ficiently courageous to walk alone; moreover, she was tired, and
could contrive to lean upon both Phoebe and Myfanwy, who were kind
enough to pull her along without remonstrance.

The sands on this part of the shore were not very firm, and the girls'
feet sank with every step, while they stumbled now and then over stones
or clumps of seaweed. It took a long time to cover the three miles to
Birkwood; the distance seemed twice as far as it would have done by day,
and they were thankful when at last they found the path which they knew
led up the cliffs to the Grange.

There was a light in the house; they could see it gleaming when they
were still quite far off, and it seemed to hold out a promise of food
and rest. As they opened the gate, the gardener's wife came running out
of the lodge. She gave a shriek at the sight of them, and rushed
straight up the drive to tell the news: and the four had barely arrived
at the door before Miss Drummond herself came hurrying to meet them.

"Girls! Girls! Where have you been?" she cried, with such a look on her
pale face that they realized for the first time what she must have
suffered during all the hours of that anxious night.

Freda and Blanche (as the girls had supposed), not finding them at the
post office, had imagined that they must have started home, and had
returned without them. They had been greatly dismayed, when they arrived
at the Grange, to discover that the four had not come back. They
reported their absence at once, and a teacher started for Chetbourne, to
try to find them. When darkness fell, and they were still missing, Miss
Drummond, in the greatest alarm, applied to the police, and bands of
searchers were looking for them in various quarters. It had never struck
anybody that they could have gone on the steamer to Sandsend, which lay
in the opposite direction to Chetbourne.

The four truants were very glad indeed of the hot baths and basins of
bread and milk that were waiting for them. They did not equally
appreciate doses of camphor, but did not dare to remonstrate, being only
too thankful that Miss Drummond had forborne as yet to scold. The
Principal's chief object was to get them to bed, and to ward off any
risk of colds or rheumatism that might follow their many hours of
exposure in wet clothes. Fortunately, her prompt measures had the
desired effect, and no evil consequences ensued. The girls were allowed
to sleep late the next morning, and when they arrive