Nothing more had been discovered about "Diogenes," as Mr Vanburgh had
been nicknamed since his refusal to receive visitors; but on fine days
his couch was wheeled close to the window, and as he lay looking out, it
was inevitable that the movements of the girls in the sunny porch-room
immediately opposite should attract his wandering attention. When they
glanced across in their turn, he politely turned aside, and appeared
engrossed in his book; but no sooner were they at work again than the
tired eyes would be lifted once more, to dwell with wistful interest on
the bright young faces. One afternoon in especial, as Nan sat bending
over her carving, the conviction strengthened that she was observed.
She peered under her eyelashes, smiled mischievously to herself, and
suddenly leapt from her seat in a manner most startling to the nerves of
her sisters. She hopped on one foot and waved her arms in the air; she
swooped down on Chrissie's work and threw it wildly to the ceiling; she
thrust her face into Elsie's and went off into a peal of maniacal
laughter, which sent that nervous young person flying to the farthest
corner. She seized a bundle of ribbons and danced an impromptu skirt
dance, flourishing them to and fro, while he onlookers scuttled together
like rabbits, and felt that their lives trembled in the balance.
Finally, after succeeding in turning the room topsy-turvy, and raising
the most powerful doubts as to her own sanity, Miss Nan tottered out on
to the landing and collapsed in a breathless heap on the lowest stair,
while her sisters looked on askance from a discreet distance.

"H-have some sal volatile! I'll get it from my room. Never mind, dear,
you'll be better soon!" stuttered Elsie fearfully; but at that the crazy
creature laughed afresh, though in a more restrained and natural
fashion.

"Oh no; I am not mad! I did it for a purpose, my dear, as you shall
hear. That poor old Diogenes was lying on his couch, looking across
with such a dull, pathetic face, and I felt so sorry that the poor dear
had nothing more exciting to amuse him. He must be precious dull when
he takes so much interest in girls like us, and I felt grieved to think
how little fun we had given him, sitting sewing day after day like so
many machines. I says to myself, says I, `It is in your power, Margaret
Rendell, to infuse some brightness into the lot of this poor lonely
sufferer, and you are going to do it! He shall have some exc