were in the middle of another
duet. She wandered restlessly about the room till the piece was
finished, and then made a sign to Sophia to follow her into the
storeroom, the double door of which the sisters could hear carefully
closed. They were too much accustomed to the appearance of mystery
among the ladies of the Grey family, to be surprised at any number of
secret conferences which might take place in the course of the day. But
evening was not the usual time for these. The family practice was to
transact all private consultations in the morning, and to assemble round
the work-table or piano after tea. The sisters made no remark to each
other on the present occasion, but continued their singing, each
supposing that the store-room conference related to some preparation for
the next day's excursion.

It was too dark to distinguish anything in the room before their hostess
re-entered it. Margaret was playing quadrilles; Hester was standing at
the window, watching the shadows which the risen moon was flinging
across the field, and the lighting up of Mrs Enderby's parlour behind
the blinds; and Sydney was teasing his twin sisters with rough play on
the sofa, when Mrs Grey returned.

"You are all in the dark," said she, in a particularly grave tone.
"Why, did you not ring for lights, my dears?" and she rang immediately.
"Be quiet, children! I will not have you make so much noise."

The little girls seemed to wish to obey; but their brother still forced
them to giggle; and their struggling entreaties were heard--"Now don't,
Sydney; now pray, Sydney, don't!"

"Mary and Fanny, go to bed," said their mother, decidedly, when lights
were brought. "Sydney, bid your cousins good-night, and then come with
me; I want to ask you a question."

"Good-night already, mother! Why, it is not time yet this half-hour."

"It is enough that I choose you to go to bed. Wish your cousins
good-night, and come with me."

Mrs Grey led the way once more into the store-room, followed, rather
sulkily, by Sydney.

"What can all this be about?" whispered Hester to Margaret. "There is
always something going on which we are not to know."

"Some affair of fruit, or wine, or bonbons, perhaps, which are all the
better for making their appearance unexpectedly."

At this moment Sophia and her mother entered by opposite doors.
Sophia's eyes were red; and there was every promise in her face that the
slightest word spoken to her would again