ve us like this!" said
Marion, crossly.

"Never mind; let us make haste home by ourselves," said Kate, who was
frightened at the lateness of the hour, for they had heard a clock
strike eleven several minutes before.

But Marion would stop and look round once more. "I wonder where they
have gone?" she said.

"Oh, do come!" said Kate; "perhaps they thought we had gone on, as we
were so long getting out."

"Perhaps they are waiting for us at the corner," said Marion, who was
unwilling to give up the hope of seeing these grand new-found friends
again. She hurried on by Kate's side, and at the corner of the street
stopped again and looked all round.

"Oh, don't wait, Marion, they are home by this time," said Kate,
hurrying on.

Marion was obliged to hurry after her, but she was cross and out of
humour. "I will give it to Mr. William when he comes in to-morrow!"
she grumbled; "I never saw such bad behaviour in my life, leaving us to
go home by ourselves at this time of night. There, do stop a minute,
Kate; how fast you are walking. I thought I saw one of them then," and
Marion stopped and looked round.

But no one was to be seen; indeed, the street seemed to be deserted,
for no one was about but themselves, and, their footsteps ringing sharp
and clear on the hard, frosty ground, seemed to fill Kate with terror
again.

"Oh, pray do make haste, Marion," she cried, in a half-suppressed tone,
as though she was afraid of the sound of her own voice.

"Oh, all right, you need not be in such a fright. I suppose you were
never out late at night before," said Marion.

"Not so late as this, and by myself too," said Kate.

"Oh, well, we shan't be long," and Marion hurried on now, and in a few
minutes they had reached the well-remembered street--quiet now, for a
wonder, as it seemed to Kate, and she began to breathe more freely.

The shop was shut up, of course, but Mrs. Maple came to let them in
almost as soon as they had rung the bell. "Has your father gone?" she
said in some surprise, at seeing the girls by themselves.

"Yes, ma'am; he has gone to take a friend home," said Marion, quickly.

They went straight up to bed, and Kate put her bag into her box, where
she usually kept it, without thinking of the buns that were left.

"I'm so glad it is over and we are safe at home again," said Kate with
a sigh of relief.

"I hope we shall soon have another treat just like it," said Marion,
thinking of her new friend