an'--"

"Where were you going?" persisted the old lady.

"Just out--out there--" and Peg pointed to the open windows.

Mrs. Chichester had been examining Peg minutely. She suddenly exclaimed:

"Why, that is Ethel's cloak."

"Sure it is," replied Peg, "and this is her hat I've got an' here's her
bag--" Peg was striving her utmost to divert Mrs. Chichester's
attention from Ethel, who was in so tense and nervous a condition that
it seemed as if she might faint at any moment. She thrust the
dressing-bag into the old lady's hand. Mrs. Chichester opened it
immediately and found just inside it Ethel's jewel-box. She took it out
and held it up accusingly before Peg's eyes: "Her jewel-box! Where did
you get this?"

"I took it," said Peg promptly.

"Took it?"

"Yes, aunt, I took it!"

Mrs. Chichester opened the box: it was full. Every jewel that Ethel
owned was in it.

"Her jewels! Ethel's jewels?"

"Yes--I took them too."

"You were STEALING them?"

"No. I wasn't STEALING them,--I just TOOK 'em!"

"Why did you take them?"

"I wanted--to WEAR them," answered Peg readily.

"WEAR them?"

"Yes--wear them." Suddenly Peg saw a way of escape, and she jumped
quickly at it. "I wanted to wear them at the DANCE."

"WHAT dance?" demanded Mrs. Chichester, growing more suspicious every
moment.

"Over there--in the Assembly Rooms. To-night. I went over there, an' I
danced. An' when I came back I made a noise, an' Ethel heard me, an'
she threw on some clothes, an' she came in here to see who it was, an'
it was ME, an' were both goin' up to bed when I slipped an' fell down
the stairs, an' some noisy thing fell down with me--an' that's all."

Peg paused for want of breath. Ethel clung to her. Mrs. Chichester, not
by any means satisfied with the explanation, was about to prosecute her
inquiries further, when Alaric called out from the window:

"There's some one prowling in the garden. He's on the path! He's coming
here. Don't be frightened, mater. I'll deal with him." And he boldly
went up the steps leading into the alcove to meet the marauder. Ethel
half rose from the chair and whispered: "Mr. Brent!" Peg pressed her
back into the chair and turned toward the windows.

On came the footsteps nearer and nearer until they were heard to be
mounting the steps from the garden into the alcove.

Alaric pushed his electric light full into the visitors face, and fell
back.

"Good Lord! Jerry!" he ejaculated, completely aston