I don't know about shyness," said Flora.

"She was stifling a laugh all the time, like a rude schoolboy. And I
thought papa said she was pretty!"

"Ay? Did you think her so?" asked Harry.

"A great broad red face--and so awkward!" cried Flora indignantly.

"If one could have seen her face, I think she might have been
nice-looking," said Margaret. "She had pretty golden curls, and merry
blue eyes, rather like Harry's."

"Umph!" said Flora; "beauty and manners seemed to me much on a par. This
is one of papa's swans, indeed!"

"I can't believe it was Miss Walkingham at all," said Ethel. "It must
have been some boy in disguise."

"Dear me!" cried Margaret, starting with the painful timidity of
helplessness.

"Do look whether anything is gone. Where's the silver inkstand?"

"You don't think she could put that into her pocket," said Ethel,
laughing as she held it up.

"I don't know. Do, Harry, see if the umbrellas are safe in the hall. I
wish you would, for now I come to remember, the Walkinghams went at nine
this morning. Miss Winter said that she saw the old lady helped into
the carriage, as she passed." Margaret's eyes looked quite large and
terrified. "She must have been a spy--the whole gang will come at night.
I wish Richard was here. Harry, it really is no laughing matter. You had
better give notice to the police."

The more Margaret was alarmed, the more Harry laughed. "Never mind,
Margaret, I'll take care of you! Here's my dirk. I'll stick all the
robbers."

"Harry! Harry! Oh, don't!" cried Margaret, raising herself up in an
agony of nervous terror. "Oh, where is papa? Will nobody ring the bell,
and send George for the police?"

"Police, police! Thieves! Murder! Robbers! Fire! All hands ahoy!"
shouted Harry, his hands making a trumpet over his mouth.

"Harry, how can you?" said Ethel, hastily; "don't you see that Margaret
is terribly frightened. Can't you say at once that it was you?"

"You!" and Margaret sank back, as there was a general outcry of laughter
and wonder.

"Did you know it, Ethel?" asked Flora severely.

"I only guessed at this moment," said Ethel. "How well you did it,
Harry!"

"Well!" said Flora, "I did think her dress very like Margaret's shot
silk. I hope you did not do that any harm."

"But how did you manage?" said Ethel. "Where did your bonnet come from?"

"It was a new one of Adams's wife. Mary got it for me. Come in, Polly,
they have found it out. Did you not hear her