an-servant, Mr. Rook--well past sixty.
And last, his man-servant's wife, who considers herself young, being
only a little over forty. That is the household. Mrs. Rook is coming
to-day to attend Emily on the journey to the North; and I am not at all
sure that Emily will like her."

"A disagreeable woman, I suppose?"

"No--not exactly that. Rather odd and flighty. The fact is, Mrs. Rook
has had her troubles; and perhaps they have a little unsettled her. She
and her husband used to keep the village inn, close to our park: we know
all about them at home. I am sure I pity these poor people. What are you
looking at, Francine?"

Feeling no sort of interest in Mr. and Mrs. Rook, Francine was studying
her schoolfellow's lovely face in search of defects. She had already
discovered that Cecilia's eyes were placed too widely apart, and that
her chin wanted size and character.

"I was admiring your complexion, dear," she answered coolly. "Well, and
why do you pity the Rooks?"

Simple Cecilia smiled, and went on with her story.

"They are obliged to go out to service in their old age, through a
misfortune for which they are in no way to blame. Their customers
deserted the inn, and Mr. Rook became bankrupt. The inn got what they
call a bad name--in a very dreadful way. There was a murder committed in
the house."

"A murder?" cried Francine. "Oh, this is exciting! You provoking girl,
why didn't you tell me about it before?"

"I didn't think of it," said Cecilia placidly.

"Do go on! Were you at home when it happened?"

"I w as here, at school."

"You saw the newspapers, I suppose?"

"Miss Ladd doesn't allow us to read newspapers. I did hear of it,
however, in letters from home. Not that there was much in the letters.
They said it was too horrible to be described. The poor murdered
gentleman--"

Francine was unaffectedly shocked. "A gentleman!" she exclaimed. "How
dreadful!"

"The poor man was a stranger in our part of the country," Cecilia
resumed; "and the police were puzzled about the motive for a murder. His
pocketbook was missing; but his watch and his rings were found on the
body. I remember the initials on his linen because they were the same
as my mother's initial before she was married--'J. B.' Really, Francine,
that's all I know about it."

"Surely you know whether the murderer was discovered?"

"Oh, yes--of course I know that! The government offered a reward; and
clever people were sent from London to he