ht?"

Mrs. Ellmother moved, so that the light of the lamp in Miss Ladd's hand
fell on her face. "I am faint and giddy," she said; "let me go to my
bed."

Miss Ladd instantly followed her. "Pray forgive me! I didn't see you
were ill, when I spoke," she gently explained. "What can I do for you?"

"Thank you kindly, ma'am. I want nothing but peace and quiet. I wish you
good-night."

Alban followed Miss Ladd to her study, on the front side of the
house. He had just mentioned the circumstances under which he and Mrs.
Ellmother had met, when they were interrupted by a tap at the door.
Francine had got back to her room unperceived, by way of the French
window. She now presented herself, with an elaborate apology, and with
the nearest approach to a penitent expression of which her face was
capable.

"I am ashamed, Miss Ladd, to intrude on you at this time of night. My
only excuse is, that I am anxious about Mrs. Ellmother. I heard you just
now in the hall. If she is really ill, I am the unfortunate cause of
it."

"In what way, Miss de Sor?"

"I am sorry to say I frightened her--while we were talking in my
room--quite unintentionally. She rushed to the door and ran out. I
supposed she had gone to her bedroom; I had no idea she was in the
grounds."

In this false statement there was mingled a grain of truth. It was
true that Francine believed Mrs. Ellmother to have taken refuge in her
room--for she had examined the room. Finding it empty, and failing
to discover the fugitive in other parts of the house, she had become
alarmed, and had tried the grounds next--with the formidable result
which has been already related. Concealing this circumstance, she had
lied in such a skillfully artless manner that Alban (having no suspicion
of what had really happened to sharpen his wits) was as completely
deceived as Miss Ladd. Proceeding to further explanation--and
remembering that she was in Alban's presence--Francine was careful to
keep herself within the strict limit of truth. Confessing that she had
frightened her servant by a description of sorcery, as it was practiced
among the slaves on her father's estate, she only lied again, in
declaring that Mrs. Ellmother had supposed she was in earnest, when she
was guilty of no more serious offense than playing a practical joke.

In this case, Alban was necessarily in a position to detect the
falsehood. But it was so evidently in Francine's interests to present
her conduct in the mos