As for the noise,--"

"Yes, Uncle John, I am really much more puzzled about that noise, for,
of course, I saw the other foolishness with my eyes."

"Well!" said Mr. Montfort, comfortably, "we used to make that noise with
a thing we called a roarer; I don't know whether they have such things
now. You take a tomato-can, and put a string through it, and then you--
It really does make a fine noise, very much what you describe. Yes, I
have that on my conscience, too, Margaret. You see, I told you I knew
this kind of child, and so I do, and for good reason. But Basil won't
say anything at all about the matter. He says it was not his hunt, and
he will tell all that he did, but cannot tell on others; which is
entirely proper. But when I turned to that other little scamp, Merton, I
could get nothing but floods of tears, and entreaties that I would ask
Frances. 'Frances knows all about it!' he said, over and over."

"And have you seen Frances?"

"N--no," replied Mr. Montfort, rather slowly. "I am going to see Frances
now."

Accordingly, a few minutes later, Frances, bustling about her kitchen,
became aware of her master standing in the doorway. She became aware of
him, I say, but it was with "the tail of her eye" only; she took no
notice of him, and went on rattling dish-pans at an alarming rate. She
appeared to be house-cleaning; at all events, the usually neat kitchen
was in a state of upheaval, and the chairs and tables, tubs and
clothes-horses, were so disposed that it was next to impossible for any
one to enter. Moreover, Frances apparently had a toothache, for her face
was tied up in a fiery red handkerchief; and when Mr. Montfort saw that
handkerchief, he looked grave, and hung about the door more like a
schoolboy than a dignified gentleman and the proprietor of Fernley
House.

"Good morning, Frances," he said at length, in a conciliatory tone.

"Good morning, sir," said Frances; and plunged her mop into a pail of
hot water.

"You have a toothache, Frances? I am very sorry."

"Yes, sir, I have; thank you, sir."

"A--Frances--I came to ask if you can tell me anything about the strange
noise that frightened the ladies so, last night and the night before."

"No, sir," said Frances. "I can't tell you nothing about it. There do be
rats enough in this house, Mr. Montfort, to make any kind of a noise;
and I do wish, sir, as the next time you are in town, you would get me a
rat-trap as is good for something. There's n