er in the day, of Lady Chillington's
private rooms. To the left of this terrace stood a plantation of young
trees, through which a winding path that opened by a wicket into the
private grounds invited me to penetrate. Through the green gloom I
advanced bravely, my heart beating with all the pleasure of one who was
exploring some unknown land. I saw no living thing by the way, save two
grey rabbits that scuttered across my path and vanished in the
undergrowth on the other side. Pretty frisky creatures! how I should
like to have caught them, and fed them, and made pets of them as long as
they lived!

Two or three hundred yards farther on the path ended with another
wicket, now locked, which opened into the high road. About a mile away I
could discern the roofs and chimneys of a little town. When I got back
to the hall I found dear old Dance getting rather anxious at my long
absence, but she brightened into smiles when I kissed her and told her
where I had been.

"You must have slept well, or you would hardly look so rosy this
morning," she said as we sat down to breakfast.

"I should have slept very well if I had not been troubled by the
ghosts."

"Ghosts! my dear Miss Janet? You do not mean to say--" and the old
lady's cheek paled suddenly, and her cup rattled in her saucer as she
held it.

"I mean to say that Deepley Walls is haunted by two ghosts, one of which
came and kissed me last night when I was asleep; while the other one was
walking nearly all night in the room over mine."

Dance's face brightened, but still wore a puzzled expression. "You must
have dreamed that someone kissed you, dear," she said. "If you were
asleep you could not know anything about it."

"But I was awakened by it, and I am positive that it was no dream." Then
I told her what few particulars there were to tell.

"For the future we must lock your bed-room door," she said.

"Then I should be more frightened than ever. Besides, a real ghost would
not be kept out by locking the door."

"Well, dear, tell me if you are disturbed in the same way again. But as
for the tramping you heard in the room overhead, that is easily
explained. It was no ghost that you heard walking, but Lady
Chillington." Then, seeing my look of astonishment, she went on to
explain. "You see, my dear Miss Janet, her ladyship is a very peculiar
person, and does many things that to commonplace people like you and me
may seem rather strange. One of these little peculi