ce. Occasionally she glanced half round, so that she could see us,
but she did not challenge us in regard to our intentions.

"What are you going to do, Ernest?" asked Bob Hale, in a low tone.

"I hardly know yet. We will follow the matter up, and when we get a
little farther into it we shall know better what to do," I replied. "I
think we will stop here a while, and let things take their course."

We halted, and busied ourselves in examining a parterre of flowers,
while the lady continued on her way, and entered the house at a side
door.

"I don't know about this business," said Bob, when Mrs. Loraine was no
longer within hearing.

"I do," I answered decidedly. "I'm as clear as a quill in regard to it."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to get the young lady out of the scrape, by hook or by crook.
Since I have seen this woman, I am satisfied that Miss Kate did not tell
us more than half of the truth."

"What can you do?"

"Just as soon as Kate has had time to put on dry clothes, we will call
upon her to inquire for her health. We can't do any thing less than
that, after we have pulled her out of the lake."

"We can certainly do that, but it seems to me that is about all we can
do."

"I don't know; we will see," I replied, not quite willing yet to tell my
prudent friend what I intended; not that he would be behind me in
carrying out any good work, but because he was rather fond of arguing
against bold measures.

We waited about half an hour, but we were not unobserved; for through
the Venetian blinds I saw Mrs. Loraine several times in the act of
watching our movements. It was plain enough to me that we were not
welcome visitors, and that the lady was not a little disturbed by our
presence. We went up to the side door, where she had entered, and rang
the bell. The summons was answered by the servant girl, who, when we
asked to see Mrs. Loraine, invited us to the sitting-room. I judged that
we had unwittingly chosen an opportune moment for our entrance, for
Kate's persecutor was not in the room, and probably had not noticed our
approach. If she had, it is very likely she would not have permitted us
to come in.

Through the open door we saw her come down the stairs. She looked vexed
and annoyed when she discovered who her visitors were, and sailed into
the room with an exhibition of _hauteur_ which might have produced a
strong impression on a couple of smaller boys than Bob and myself.

"We called