t she was being found fault with, and was
indignant. She went upstairs at once, with her head held high,
expecting to find Beth in a healthy sleep. The relief, however, of
finding that the child was well, would not have been so great at the
moment as the satisfaction of proving Aunt Victoria in the wrong.

But Beth was wide awake, petitioning God in an agony to spare her
friends. When Mrs. Caldwell entered she started up.

"O mamma!" she exclaimed, "I'm so glad you've come; I've been so
frightened about you."

"What is the matter with you, Beth?" Mrs. Caldwell asked, not
over-gently. "What are you frightened about?"

"Nothing," Beth faltered, shrinking back into herself.

"Oh, that's nonsense," her mother answered. "It's silly to be
frightened at nothing, and cowardly to be frightened at all. Lie down
and go to sleep, like a good child. Come, turn your face to the wall,
and I'll tuck you in."

Beth obeyed, and her mother left her to her fears, and returned to
Aunt Victoria in the drawing-room.

"Well?" Aunt Victoria asked anxiously.

"She was awake," Mrs. Caldwell acknowledged. "She said she was
frightened, but didn't know what of. I expect she'd been dreaming. And
I'm sure there is nothing the matter with her. She's been subject to
queer fits of alarm at night ever since she was a baby. It's the dark,
I think. It makes her nervous. At one time the doctor made us have a
night-light for her, which was great nonsense, _I_ always said; but
her father insisted. When it suits her to play in the dark, she's
never afraid."

It was at this time that Rainharbour set up a band of its own. Beth
was always peculiarly susceptible to music. Her ear was defective; she
rarely knew if any one sang flat; but the poorest instrument would lay
hold of her, and set high chords of emotion vibrating, beyond the
reach of words. The first time she heard the band, she was completely
carried away. It was on the pier, and she happened to be close beside
it when it began to play, and stood still in astonishment at the crash
of the opening bars. Her mother, after vainly calling to her to come
on, snatched impatiently at her arm to drag her away; and Beth, in her
excitement, set her teeth and slapped at her mother's hand--or rather
at what seemed to her the importunate thing that was trying to end her
ecstasy.

Of course Mrs. Caldwell would not stand that, so Beth, victim of brute
force, was hustled off to the end of the pier, and then sl