u
watch it? I thought I never saw it look so stern, and yet that
contemptible creature sat under it as contentedly as possible. Oh! it
made me quite sick to watch her.'

Are you quite sure that she knew whether my uncle was aware of her
share in the matter?' said Anne.

'She must have seen it in that glance, or have been the most insensible
creature upon earth,' said Elizabeth.

'Ah!' said Anne, 'I have some notion what that eye of your Papa's can
be.'

'You, Anne?' said Elizabeth; 'you do not mean that you could ever have
done anything to make him look at you in that way?'

'Indeed I have,' said Anne; 'do not you remember?'

'No, indeed,' said Elizabeth.

'However, it was not quite so bad as this,' said Anne.

'But do tell us what it was,' said Elizabeth, 'or I shall think it
something uncommonly shocking.'

'I never spoke of it since, because I was too much ashamed,' said Anne;
'and it was very silly of me to do so now.'

'But when was it?' said Elizabeth.

'Two years ago,' said Anne, 'when you were all staying at Merton Hall,
just before that nice nursery-maid of yours, Susan, married our man
Evans.'

'Yes, I remember,' said Elizabeth; 'but what has that to do with your
crime, whatever it may be?'

'A great deal,' said Anne; 'do not you recollect our hunting all over
the garden one day for Winifred and Dora, and at last our asking old
Ambrose whether he had seen them?'

'Oh yes, I think I do,' said Elizabeth; 'and he said that he had seen
Susan and the children go down the blind walk. Then I said Dora had
talked of seeing a blackbird's nest there, and he answered, with a most
comical look, 'Ah! ha! Miss Woodbourne, I fancy they be two-legged
blackbirds as Susan is gone to see.''

'Why, blackbirds have but two legs,' said Helen, looking mystified;
'what did he mean'?'

'That is exactly what Kate said,' said Elizabeth; 'but really I thought
you were sharper, Helen. Cannot you guess?'

'Not in the least,' said Helen.

'That Evans was clipping the hedges,' said Anne.

Elizabeth and Anne indulged in a good laugh at Helen, as much as at
Ambrose, and presently Elizabeth said, 'Well, but, Anne, where is your
crime?'

'Oh! I thought you had remembered, and would spare me,' said Anne.

'But we have not,' said Elizabeth; 'so now for it.'

'Then if I am to tell,' said Anne, 'do not you recollect that I began
to tell Rupert the story in the middle of dinner, when all the servants
were there?'