n be up again. "The
Camerons are coming," say I. Never mind, girls; we 'll find another
place for our wee conspiracy.'

In less than two minutes the fire no longer glowed and roared. The
coal smouldered feebly under the grate; the faggots were put in the
dripping rain, for the evening happened to be a wet one; and, in order
to make all secure, Hollyhock poured a jug of water over the rapidly
expiring fire.

'There they lie,' she cried; 'but if any of you wants a proper fire
lit, not in anger, but in the spirit of love, I can and will undertake
the job. Ay! not a word!--Come away, girls. I know a little hut where
we can light a fire for our own conspiracy--a sort of a "cubby hole,"
but loved by poor ghostie, and fit for our work. Come at once, girls.
Come at once.'

CHAPTER XIV.

THE FIRE THAT WILL NOT LIGHT.

The Lady Leucha Villiers and her cousins, the daughters of the Marquis
of Killin, assisted by their chosen companions, tried in vain to
relight the fire in the Summer Parlour; but, alas! although even the
kitchen cat might have understood so simple a job, being at least
acquainted with _something_ of the system, it was quite outside the
powers of these ladies of high degree.

Naughty Hollyhock's last effort before she left the Parlour had been to
pour a small jug of water over the fast-expiring coals.

'I 'm thinking this will settle matters,' she said to her adoring
companions. 'Let them try their hardest now if they like, but we 'll
find our own cubby hole and light our fire somewhere else.'

No sooner said than done, for Hollyhock was an adept at small manual
jobs. She had observed in her rambles over the Palace of the Kings a
small neglected hut, said to be haunted by the ghost from the
neighbouring loch. As Hollyhock had not a scrap of fear of the ghost,
knowing only too well that he did _not_ appear, and knowing also that
she could use him as a valuable weapon, she entered the hut, sent
Gentian flying for some fresh faggots, and with the aid of Margaret
Drummond and her own sisters, Mary Barton, Nancy Greenfield, Isabella
Macneale, and Jane Calvert, she soon had a glowing fire. They put by
in one corner a pile of faggots to place on the fire when tea was over,
after which they would have quite an hour to work out their conspiracy.
At tea, which was served on long tables in a beautiful old room,
Hollyhock looked more brilliant and more beautiful than ever. Leucha,
on the contrary, h