to East
Hornham. I must not forget to tell you that we well examined that part of
the garden into which the tapestry room passage led, but there were no
traces of footsteps, the explanation of which we afterwards found to be
that the snow had continued to fall till much later in the night than the
time of our fright.

"Mr. Turner was waiting for us in considerable anxiety. We had done, he
assured us, the most sensible thing possible in the circumstances. He had
not known of our non-arrival till late in the evening, and, but for his
confidence in Giles, would have set off even then. As it was, he had sent
a messenger to Hunter's Hall, and was himself starting for the Grange.

"Mary sent me out of the room while she spoke to him, at which I was not
over well pleased. She told him all about the fright we had had, and
that, unless its cause were explained, it would certainly leave an
uncomfortable feeling in her mind, and that, considering our father's
invalid state, till she had talked it over with our mother she could not
come to the decision she had hoped.

"'It may end in our taking Hunter's Hall,' she said, 'though the Grange
is far more suitable.'

"Mr. Turner was concerned and perplexed. But Mary talked too sensibly to
incline him to make light of it.

"'It is very unfortunate,' he said; 'and I promised an answer to the
other party by post this evening. And you say, Miss Berkeley, that Mrs.
Atkins heard it too. You are _sure_, Miss, you were not dreaming?'

"'_Quite_ sure. It was my sister that heard it, and woke me,' she
replied; 'and then we both heard it.'

"Mr. Turner walked off, metaphorically speaking, scratching his head, as
honest Giles had done literally in his perplexity the night before. He
promised to call back in an hour or two, when he had been to the station
and found out about the trains for us.

"We packed our little bag and paid the bill, so that we might be quite
ready, in case Mr. Turner found out any earlier train by which we might
get on, for we had telegraphed to mother that we should do our best to be
back the next day. I was still so sleepy and tired that Mary persuaded me
to lie down on the bed, in preparation for the possibility of a night's
journey. I was _nearly_ asleep when a tap came to the door, and a servant
informed Mary that a gentleman was waiting to speak to her.

"'Mr. Turner,' said she carelessly, as she passed into the sitting-room.

"But it was not Mr. Turner. In h