nd the boy sighed as he stirred the sugar, and
wished he could have Godfrey Boyne down, as companion for himself, and
to cheer the poor fellow up.

It was quite dark by the time he had done, and with the full intention
of suggesting that they should wait till the girls had gone to bed, and
then steal down together for a walk in the forest, the boy rose to go
and make an observation or two as to the position of the servants,
before stealing up to join his friend.

Waller rose, went across to the bell, the pull of which he had taken in
his hand, when he was startled by a distant scream, followed by half a
dozen more, and the trampling of feet somewhere above, while, as he
rushed out into the hall, he was just in time to hear a door bang and
quick steps hurrying along the kitchen passage.

CHAPTER TEN.

ALARMING SOUNDS.

The thoughts of Godfrey Boyne occupied so much position in Waller's
brain that he at once concluded something must be wrong with him, and
rushing upstairs two at a time, and making sure that he was not
followed, he continued the rest of his way in the darkness as silently
as he could, pausing to listen at the top of the attic stairs, and then
cautiously creeping to and trying the door of his den.

All was perfectly still there, and he found the door fastened from
within.

"False alarm," he said to himself; and he crept down again to make his
way to the kitchen, from which, as he drew nearer, there came faint
hysterical cries and a most unpleasant smell of burning.

Hurrying into the kitchen, Waller found that the cries came from Bella,
who was lying upon her back upon the shred hearthrug in front of the
kitchen fire, while Martha was trying to bring her fellow-servant round
from a fainting fit, and causing the horrible stench by burning the
dried wing of a goose close to the girl's nostrils and making her sneeze
violently.

"Oh dear! Oh dear!" cried Bella, uttering a sob, and then giving vent
to a tremendous sneeze.

"Bless the King!" said Martha Gusset quietly. "Sneeze again, dear;
it'll do you no end of good."

The advice came rather late, for the girl's face was already wrinkling
up for another nervous convulsion that seemed stronger than the last.

"Bless the King!" said the cook again, "There, there, dear: you will be
better soon."

"What's the matter, Martha?" said Waller anxiously, and with a horrible
dread upon him that all had been found out.

"She's had a fright, my dear.