nce; then, as the path became more intricate, she stopped, burst
into tears, laid her head again on its old resting-place, and said in a
hollow voice:--"Yes; all is lost!"

"Come, Laura, don't give way; there's a dear. Just exert yourself a
little and we shall soon be safe at--at--somewhere."

Miss Pritty made a vigorous struggle. She even smiled through her tears
as she replied:--"Well, lead on, love; I will follow you--to death!"

With her eyes tightly shut, lest she should see something hideous in the
woods, she stumbled on, holding to her friend's arm.

"Where are we going to?" she asked, feebly, after a few minutes, during
which Aileen had pulled her swiftly along.

"I don't know, dear, but a footpath _must_ lead to something or
somewhere."

Aileen was wrong. The footpath led apparently to nothing and nowhere.
At all events it soon became so indistinct that they lost it, and,
finally, after an hour's wandering, found themselves hopelessly involved
in the intricacies of a dense jungle, without the slightest clew as to
how they should get out of it.

Aileen stopped at last.

"Laura," she said, anxiously, "we are lost!"

"I told you so," returned Miss Pritty, in a tone that was not quite
devoid of triumph.

"True, dear; but when you told me so we were _not_ lost. Now we _are_.
I fear we shall have to spend the night here," she added, looking round.

Miss Pritty opened her eyes and also looked round. The sight that met
her gaze was not encouraging. Afternoon was drawing on. Thick bushes
and trees formed a sort of twilight there even at noon-day. Nothing
with life was visible. Not a sound was to be heard, save such little
rustlings of dry leaves and chirpings as were suggestive of snakes and
centipedes. The unhappy Laura was now too frightened to shudder.

"What shall we do?" she asked; "shriek for help?"

"That might bring pirates to us instead of friends," said Aileen.
"Listen; do you hear no sound?"

"Nothing," replied Miss Pritty, after a few moments of intense silence,
"save the beating of my own heart. Aileen," she continued, with sudden
anxiety, "are there not serpents in these woods?"

"Yes, I believe there are."

"And tarantulas?"

"Probably."

"And tortoises?"

"I--I'm not sure."

"Darling, how _can_ we sleep among tortoises, tarantulas, and serpents?"

Even Aileen was at a loss for a reply, though she smiled in spite of
herself.

"I'll tell you what," she said, cheerful