is is, and leaving us poor, unprotected women
all alone in this big place, and not a man near but the gardeners, and
them so far off that you might squeal the house down before they'd hear.
Well, I shall go to bed. Ugh! I feel quite shivery, and the place
looks horrid in the dark. I don't like to go into the pantry for a
light. I know; her ladyship's writing-table."

Jane Gee stepped quickly into the moonlight, caught sight of something
on the carpet, and uttered a fearful shriek, just as a figure passed the
French window, turned back, stopped short, and began to tap.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

THE COMING HOME.

"Oh, oh, oh!" cried the girl; "it's Mark--it's Mark! Oh, oh, oh!" she
kept on in a peculiar sob. But she tottered to the window and undid the
brass latch with trembling hands, when Mark pressed the glass door open,
sprang in, closed the leaf, fastened it, and, flinging one arm round the
sobbing girl, clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Hold your row, you silly fool! Couldn't you see it was me?"

"Ye-ye-yes, Mark. Oh, I'm so glad you've come."

"Seems like it--squealing everybody else out of bed to come and ketch
me."

"Oh, oh, oh, Mark dear!" sobbed the girl. "Take care," and she clung to
him.

"Why, of course I will," whispered the groom. "My word! I didn't know
you could come hysterics like that," and as he spoke he tried to comfort
the trembling girl, succeeding to some extent, while another singular
thing took place in that certainly unhaunted room.

For the big ugly pair of boots began, not to walk according to their
nature when set in motion, but to glide in a singular way in the
moonlight, following their tightened strings, passing round the head of
the quilted couch and into the conservatory, but without a sound.

"Oh, oh, Mark!" sobbed the girl, with a shudder.

"What, beginning again? What a little silly it is!"

"But come away."

"Well, I'm coming away. Come on."

"No, no; not that way. Oh!"

"Be quiet, or you'll be waking someone," whispered Mark.

"I can't help it," sobbed Jane. "It wasn't you that frightened me, Mark
dear, it was the burglars."

"The what? Where?"

"Oh, I'd dropped asleep, Mark, and the lamp burnt out, and the clock
woke me up, and then I saw it. Oh, horrid!"

"Be quiet, I tell you. What did you see?"

"That great big pair of boots in the moonlight there."

"Where?" cried Mark, doubtingly.

"Down there by the blue couch."

"Stuff! Ther