reason of that. It's to deceive people and get them
into her clutches," said Lewis. "Now I must be off, or they will
half-murder me if they find out where I have been. I'll try and come
another day if I can give old Mother Howard the slip." And seizing the
rope-ladder, which had been hidden among the branches, he again dropped
it over the wall. Climbing down the ladder was a much quicker matter
than climbing up, and in a couple of minutes he was safely running
across the orchard towards the brick house.

CHAPTER VII.

JACK AND JILL.

When Lewis Brand had disappeared from sight, the three children left in
the Eagle's Nest could scarcely believe that since dinner-time so many
curious things had happened. A strange boy, of whose existence they
were not aware two hours before, had been playing with them just as if
they had known each other all their lives. He had, moreover, told them
his history, which was quite as wonderful as many fairy stories. And
they had seen the mysterious Mrs. Howard.

These extraordinary new experiences had the effect of quite throwing
the rope-ladder into the background, and they actually forgot all about
its existence, and descended by the wall in the old way at the warning
sound of the tea-bell. John was the first to notice this omission.

"Oughtn't we to climb up again and come down by the ladder?" he said.

"Oh no, bother the ladder!" replied Madge, so curtly that the others
stared at her in surprise.

"But the ladder was your idea, your very own idea. And I thought you
were so proud of it!" observed Betty in a bewildered voice.

"Oh yes, so I was!" cried Madge impatiently. "But don't you see, so
many new things have happened that they have nearly put the old things
out of my head. The ladder is quite safe up there twisted round the
bough. Barton will never think of looking in the tree even if he does
miss it, but it's my belief he doesn't count the ropes all through the
summer. Now let us hurry back or there will be a fuss about our
keeping tea waiting, and we sha'n't be allowed to go so far away in the
fields. You know Miss Thompson once threatened not to let us out of
sight of the schoolroom window if we so often came in late."

On the way home Madge impressed upon the other two the necessity of not
boasting of their adventure.

"Mayn't we even say that we have seen Mrs. Howard? Not even tell
Jane?" they asked.

"Certainly not," said Madge sternly. "It is