ils just as he
had given them to Cleek hours earlier in the General's famous ruin.

"Will you believe now, Miss Lorne?" said Cleek, and then paused and gave
a little, shaky, half-suppressed laugh. For, of a sudden, a cuckoo's
note had risen softly over the stillness, sounding thrice in rapid
succession, as if the bird had mistaken the moon's glamour for the sheen
of day dawn, and had sent forth this untimely call.

Hearing it, Cleek knew that what he had so fervently hoped might come to
pass really _had_ come to pass, and that the theory of Loisette was
about to be vindicated.

"Or, if you will not," he said, taking up the sentence just where the
bird note had broken off, "come with me and find proof of it for
yourself. Come quickly. Hold your breath. Walk on your toes. Don't make
a sound on your lives. This way. Quickly. Come."

He took them each by the hand and, leading the way, passed on tiptoe
with them out of the shrubbery and down the hedged path to the mimic
ruin. The figure of Dollops rose out of the shadow of it as they came
upon the place, moved fleetly and quietly to Cleek's side, and then as
quietly slipped round behind him into the shade of the trees.

"All right, gov'ner," he whispered softly. "Over to the left there. Give
you the signal the minute I spotted her. Lie low, all of you. Here she
comes!"

"Here who comes?" Ailsa and Geoff spoke in concert.

"Lord, I dunno, miss," replied Dollops in a whisper. "Gov'ner said,
'Look sharp for a lady in white, and "cuckoo" when she appears.' Dunno
no more than that."

Ailsa flashed round and looked at Cleek.

"Yes, Miss Lorne," he said, answering that look. "Lady Katharine
Fordham! She did steal out of the house last night, and-- Loisette is
right. The mirror of to-night, reflecting the counterpart of yesterday,
is duplicating events. Her ladyship is stealing out of the house again,
and on the selfsame mission: to visit Gleer Cottage. She will certainly
wear a cloak, though not an ermine one, to-night. I looked out to see
that one was placed in the anteroom, to make sure of that. Quiet, quiet,
all of you! Not a sound, not a breath! Look sharp! You'll see her
presently!"

They saw her even then. Of a sudden a footstep sounded, the rustle of
moved leaves disturbed the stillness, then the figure of Lady Katharine
rounded the angle of the ruin, and advanced toward them with great
deliberation. A long dark cloak covered her almost to the feet, the hood
of