in a
minute, the chimney can't be cold, for there was one yesterday. I put
fires in each in turns.'

"We felt sorry to trouble her, but it seemed really necessary, for just
then our driver came to the door to tell us he had had to take out the
horses and put them into the stable.

"'They seemed dead beat,' he said, 'with the heavy roads. And besides it
would be impossible to drive in the midst of such very thick falling
snow. 'Twould be better to wait an hour or two, till it went off. There
was a bag in the carriage--should he bring it in?'

"We had forgotten that we had brought with us some sandwiches and buns.
In our excitement we had never thought how late it was, and that we must
be hungry. Now, with the prospect of an hour or two's enforced waiting
with nothing to do, we were only too thankful to be reminded of our
provisions. The fire was already burning brightly in the little
room--'Mr. Walter's room' the young woman called it--'That must be the
gentleman that was to be with Mr. Turner to-day,' I whispered to
Mary--and she very good-naturedly ran back to her own little house
to fetch the necessary materials for a cup of tea for us.

"'It is a fearful storm,' she informed us when she ran back again, white
from head to foot, even with the short exposure, and indeed from the
windows we could see it for ourselves. 'The snow is coming that thick and
fast, I could hardly find my own door,' she went on, while she busied
herself with preparations for our tea. 'It is all very well in summer
here, but it is lonesome-like in winter since the family went away. And
my husband's been ill for some weeks too--I have to sit up with him most
nights. Last night, just before the snow began, I did get such a
fright--all of a sudden something seemed to come banging at our door, and
then I heard a queer breathing like. I opened the door, but there was
nothing to be seen, but perhaps it was that that made me look strange
when Miss here,' pointing to me, 'asked me if the house was haunted.
Whatever it was that came to our door certainly rushed off this way.'

"'A dog, or even a cat, perhaps,' said Mary.

"The woman shook her head.

"'A cat couldn't have made such a noise, and there's not a dog about the
place,' she said.

"I listened with great interest--but Mary's thoughts were otherwise
engaged. There was not a doubt that the snow-storm, instead of going off,
was increasing in severity. We drank our tea and ate our sandwiches