ty. I prefer to make the tea myself, and to pour it out.
Let's play we're all dressed in our best, and let's enjoy ourselves as
we couldn't if we were."

The girls laughed, their recent tears were forgotten, and they did
justice to the doctor's impromptu banquet.

"I shall have to 'wash up' two of the cups and saucers," remarked the
doctor, with a smile, "or Lisbeth will hear of my party; but I'll do it
to-morrow when the coast is clear. Meanwhile, I'll lock them up in the
cupboard," which he thereupon proceeded to do.

"I have greatly enjoyed your company, young ladies, but I cannot
honestly say that I hope you will come again at one o'clock in the
morning. Now I'm going to escort you back to bed. Go very quietly, so as
not to wake anybody."

Thus ended the girls' search for the Hunters' Brae ghost. The adventure
had been an exciting one, though not quite in the way which they had
expected.

Her uncle's caress had been a revelation to Marjory, and she thought of
it again and again. How true Mrs. Forester's words had been! Had she not
said that the doctor would be sure to respond to any advance of
Marjory's if only she would try, and had he not kissed her and called
her his dear little girl, just as Mrs. Forester had suggested that he
might? Her uncle seemed to Marjory to have changed into a different
person, but in reality the change was in herself, for she was looking at
him in another light--she was trying to see him through love's
spectacles.

Mr. and Mrs. Forester were away for a few days only, and the time passed
very quickly for the girls, there was so much to see and to do at
Hunters' Brae. They summoned courage to ask the doctor about the key of
the old chest. He replied that he did not think he had it, and did not
suppose that there was anything inside the box, but he promised to look
amongst his keys for one that might fit. They were afraid he would
forget, but he was as good as his word, and gave them several old keys
to try, none of which, however, would open the mysterious box. Dr.
Hunter told them that it had been there ever since he could remember,
but no one had ever paid any particular attention to it. To him it was
merely an old box, valuable by reason of its age; but to the girls it
stood for romance and mystery, an oracle that might speak volumes of
past history could it only be opened.

They paid many visits to the old wing, and tried all means of opening
the chest, but to no purpose, and