you may be sure her mother petted
her enough to make up all she could for the poor little thing's
disagreeable adventure. It was talked of through the country-side for
many a day after that. Maybe it is still.'

'And I hope they never let her go back to that horrid old grandmother
again,' said Anne.

'Nay, my dear, she wasn't so bad as that. But old people have their
ways.'

'I think our gran is _much_ nicer than that,' said Maud in her clear
little voice.

And I'm sure we all agreed with her.

But we all thanked nurse very nicely for telling us the story, which was
really very interesting.

And it gave us a good deal to talk about.

CHAPTER XI

MISCHIEF IN THE AIR

Yes, it gave us a good deal to talk about. Stories that do that are much
the nicest; they seem to make themselves over and over, and to last so
long. We talked for some days after that, about what we'd each of us do
if _we_ were locked up all night alone in a church, and we made ever so
many plans. And the next Sunday--that was our first one at
Mossmoor,--when we all came home from church and were at dinner, Serena
astonished us very much, when nurse said she'd been a very good girl,
for she's generally a dreadful fidget, by saying quite coolly--

'Oh, I didn't mind the sermon a bit to-day, though it was very long. For
I was settling all the time what I'd do if I was like Maggie in _that_
church. And I know quite well, only I won't tell any of you. So if ever
_I'm_ lost on a Sunday you'll have a nice hunt.'

She tossed back her head the way she does when she means to be
aggravating.

'You silly girl,' said Maud in her superior way, 'you couldn't hide in
that church not to be found. You're so boasty. And if you did, there'd
be no fun in it.'

Serry gave another toss, and a particular sort of a smile. That smile
meant mischief.

'Miss Serena's certainly very clever at hiding places,' said nurse. 'But
there couldn't be very much cleverness wanted to hide in a church; it's
not like finding out queer places you'd never think of in a house. Now,
I daresay, Miss Serry, if it came a very wet day again while we're here
and Mrs. Parsley let you have a good game, as I've no doubt she would, I
daresay you'd keep us hunting like anything.'

'I daresay I could,' said Serry.

But I knew by her voice that _she_ knew that nurse was speaking that way
on purpose to put hiding in the church out of her head. For, as I've
said, Serry's very queer;