nt on with her book.

Alice undressed, got into bed and was soon asleep. Ethel finished
her book and then lay waiting for her brother-in-law. The lights in
the hall and on the landing were not extinguished, but the house was
still and quiet. It was near twelve and Alice was just wondering if
Mr. C. would really arrive or if it would not be better for her to
undress and get into bed comfortably when she heard gentle footsteps
on the stairs.

"There's Charlie," she said to herself, "and how softly he is coming
upstairs! he is a considerate husband."

She looked at her sister, saw that she was sleeping very soundly. "I
will pretend to be asleep too," said Ethel to herself and she drew
up the bed-clothes to hide her evening dress and put a pillow over
her head.

To her disappointment, Charlie delayed his coming and she was wondering
if he was dining when the door slowly opened, but instead of Mr. C. two
Chinamen entered the room. Ethel stared at them from under her pillow
with amazement. At first they stood motionless beside the door. Then,
closing it noiselessly, they advanced into the room. Their quaint
clothes, long pigtails and red eyes together with their stealthy
movements and the hour of midnight, created an uncanny atmosphere in
the room, and for the first time in her life Ethel began to understand
what nerves mean. Never in her life had her pulses jumped and throbbed
as they were doing now. She controlled her inclination to scream and
from under her pillow watched the men.

They examined the room and one of them approached the toilette table
and began to transfer the jewels and silver ornaments which lay upon it
to a capacious bag. The other took a big cigar out of his pocket and
lit it. Then he stepped to Mrs. C.'s side and began to puff the smoke
into her face. She was sleeping upon her back and though she at first
stirred uneasily she soon seemed to sink into a deeper sleep. After
a few minutes by her side, the Chinaman moved round to Ethel's side
of the bed; but seeing that her head was covered by a pillow and that
she was apparently fast asleep, he turned to help his comrade.

At this moment Mr. C.'s voice sounded in the hall and he came
running upstairs, whistling gaily. The robbers exchanged alarmed
looks and hastily hid themselves and their bag of booty behind a large
almirah. Charlie opened the door and came into the room, saying "Alice,
where are you?" Approaching the bed he said "What, asleep!" an