ance. I should certainly have been deceived. Well, I'm
glad our chase has been a case of much ado about nothing. I think you
may go to bed with easy minds to-night, girls. If we have any more
alarms, we must send for Bill to protect us. Good dog! Can you find
some scraps for him in the kitchen, Mrs. Wilson?"

Cicely's rat was of course a great joke in the school, and a subject of
teasing for several days afterwards.

"You'll imagine your dressing-gown is a tiger next," said Effie
Hargreaves.

"Some people scream at nothing. I'd have been sure about it first,
before making such a fuss," said Beryl Austen.

"She thought it was a wily rat, and watched to see it move,
She looked again, and saw that it was nothing but a glove!"

improvised Nora Proctor, who was fond of _Alice_, and had rather a taste
for parody.

"It was such a disappointment to us, when we were waiting to hear the
scuffle," said Marjorie Butler.

"We shan't believe in your scares next time," said Effie.

"It's all very well, but I'm sure you'd have been just as frightened
yourselves," retorted Cicely. "You've no need to make so much fun of
me."

"It's too bad. I vote we pay them out, and have the laugh on our side,"
sympathized Lindsay, leading her friend away. "I've thought of such a
capital idea. Come to the summer-house and we'll talk it over."

As the result of Lindsay's cogitations, the two girls went boldly to
Mrs. Wilson, and begged an old cardboard box.

"It's half to pieces," said "The Griffin", quite amiably, for a wonder.
"It's not much good you'll do with it, I'm afraid."

"Never mind, it's enough for what we want, thank you. We're not going to
put anything very heavy in it, are we, Cicely?"

Cicely's reply was such a wildly hysterical giggle that Mrs. Wilson
stared at her in offended surprise.

"She's only silly!" explained Lindsay hurriedly. "Please, could you let
us have some scraps of dark cloth? Perhaps there'd be something in the
rag bag. Be quiet, you stupid!"

The last remark was aside to the irrepressible Cicely, who straightened
her face with an effort. "We're going to do some sewing," she
volunteered, choking back her mirth.

"You're not generally so industrious," said Mrs. Wilson grimly. "I
should be glad to see you using your needle for once. It seems all
tennis and croquet with you young ladies."

She produced the rag bag, however, and allowed the girls to take their
choice of the various odds and ends whi