ogether.'

She then went to the oven, produced the cake, and began buttering it
with all expedition, whilst Sophia joyously ran to the door of the
cowhouse, and began loudly calling her sister Eliza.

No answer being returned, Susan began to feel alarmed, but the young
ladies told her not to be frightened, as they knew it was only one of
Eliza's pranks. But, alas! too soon were they convinced it was no joke,
but some dreadful misfortune must have happened.

'Miss Eliza! Miss Eliza!' was vociferated through the village, not only
by Susan and her mother, but by all the neighbours who had heard of the
calamity, whilst her sisters ran about frantic with grief, crying,
'Eliza, my love! my darling! Oh, if you are hid, for pity's sake speak!'

Nurse Chapman got up about half-past nine, and, hearing the children
were not returned from their walk, sent the housemaid directly after
them.

The garden, the shrubbery, and the lawn were all searched without
success; and just as Betty was returning to inform the nurse they were
not to be found, she perceived Susan and the two children enter a little
green gate at the bottom of the shrubbery.

'Where's Miss Eliza?' called Betty, in a voice as loud as she could
articulate.

'God knows! God knows!' replied the careless girl, sobbing so loud she
could scarcely speak.

'How! where! when!' said the others. 'Why, poor nurse will go stark,
staring mad!'

By that time the poor woman had quitted her room, and walked into the
garden to see what had become of her little charges; and, not directly
missing Eliza from the group, which was then fast approaching towards
the house, she called out:

'Come, my dear children--come along! I thought you would never have
returned again.' And, observing Eliza was not with them, she continued:
'But, Susan, what's become of my sweet bird? Where's my little darling,
Miss Eliza?'

'Oh, nurse! nurse!' said Sophia, 'my sister's lost! indeed she's lost!'

'Lost!' exclaimed the poor old woman--'lost! What do you tell me? What
do I hear? Oh, my master! my dear master! never shall I bear to see his
face again!'

Susan then repeated every circumstance just as has been related, and
with sighs and tears bewailed her own folly in suffering herself to be
over-persuaded. And the children declared they dare not encounter their
father's displeasure.

The menservants were instantly summoned, and sent on horseback different
ways. That she had been stolen admit