nd
think I could eat up all as was left?"

"I don't know but you might! Well, is there any pear sauce?"

"Yes, miss, a big bowl full."

"Well, I wish you'd go down and bring me up a tart, a cup of custard and
a spoonful of pear sauce. Sitting up so late makes me as hungry as a
wolf! Come, Patty, go along!"

"Deed, miss, I'se 'fraid!" whimpered the little maid.

"Afraid of what, you goose?"

"'Fraid of meeting of a ghose in the dark places!"

"Pooh! you can take the light with you! I can stay here in the dark well
enough."

"'Deed, miss, I'se 'fraid!"

"What! with the candle, you blockhead?"

"Lors, miss, de candle wouldn't be no 'tection! I'd see de ghoses all de
plainer wid de candle!"

"What a provoking, stupid dolt! You're a proper maid--afraid to do my
bidding! Afraid of ghosts, forsooth. Well, I suppose I shall have to go
myself--plague on you for an aggravating thing! There--take the candle
and come along!" said Capitola, in a tone of impatience.

Pitapat took up the light and stood ready to accompany her mistress,
Capitola, humming a gay tune, went to the door and unlocked and opened
it.

She wished to withdraw the key, so as to lock it on the other side and
secure the robbers and insure the safety of her own retreat; but to do
this without betraying her purpose and destroying her own life seemed
next to impossible. Still singing gayly she ran over in her mind with
the quickness of lightning every possible means by which she might
withdraw the key silently, or without attracting the attention of the
watchful robbers. It is difficult to say what she would have done, had
not chance instantly favored her.

At the same moment that she unlocked and opened the door and held the
key in her hand fearful of withdrawing it, Pitapat, who was hurrying
after her with the candle, tripped and fell against a chair, with a
great noise, under cover of which Capitola drew forth the key.

Scolding and pushing Pitapat out before her, she closed the door with a
bang. With the quickness of lightning she slipped the key in the
key-hole and turned the lock, covering the whole with loud and angry
railing against poor Pitapat, who silently wondered at this unhappy
change in her mistress's temper, but ascribed it all to hunger,
muttering to herself:

"I'se offen hern tell how people's cross when dere empty! Lors knows ef
I don't fetch up a whole heap o' wittels ebery night for Miss
Caterpillar from dis time forred, so