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very terrible duenna, and we are not at all frightened of you," he added, finishing, like every true Italian, with a compliment. Lilias, Dulcie, and Carmel had three small beds in a room that led out of Cousin Clare's. Though they had pretended to be disappointed at not being allowed to go to the theater, in reality they were all extremely tired and glad to rest. Dulcie in particular snuggled down on her pillow and was asleep even before Lilias turned off the electric light. The others were not long in following suit, and in a short time all were in the land of dreams. It was perhaps two o'clock in the morning when Lilias awoke in the darkness with a start. Her bed was shaking violently under her, as it had done once long ago, when Everard in his school-days had played a trick upon her. There was a loud rumbling noise, like the passing of a gigantic motor-lorry or a railway train, the jugs and basins were rattling, and a glass of water, placed on the edge of the table, fell to the ground with a smash. "What is it? Oh, what's the matter?" cried Lilias, terribly scared. She put out her hand and tried to turn on the electric light, but she moved the switch in vain, Carmel, who had groped for the matches, lighted a candle, and by the time the welcome little yellow flame showed itself, the shaking and rumbling had entirely ceased. Lilias looked anxiously round the room. "What's the matter?" she asked again. "Only an earthquake!" said Carmel calmly. "It's over now." "An _earthquake_!" Lilias's voice was tragic. "Just a slight shock. We often have them." "O-o-h! Will the walls tumble down?" "Certainly not--it only makes the china rattle." By this time Cousin Clare, also unaccustomed to earthquakes and almost as alarmed as Lilias, came into the room. Carmel pacified them both, assuring them that such tremors were of quite common occurrence, and that people in Sicily thought little about them unless they were severe enough to do damage. All this time Dulcie's pink cheek was buried in the pillow, and her breath came as quietly and evenly as that of a baby. "I'm glad she didn't wake. She was very tired, poor child," commented Cousin Clare, after a glance at the bed in the corner. Dulcie was, of course, unmercifully teased next morning for having slept through an earthquake. "If Etna shot its cone off during the night I don't believe it would wake you!" laughed Everard. "The Seven Sleepers are noth
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