great eagerness, to
see that we were at least thoroughly well defended by locks and bolts in
our solitude. The tapestry room and that in which we were to sleep could
be locked off from the rest of the empty house, as a door stood at the
head of the little stair leading up to them--so far, so well. But Mrs.
Atkins proceeded to explain that the door at the _outside_ end of the
other passage, leading into the garden, could not be locked except from
the outside.

"'I can lock you in, if you like, Miss,' she said, 'and come round first
thing in the morning;' but this suggestion did not please us at all.

"'No, thank you,' said Mary, 'for if it is fine in the morning I mean to
get up very early and walk round the gardens.'

"'No, thank you,' said I, adding mentally, 'Supposing we _were_
frightened it would be too dreadful not to be able to get out.'--'But we
can lock the door from the tapestry room into the passage, from our side,
can't we?' I said, and Mrs. Atkins replied 'Oh yes, of course you can,
Miss,' turning the key in the lock of the door as she spoke. 'Master
never let the young gentlemen lock the doors when they were boys,' she
added, 'for they were always breaking the locks. So you see, Miss,
there's a hook and staple to this door, as well as the lock.'

"'Thank you, Mrs. Atkins,' said Mary, 'that will do nicely, I am sure.
And now we must really not keep you any longer from your husband.
Good-night, and thank you very much.'

"'Good-night,' I repeated, and we both stood at the door of the passage
as she made her way out into the darkness. The snow was still falling
very heavily, and the blast of cold wind that made its way in was
piercing.

"'Oh, Mary, come back to the fire,' I cried. 'Isn't it _awfully_ cold?
Oh, Mary dear,' I added, when we had both crouched down beside the
welcome warmth for a moment, 'won't it be _delicious_ to be back with
mother again? We never thought we'd have such adventures, did we? Can you
fancy this house ever feeling _home-y_, Mary? It seems so dreary now.'

"'Yes, but you've no idea how different it will seem even to-morrow
morning, if it's a bright day,' said Mary. 'Let's plan the rooms, Laura.
Don't you think the one to the south with the crimson curtains will be
best for father?'

"So she talked cheerfully, more, I am sure--though I did not see it at
the time--to encourage me than to amuse herself. And after awhile, when
she saw that I was getting sleepy, she took a candl