ollowing day, every one in the
castle became alarmed.

The nurses put their caps together and whispered. Even Polly on her
perch screamed out, "What's the matter? what's the matter?" but no one
took any notice of her. Laura did not know whether to be pleased or
displeased; but she was, of course, inclined to sulk about it, rather
than to clap her hands with glee and shout for joy.

[Illustration: "THEY FOUND HER, CURLED UP IN A LITTLE HEAP, FAST
ASLEEP."]

She watched the preparations made for her departure with indifference,
although her pretty frocks were taken down from their hooks in the
closets, and her gay ribbons from their boxes, and a trunk of cedar-wood
with silver bands was brought into the little pretty room, or _boudoir_,
as it was called, which joined the bedrooms. Almost any child would have
been pleased to watch this getting ready to go away, and would have
entered into the details with interest. Many a one would have busied
herself with packing her little treasures, her doll's clothes, or her
playthings; but Laura stood in a listless way in the door, leaning first
upon one foot, then upon the other, wondering just a little where it
might be that she was going, and teasing her little spaniel when he
leaped to caress her, till, tired of watching the maids, she wandered
off to gaze into the cabinet I have spoken of. And when evening came,
there they found her, curled up in a little heap, fast asleep. Fido,
too, was asleep beside his little mistress, for, much as she teased him,
he yet loved her.

The morning dawned clear and cool, and Laura's mamma bade the nurses put
plenty of wraps in the travelling carriage; she also bade them give
Laura a cup of hot chocolate, which was an unusual luxury for the little
damsel. Laura's trunk was stowed away, and, to the surprise of all, hers
was the only trunk visible, so that it looked very much as if the Lady
Idleways meant to return sooner than the little princess--whose title,
by-the-way, had been given by her papa in jest, when she was an infant,
from some of her absurd little freaks of disdain.

All through the light breakfast Lady Idleways never smiled, but watched
her daughter anxiously. Laura fed her spaniel and crumbled her rolls
indifferently. Her little face looked pale and her eyes dim, as if she
might have cried, but there were no tears to be seen; and when she bade
all the household "good bye," she seemed to be entirely unconcerned. And
in this mood