s on a low settee in the lobby.

"There, she is coming round. You may tell your master, Jumbo, 'twas
nothing but the mince pies."

"Oh, no--" began Aurelia, but her own voice seemed to come from
somewhere else, and being inexperienced in fainting, she was frightened.

"That is right, you are better. Now, a drop of strong waters."

Aurelia choked, and put them aside, but was made to swallow the draught,
and revived enough to ask, "How came I here?"

"Jumbo must have carried you out, ma'am, and laid you here before ever
he called any one," said Mrs. Aylward. "Dear, dear, to think of your
being taken like that. But the tins of those mince-pies are over large!
You must halve one next time."

Aurelia was sensible enough to the reproof of greediness to begin to
protest against the mince-pie theory, but she recollected that she could
not account for her swoon, and thereupon became as red as she had been
pale, thus confirming the housekeeper's opinion. A sound of footsteps
made her start up and cry, "What's that?" in nervous fright; but Mrs.
Aylward declared it was fancy, and as she was by this time able to walk,
she was conducted to her own room. There she was examined on her recent
diet, and was compelled to allow the housekeeper to ascribe her illness
to neglect of autumnal blood-letting and medicine; and she only stave
off the send for the barber and his lancet the next morning by promising
to swallow a dose compounded of all that was horrible.

She was altogether much shaken, she dreamed strange dreams by night, was
capable of little by day, was declared by the children to be cross, and
was much inclined to plead indisposition as an excuse for not visiting
that alarming room in the evening. Indeed for the greater part of the
day she felt as if she must avail herself of the pretext, and as if she
neither could nor would encounter that strange double creature in the
dark; but somehow she had been as much fascinated as terrified, and, in
spite of her resolve, she found herself mechanically following Jumbo,
shuddering all over and as cold as ice.

The dark chambers were warmed by German stoves, so that the atmosphere
was always equable, and it seemed to revive her, while a kind, warm hand
led her as usual to her seat, and it was the usual gentle, courteous,
paternal tone that addressed her, "How chill and trembling you are! My
poor child, you were sadly alarmed last night."

Aurelia murmured some excuse about being ve