dently had orders before I next saw her; for I never
could get her to discuss Lady Ferry again; and she carefully told me
that she should not have told those foolish stories, which were not
true: but I knew that she still had her thoughts and suspicions as well
as I. Once, when I asked her if Lady Ferry were Madam's real name, she
answered with a guilty flush, "That's what the folks hereabout called
her, because they didn't know any other at first." And this to me was
another mystery. It was strongly impressed upon my mind that I must
ask no questions, and that Madam was not to be discussed. No one
distinctly forbade this; but I felt that it would not do. In every
other way I was sure that I was allowed perfect liberty, so I soon
ceased to puzzle myself or other people, and accepted Madam's presence
as being perfectly explainable and natural,--just as the rest of the
household did,--except once in a while something would set me at work
romancing and wondering; and I read some stories in one of the books in
the library,--of Peter Rugg the missing man, whom one may always meet
riding from Salem to Boston in every storm, and of the Flying Dutchman
and the Wandering Jew, and some terrible German stories of doomed
people, and curses that were fulfilled. These made a great impression
upon me; still I was not afraid, for all such things were far outside
the boundaries of my safe little world; and I played by myself along
the shore of the river and in the garden; and I had my lessons with
cousin Agnes, and drives with cousin Matthew who was nearly always
silent, but very kind to me. The house itself was an unfailing
entertainment, with its many rooms, most of which were never occupied,
and its quaint, sober furnishings, some of which were as old as the
house itself. It was like a story-book; and no one minded my going
where I pleased.

I missed my father and mother; but the only time I was really unhappy
was the first morning after my arrival. Cousin Agnes was ill with a
severe headache; cousin Matthew had ridden away to attend to some
business; and, being left to myself, I had a most decided re-action
from my unnaturally bright feelings of the day before. I began to
write a letter to my mother; but unluckily I knew how many weeks must
pass before she saw it, and it was useless to try to go on, I was
lonely and homesick. The rain fell heavily, and the garden looked
forlorn, and so unlike the enchanting moonlighted p