bly.

Patty turned, her pretty face lighting up with a good-humoured smile as
she nodded and said, "Luncheon ready, Fanny? I am simply ravenous."

"Ye-es, I think so, miss. But oh! miss, I want to speak to you badly."

Fatty came forward with the smile still on her lips. "Has Mrs. Tucker
been scolding you dreadfully, you poor Fanny?"

"Then she's told you?" gasped the girl.

"She's told me nothing. I haven't seen her, but you look so woebegone
that I thought she had been having a pitch battle with you for
neglecting something or other, and you wanted me to get you out of the
scrape."

Fanny groaned inwardly. No, her aunt had said nothing, and she must
brace herself up, and tell the whole story from beginning to end. The
beginning, she began to think, was not so dreadful as the end. Oh that
she could dare to disbelieve her eyes, and declare that there was no
end--no awful, uncanny end!

At length, in the quiet of the verandah, the story was told, and Fanny's
heart misgave her more and more as she observed the exceeding gravity of
her young mistress's bright face as the story neared its finish. When
the finish did come, Patty's face was more than grave; the weight of
responsibility was on her, and to young, unused shoulders that weight is
particularly difficult to bear.

"Come and show me where it is," was the only remark she made, but Fanny
noticed that the red lips had lost some of their bright colour, and the
pink in the soft cheeks was of a fainter tinge than when she had first
seen her.

Without making the slightest sound, without one click of the handle,
Fanny opened the door, and Patty looked in. Her courage came back with
a bound. Fanny was a goose, there was nothing to be alarmed about.

She looked up to smile encouragingly at Fanny, when the smile froze on
her lips, for Fanny's face was livid. Without a word she beckoned her
young mistress out of the room, and as softly as before closed the door.
Then, turning to her, she whispered through her set teeth:

"_It has moved again!_"

A cold shiver ran down through Patty's spine, but she was no girl to be
frightened by the superstitious fancies of an ignorant serving maid.

"Nonsense, Fanny!" she said sharply, "you are growing quite crazed over
that stupid pack. I saw nothing unusual in it, it looked innocent enough
in all conscience."

"You never saw it move," was the answer, given in such a lifeless tone
that Patty was chilled again.

"I'll tell