to turn round; it was the servant.

"Annie, has Mrs. Quarrier left the house?"

"Yes, m'm, she has. I just had the kitchen door open, and I saw her go
out--without anything on her head."

"Where can she be, then? The gate hasn't been opened; I should have
heard it."

One other way there was out of the garden. By passing along a side of
the cottage, one came into the back-yard, and thence, by a gate, into
one of the fields which spread towards Bale Water. Mrs. Wade remembered
that Lilian had discovered this exit one day not long ago.

"I don't understand it," she continued, hurriedly. "You run and put
your hat on, and then look up and down the road. I'll go to the back."

Regardless of the cold night air, she hastened in the direction that
Lilian must necessarily have taken. Reaching the field, she could at
first distinguish no object in the dark space before her. But the sky
was clear and starry, and in a few moments, running on the while, she
caught sight of a figure not very far in advance. That undoubtedly was
Lilian, escaping, speeding over the meadows--whither?

The ground rose gradually, and at a distance of less than a quarter of
a mile cut clearly across the sky. Still advancing, though with less
speed, she saw Lilian's form gain the top of the rise, and there stand,
a black, motionless projection from the ground. If now she called in a
loud voice, the fugitive must certainly hear her; but she kept silence.
By running quickly over the grass she might overtake her friend, who
still lingered; but, as if her limbs had failed, she crouched down, and
so remained until the dark figure all at once disappeared.

Immediately she started to her feet again, and pressed forward. A few
minutes, and she was at the top of the field, where Lilian had paused;
panting, her heart throbbing, a cold sweat on her forehand. From this
point she looked over a grassy slope, towards the trees which shadowed
Bale Water. But her eye could discern nothing save outlines against the
starry heaven. All the ground before her lay in a wide-spreading
hollow, and darkness cloaked it.

Again she crouched down, pressing her hand against her heart,
listening. It was a very still night, and few sounds disturbed its
peacefulness. Somewhere, far off, a cart rumbled along; presently one
of the Polterham clocks began to strike, faintly but clearly. That
caused her to look in the direction of the town; she saw the radiance
of lights, and thought