leasure of a full
view, from which she had been so long cut off. The maid who waited on
her had told her that Mr. Salton had not yet returned home, so she felt
free to enjoy the luxury of peace and quiet.

As she looked out of the window, she saw something thin and white move
along the avenue. She thought she recognised the figure of Lady
Arabella, and instinctively drew back behind the curtain. When she had
ascertained, by peeping out several times, that the lady had not seen
her, she watched more carefully, all her instinctive hatred flooding back
at the sight of her. Lady Arabella was moving swiftly and stealthily,
looking back and around her at intervals, as if she feared to be
followed. This gave Mimi an idea that she was up to no good, so she
determined to seize the occasion for watching her in more detail.

Hastily putting on a dark cloak and hat, she ran downstairs and out into
the avenue. Lady Arabella had moved, but the sheen of her white dress
was still to be seen among the young oaks around the gateway. Keeping in
shadow, Mimi followed, taking care not to come so close as to awake the
other's suspicion, and watched her quarry pass along the road in the
direction of Castra Regis.

She followed on steadily through the gloom of the trees, depending on the
glint of the white dress to keep her right. The wood began to thicken,
and presently, when the road widened and the trees grew farther back, she
lost sight of any indication of her whereabouts. Under the present
conditions it was impossible for her to do any more, so, after waiting
for a while, still hidden in the shadow to see if she could catch another
glimpse of the white frock, she determined to go on slowly towards Castra
Regis, and trust to the chapter of accidents to pick up the trail again.
She went on slowly, taking advantage of every obstacle and shadow to keep
herself concealed.

At last she entered on the grounds of the Castle, at a spot from which
the windows of the turret were dimly visible, without having seen again
any sign of Lady Arabella.

Meanwhile, during most of the time that Mimi Salton had been moving
warily along in the gloom, she was in reality being followed by Lady
Arabella, who had caught sight of her leaving the house and had never
again lost touch with her. It was a case of the hunter being hunted. For
a time Mimi's many turnings, with the natural obstacles that were
perpetually intervening, caused Lady Arabella s