place by the sick girl's
bedside.

Babette lingered in the passage, staring at the stormy morning, and
gaping forlornly.

"I hope he won't be long," she thought. "I want to go to bed."

Dr. Frank, however, was long. Eight struck somewhere in the house; that
was half an hour, and there was no sign of his coming. Babette shivered
under her shawl, and looked more drearily than ever at the lashing sleet.

Nine--another hour, and no sign from the sick-room, yet. Babette rose up
in desperation, but just at that moment Grace came upstairs.

"You here, Babette!" she said, surprised. "Who is with Agnes?"

"The Doctor, Mademoiselle! he told me to wait until he came out, and I
have waited, and I am too sleepy to wait any longer. May I go,
Mademoiselle?"

"Yes, go," said Grace, "I will take your place."

Babette departed with alacrity, and Grace sat down by the storm-beaten
window. She listened for some sound from the sick-room, but none
rewarded her. Nothing was to be heard but the storm, without, and now
and then the opening and shutting of some door within.

Another half-hour. Then the door of the seamstress's room opened, and
her brother came out. How pale he was--paler and graver than his sister
ever remembered seeing him before.

"Well," she said, rising, "how is your patient?"

"Better," he briefly answered, "very much better."

"I thought she was worse, you look so pale."

"Pale, do I? This dismal morning, I suppose. Grace," he said, lowering
his tone and looking at her fixedly, "whose ghost did old Margery say
she saw?"

"Whose ghost! What a question!"

"Answer it!"

"Don't be so imperative, please. Master Harry's ghost, she said."

"And Master Harry is Captain Danton's son?"

"Was--he is dead now."

"Yes, yes! he was killed in New York, I believe."

"So they say. The family never speak of him. He was the black sheep of
the flock, you know. But why do you ask? Was it his ghost Agnes saw?"

"Nonsense! Of course not! What should she know of Captain Danton's son?
Some one--one of the servants probably--came up the stairs and
frightened her out of her nervous wits. I have been trying to talk a
little sense into her foolish head these two hours."

"And have you succeeded?"

"Partly. But don't ask her any questions on the subject; and don't let
Miss Danton or any one who may visit her ask any questions. It upsets
her, and I won't be answerable for the consequences."

"It is very strange," said Grac