e
of the boat-house.

"Marian!" she said, trembling violently. "Do you see nothing? Look!"

"Where?"

"Down there, below us."

She pointed. My eyes followed her hand, and I saw it too.

A living figure was moving over the waste of heath in the distance. It
crossed our range of view from the boat-house, and passed darkly along
the outer edge of the mist. It stopped far off, in front of
us--waited--and passed on; moving slowly, with the white cloud of mist
behind it and above it--slowly, slowly, till it glided by the edge of
the boat-house, and we saw it no more.

We were both unnerved by what had passed between us that evening. Some
minutes elapsed before Laura would venture into the plantation, and
before I could make up my mind to lead her back to the house.

"Was it a man or a woman?" she asked in a whisper, as we moved at last
into the dark dampness of the outer air.

"I am not certain."

"Which do you think?"

"It looked like a woman."

"I was afraid it was a man in a long cloak."

"It may be a man. In this dim light it is not possible to be certain."

"Wait, Marian! I'm frightened--I don't see the path. Suppose the
figure should follow us?"

"Not at all likely, Laura. There is really nothing to be alarmed
about. The shores of the lake are not far from the village, and they
are free to any one to walk on by day or night. It is only wonderful
we have seen no living creature there before."

We were now in the plantation. It was very dark--so dark, that we
found some difficulty in keeping the path. I gave Laura my arm, and we
walked as fast as we could on our way back.

Before we were half-way through she stopped, and forced me to stop with
her. She was listening.

"Hush," she whispered. "I hear something behind us."

"Dead leaves," I said to cheer her, "or a twig blown off the trees."

"It is summer time, Marian, and there is not a breath of wind. Listen!"

I heard the sound too--a sound like a light footstep following us.

"No matter who it is, or what it is," I said, "let us walk on. In
another minute, if there is anything to alarm us, we shall be near
enough to the house to be heard."

We went on quickly--so quickly, that Laura was breathless by the time
we were nearly through the plantation, and within sight of the lighted
windows.

I waited a moment to give her breathing-time. Just as we were about to
proceed she stopped me again, and signed to me with her hand to listen