her eyes, wondering whether she had been dead, or
merely ill.

There was not a sound in the Jack-o'-Lantern, and the events of the day
seemed like some hideous nightmare which waking had put to rout. She
bathed her face in cool water, then went to look out of the window.

A lantern moved back and forth under the trees in the orchard, and a tall,
dark figure, armed with a spade, accompanied it. "It's Harlan," thought
Dorothy. "I'll go down and see what he's burying."

But it was only Mrs. Smithers, who appeared much startled when she saw her
mistress at her side.

"What are you doing?" demanded Dorothy, seeing that Mrs. Smithers had dug
a hole at least a foot and a half each way.

"Just a-satisfyin' myself," explained the handmaiden, with a note of
triumph in her voice, "about that there cat. 'Ere's where I buried 'im,
and 'ere's where there ain't no signs of 'is dead body. 'E's come back to
'aunt us, that's wot 'e 'as, and your uncle'll be the next."

"Don't be so foolish," snapped Dorothy. "You've forgotten the place,
that's all, and I don't wish to hear any more of this nonsense."

"'Oo was it?" asked Mrs. Smithers, "as come out of a warm bed at midnight
to see as if folks wot was diggin' for cats found anythink? 'T warn't me,
Miss, that's wot it warn't, and I take it that them as follers is as
nonsensical as them wot digs. Anyhow, Miss, 'ere's where 'e was buried,
and 'ere's where 'e ain't now. You can think wot you likes, that's wot you
can."

Claudius Tiberius suddenly materialised out of the surrounding darkness,
and after sniffing at the edge of the hole, jumped in to investigate.

"You see that, Miss?" quavered Mrs. Smithers. "'E knows where 'e's been,
and 'e knows where 'e ain't now."

"Mrs. Smithers," said Dorothy, sternly, "will you kindly fill up that hole
and come into the house and go to bed? I don't want to be kept awake all
night."

"You don't need to be kept awake, Miss," said Mrs. Smithers, slowly
filling up the hole. "The worst is 'ere already and wot's comin' is comin'
anyway, and besides," she added, as an afterthought, "there ain't a
blessed one of 'em come 'ere at night since your uncle fixed over the
house."

IX

Another

For the first time in her life, Mrs. Carr fully comprehended the
sensations of a wild animal caught in a trap. In her present painful
predicament, she was absolutely helpless, and she realised it. It was
Harlan's house, as he had said, but so powerful