

"There aren't any ghosts about, are there?"

"Ghosts? Noh!"--with a ghost of a laugh. "I do not believe in ghosts
or any such things, though some people does. There are some
people"--very scornfully--"will not go by the churchyard at night,
and"--lest so sceptical a mind should provoke reprisal--"I do not know
that I woult myself. And down by the Coupee--But the house there iss
too new to have anything like that." "Well, if I see any I'll try and
catch one and bring it down to breakfast."

And so it was arranged that, if the permission of the owner of the Red
House could be obtained, he should sleep there and come down to the
cottage for his meals, Mrs.