as fast as possible.

Accordingly she knelt for a few moments by her bedside in her little
white nightdress, and then tumbled into it, and with a happy sigh
went into the land of dreams.

A moment or two later Ermengarde softly opened the door of the
sleeping-room and went out. It was ten o'clock, and the household,
tired from the day's pleasuring, were all preparing to go to bed.
Ermengarde ran along the corridor, flew downstairs the back way, and
found herself in the schoolroom part of the house. She took her
waterproof cloak and an old garden-hat from a peg on the wall, and let
herself out by a side-door. If she ran very fast she would probably be
back before George, the old butler, had drawn the bolts and put the
chain on for the night. If not, she knew that it would not be
difficult to open one of the schoolroom windows, which were low, and
as often as not unhasped. Ermengarde had herself noticed that the bolt
of one was not fastened that evening. If the worst came, she could
return to her little bed that way, but she fully expected to be in
time to come back by the door.

The moment she got out, she slipped on her waterproof and hat, and
then, with the speed and lightness of a little fawn, flew down the
narrow pathway which led first to the park, and then across it to the
keeper's cottage.

The moonlight lay in silver bars over the grass, and when Ermengarde
got under the trees their great shadows looked black and portentous.
At another time she might have felt some sensations of fear at finding
herself at so late an hour alone in the woods, but she was too intent
now on the object of her mission to have any room for nervousness. She
was out of breath when she reached the cottage, but to her relief saw
that its inmates were not yet in bed, for light shone from the kitchen
and also from Susy's bedroom.

Ermengarde's knock at the kitchen door was answered by Mrs. Collins
herself.

"Oh, Miss Wilton, I am pleased to see you," she said. "Susy was
fretting ever so for fear you wouldn't be able to keep your word. Come
in, miss, please; and has Master Basil come with you? or maybe it's
Hudson? I hope whoever it is will be pleased to walk in and wait in
the kitchen."

"No, I've come alone," said Ermengarde shortly. "You know I am not
allowed to be with Susy, so how could I possibly ask anyone to come
with me?"

"Oh, my dear young lady, as if my poor child could harm any one! You
are good and brave, Miss Ermenga