e than
enough to clothe it with all the terrors which belong to the unknown.

When dusk came on, and the owls and bats flapped their wings in shadowy
corners, it was desirable to cling closely together and feel afraid in
company--a tremor was excusable in the boldest. Patrick, indeed, always
declared he had once seen a ghost in Maskells. Pressed for details, he
had been unable to give any clear account of it, and was a good deal
laughed at, especially by Mary; but it was dimly felt by all that there
might be truth in it--anything was possible for a place "in Chancery."

Mary liked to imagine things about Maskells; it would do for the Tower
of London with dungeons in it, or for Lochleven with Mary Queen of Scots
escaping by night, or for a besieged castle, and hundreds of other
fancies. She invented games founded on those scenes which were popular
at first, but as she always took the leading parts herself, the other
children soon tired of them.

"Don't let's pretend anything else," Jennie would say, who had a
practical mind; "let's have a game of hide-and-seek."

And certainly no place could have been better fitted than Maskells for
the purpose.

STORY ONE, CHAPTER 3.

THE ADVENTURE.

Mary did not fail to start in good time for the White House on the
morning after Jackie's invitation, and reached the gates leading into
the stable-yard just as the clock was striking nine. The donkey-cart
was standing there ready, and the four elder children were busily
engaged round it stowing away large parcels to the best advantage, and
thrusting in a variety of small ones. There was an anxious look on all
their faces, for they had so many things to remember and the cart was
small. Rice, the old nurse, stood by with the youngest child in her
arms; she was to ride in the cart with her three charges, who were too
small to walk so far, but it seemed more than doubtful at present if
there would be room by the time the packing was finished. Taught by
experience, however, she wisely forebore to interfere with the
arrangements and waited patiently.

"Have you got everything?" asked Mary as she entered.

There was not much more visible of Jackie than his boots, for he was
making great exertions head-foremost in the cart, but he answered in a
muffled voice:

"I think so. Read the list, Agatha."

"Potatoes and apples to roast--" began Agatha.

"There, now!" said Jackie, and the next minute he was plunging in at the
kit