tood near the horse-block.

"'Get in,' says he, holding the pistil to my ears by way of an argument.

"I got in. He jumped up upon the driver's seat and we drove like the
wind. In another direction from that in which we come, in course, for
there was no carriage road there. The carriage whirled along at such a
rate it made me quite giddy. At last it stopped again. The man in the
mask got down and opened the door.

"'Where are you taking me?' says I.

"'Be quiet,' says he, 'or'----And with that he put the pistil to my
cheek, ordered me to get out, take the bandage from my eyes and walk
before him. I did so and saw dimly that we were in a part of the country
that I was never at before. We were in a dark road through a thick
forest. On the left side of the road in a clearing stood an old house; a
dim light was burning in a lower window.

"'Go on in there,' said the willain, putting the pistil to the back of
my head. As the door stood ajar I went in, to a narrow, dark passage,
the man all the time at my back. He opened a door on the left side and
made me go into a dark room. Just then the unfortunate child that had
been moving restlessly began to wail. Well it might, poor, starved
thing!

"'What's that?' says the miscreant under his breath and stopping short.

"'It ain't nothing, sir,' says I, and 'Hush-h-h' to the baby. But the
poor little wretch raised a squall.

"'What is the meaning of this? 'says he. 'Where did that child come
from? Why the demon don't you speak?' And with that he seized me again
by the scruff of the neck and shook me.

"'Oh, master, for the love of Heaven don't!' says I. 'This is only a
poor unfortnet infant as its parents wanted to get outen the way, and
hired me to take care on. And I have had it wrapped up under my shawl
all the time 'cept when I was in your house, when I put it to sleep in
the corner.'

"'Humph--and you had that child concealed under your shawl when I first
stopped you in the woods?'

"'In course, master,' says I.

"'Whose is it?'

"'Master,' says I, 'it's--it's a dead secret!' for I hadn't another lie
ready.

"He broke out into a rude, scornful laugh, and seemed not half to
believe me and yet not to care about questioning me too closely. He made
me sit down then in the dark, and went out and turned the key on me. I
wet my finger with the paregoric and put it to the baby's lips to quiet
its pains of hunger. Then I heard a whispering in the next room. Now my
eyes