o you suppose will hurt you? It sounded as if
something fell down; but as it has not fallen upon us, and I do not hear
anybody stirring, or speaking as if they were hurt, what need we care
about it? So pray, Nancy, let us go to sleep again; for as yet I have
not had half sufficient, I am sure; I hope morning is not coming yet,
for I am not at all ready to get up.' 'I am sure,' answered the other,
'I wish it was morning, and daylight now, for I should like to get up
vastly, I do not like to lay here in the dark any longer; I have a great
mind to ring the bell, and then mamma or somebody will come to us with
a candle.' 'And what in the world,' rejoined Mary, 'will be the use of
that? Do you want a candle to light you to look for the wounds the noise
has given you; or what can you wish to disturb my mamma for? Come,
let me cuddle you, and do go to sleep, child, for I cannot think what
occasion there is for us to keep awake because we heard a noise; I never
knew that noise had teeth or claws to hurt one with; and I am sure this
has not hurt me; and so, whether you choose to lie awake or not, I will
go to sleep, and so good-bye to you, and pray do not disturb me any
more, for I cannot talk any longer.' 'But, Mary,' again replied the
other, 'pray do not go to sleep yet, I want to speak to you.' 'Well,
what do you want to say?' inquired Mary. 'Why, pray have you not very
often,' said Nancy, 'heard of thieves breaking into people's houses and
robbing them; and I am sadly afraid that noise was some rogues coming
in; so pray, Mary, do not go to sleep, I am in such a fright and tremble
you cannot think. Speak, Mary, have not you, I say, heard of thieves?'
'Yes,' replied Mary, in a very sleepy voice, 'a great many times.'
'Well, then, pray sister, do not go to sleep,' said Nancy, in a peevish
accent, 'suppose, I say that noise I heard should be thieves, what
should we do? What will become of us? O! what shall we do?'--'Why, go
to sleep, I tell you,' said Mary, 'as fast as you can; at least, do pray
let me, for I cannot say I am in the smallest fear about house-breakers
or house-makers either; and of all the robberies I ever heard of in all
my life, I never heard of thieves stealing little girls; so do, there's
a dear girl, go to sleep again, and do not so foolishly frighten
yourself out of your wits for nothing.' 'Well,' replied Nancy, 'I will
not keep you awake any longer; but I am sure I shall not be able to get
another wink of sle