l me a coward again."

He slid off the table as he reached this point, and moved slowly towards
the door. He stood still as he opened it and looked at his sisters,
half hoping they would call him back, or ask where he was going, but
they were bending absorbed over the body of the unfortunate Lady Jane
Grey, so that two long flaxen pig-tails were turned towards him. They
did not even notice that he had moved.

He went quickly through the long dimly-lighted passage, which led into
the hall, and found that Mary was just lighting the lamp. This looked
cheerful, and he lingered a little and asked her a few questions, not
that he really wanted to know anything, but because light and human
companionship seemed just now so very desirable. Mary went away soon,
and then he strolled a few steps up the broad old staircase, and met
Kittles the fluffy cat coming slowly down. Here was another excuse for
putting off his journey, and he sat down on the stairs to pass a few
agreeable moments with Kittles, who arched his back and butted his head
against him, and purred his acknowledgments loudly. But presently,
having business of his own, Kittles also passed on his way, and Ambrose
was alone again, sitting solitary with his ruffled head leaning on one
hand. Then the church clock struck eight. In half an hour it would be
bed-time, and his plan not carried out. He must go at once, or not at
all. He got up and went slowly on. Up the stairs, down a long winding
passage, up some more stairs, and across a landing, on to which the
nursery and the children's bedrooms opened. He stopped again here, for
there was a pleasant sound of Dickie and David's voices, and the
splashing of water; but presently he thought he heard Nurse coming out,
and he ran quickly round the corner into a little passage which led to
the foot of the garret stairs. This passage was dimly-lighted by a
small low window, which was almost covered outside by the thickly
growing ivy. Even in the daytime it was very dusky, and now it was
quite dark, but Ambrose knew the way well, and he groped about with his
hands until he came to the steep carpetless steps. And now his heart
began to beat very quickly, for he felt that he was in the region of
mystery, and that anything might happen at any moment. The wind had
dropped, and there was no sound at all to be heard, though he strained
his ears to the utmost for some signs of the presence of the Goblin
Lady.

"Perhaps,"