where there's some beautiful matting,' she said.

'Where? Tell us, quick!'

'Come with me, and I'll show you.' She led the way along a corridor to
the wing where the billiard-room was. 'Wait till I see if it's there
still,' she said, and went into the billiard-room and looked around.
'Yes, it _is_ there,' she told them as she came out.

'I don't see it, Cecily; where?' they cried from within.

Cecily shut the door softly, and turned the key (which she had managed
to abstract on entering) in the outer lock.

'It's on the floor,' she cried through the keyhole; 'I didn't tell a
story--and don't be angry, boys, dear, it's all for your good!'

Then, without waiting to hear their indignant outcry, she scudded along
the corridor and down the staircase, with the sounds of muffled shouts
and kicks growing fainter behind her.

'I don't mind so much now,' she thought; 'they'll be awfully angry when
they come out--but the Indians will have gone by that time!'

Clarence had already retreated to his stronghold when she entered the
drawing-room.

Everything seemed as usual; Uncle Lambert, in evening dress, was playing
desultory snatches from _Ruddigore_. Mrs. Jolliffe came down presently,
and he took her in to dinner with one of his tiresome jokes. No one
seemed at all anxious about poor Tinling, fighting all alone down in the
paddock.

She curled herself up on a settee by one of the open windows, and
listened, trying to catch the sound of Indian yells. 'Hazel,' she said
anxiously, 'do you think the Indians will hurt Tinling?'

Hazel gave a little laugh. 'I don't think the army's in any very great
danger, Cis,' she replied.

'Hazel doesn't believe there are any Indians at all,' explained Hilary.

'Well,' said Cecily, softly, 'I've kept the army out of danger, whether
there are or not!'

But she felt relieved by her sisters' evident tranquillity, and
by-and-by, when Mrs. Jolliffe came in from the dining-room and settled
down with her embroidery as if there were not the least chance of a
savage coming whooping in the open window, Cecily almost forgot her
fears.

They came back in full force, however, as, a little later on, she heard
a quick, light step on the gravel outside, and started with a little
scream of terror. 'Don't tell them where the army are!' she cried; and
then she saw that her alarm was needless, for it was the gallant General
who stepped into the room. Hazel looked up from the album which she was
maki