e, and somehow I wasn't so sleepy as usual, and
I heard Nan's voice, and I looked over the side of the hammock, and she
was sitting on the grass picking daisies, and her nurse was with her, and
presently you came up. I heard you calling me, but I wasn't going to
answer. I felt too comfortable. You stayed with Nan and her nurse for a
little, and then went away; and I heard Nan's nurse say to her: 'Sit
here, missy, till I come back to you; I am going to fetch another reel of
sewing cotton from the house. Sit still, missy; I'll be back directly.'
She went away, and Nan went on picking her daisies. All on a sudden I
heard Nan give a sharp little cry, and I looked over the hammock, and
there was a tall, dark woman, with such a wicked face, and she snatched
up Nan in her arms, and put a thick shawl over her face, and ran off with
her. It was all done in an instant. I shouted and I scrambled out of the
hammock, and I rushed down the path; but there wasn't a sign of anybody
there. I don't know where the woman went--it seemed as if the earth
swallowed up both her and little Nan. Why, Hester, are you going to
faint?"

"Water!" gasped Hester--"one sip--now let me go."

CHAPTER XL.

A GYPSY MAID.

In a few moments every one in Lavender House was made acquainted with
Susan's story. At such a time ceremony was laid aside, dinner forgotten,
teachers, pupils, servants all congregated in the grounds, all rushed to
the spot where Nan's withered daisies still lay, all peered through the
underwood, and all, alas! looked in vain for the tall dark woman and the
little child. Little Nan, the baby of the school, had been stolen--there
were loud and terrified lamentations. Nan's nurse was almost tearing her
hair, was rushing frantically here, there, and everywhere. No one blamed
the nurse for leaving her little charge in apparent safety for a few
moments, but the poor woman's own distress was pitiable to see. Mrs.
Willis took Hester's hand, and told the poor stunned girl that she was
sending to Sefton immediately for two or three policemen, and that in the
meantime every man on the place should commence the search for the woman
and child.

"Without any doubt," Mrs. Willis added, "we shall soon have our little
Nan back again; it is quite impossible that the woman, whoever she is,
can have taken her so far away in so short a time."

In the meantime, Annie in her bedroom heard the fuss and the noise. She
leaned out of her window and