u'll be fancying
things, just as I did."

In spite of which advice Nesta did suffer a few qualms at night, if
she happened to wake in the dark; but sleeping with her mother was
comforting, and the panics never lasted long.

Lessons began again, and the days passed in their usual routine,
but with the added joy of something to look forward to in the
arrival of the new aunt.

It was a nightly annoyance to Peter that he was put to bed at the
same time as Sandy Robertson, while the twins stayed up to late
dinner. Becky went to bed still earlier, and was generally fast
asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.

"You might shoot pistols in the room after Becky is asleep," was a
favourite saying, "and you wouldn't wake her."

Which statement she almost verified the night Eustace caused such
an excitement; she really did not wake until the second shot was
fired.

But Peter was not a heavy sleeper. Moreover, he had heard something
about the black-fellow stories too. Sandy Robertson gave him a good
deal of information as they played together, and the little fellow
got into a thoroughly nervous state.

Mrs. Orban often sat with him till he was asleep, and then left a
shaded light burning both in his room and her own.

It did not startle her very much one night as she sat at dinner
with the twins to see Peter tear into the room yelling for her at
the top of his voice. She guessed he had awakened from a dream, and
was just frightened at finding himself alone with no one but Sandy.

He sprang into her arms and lay there trembling, panting only
"Mother--mother--mother," over and over again.

"Well, sonny, what is it?" said his mother soothingly, stroking
back his hair from his forehead.

"O mummie," he gasped, "there's something moving in your room. I
heard it."

Eustace and Nesta started, and exchanged frightened glances. But
Mrs. Orban answered quite calmly,--

"I dare say, darling. It is probably Mary turning down the beds."

She rose as she spoke and went towards the door.

"Oh, don't, mummie! don't go," Peter pleaded eagerly; "perhaps it's
a black-fellow."

"Nonsense, darling," Mrs. Orban said. "You can stay here with
Eustace and Nesta if you like, but of course I must go and see what
the noise was."

"I'm going with mother," said Eustace sturdily.

"So am I," said Nesta.

"We'll all go," said Mrs. Orban cheerily; "and I am quite sure Mary
will think us mad when she sees us."

So down the passage