early morning.

"Then I congratulate you upon your powers of early rising."

Rosamund colored. Lucy's eyes were fixed on her face.

"My dear Miss Lucy," said the doctor, "your friend, Miss"----

"My name is Rosamund Cunliffe," said Rosamund.

"Your friend Miss Cunliffe has put all the rest of you young ladies to
shame. She was walking abroad this morning between four and five o'clock
at some distance from here."

Lucy's eyes flashed fire. Rosamund found herself turning pale. The
Professor looked at her. Suddenly Rosamund went up to the Professor and
took his hand.

"I want to speak to you, and alone," she said.

"In a moment, my dear," he answered.

He then turned to the doctor.

"Mrs. Brett, my kind sister-in-law, has promised to take all my young
people to her house in Dartford," he said. "She proposes that they
should return with her immediately. Then the house will be quite quiet
for the invalid, and there will be no danger of the disease spreading."

"If it does spread I shall be on the spot to grapple with it," said Dr.
Marshall.--"What an excellent plan, Mrs. Brett, and how exactly like
you!--Now then, young ladies, the sooner you pack up the better. You
needn't take a great many things; they can be sent to you afterwards.
The great thing is to get away. It may be in the air; it may be--we
cannot tell what; but the sooner all of you young people are out of
Sunnyside the safer it will be."

"It would not be fair," said the Professor, "to ask the Singletons to
take any of them in. We did think of that at first. We know how
particularly kind Mr. Singleton is. But there are his own children to be
thought of; and as he is the rector of the parish he has also to
consider his parishioners."

"I am the woman who has to act in this emergency," said Mrs. Brett; "and
now the sooner we drop the subject of whys and wherefores the
better.--Run upstairs, my dears, and get ready.--I will not even see my
dear sister, Mrs. Merriman, for fear of infection; but you will know
where to find me if you want my help."

"I don't think we shall need it," said the doctor. "Two excellent nurses
are coming by the next train, and I shall leave full directions, and my
assistant will come out to see the patient this evening.--Now, if you
will kindly allow me to pass, young ladies, I will go and see the
invalid, and I will not see any of you again afterwards. It is safer
not."

There was a look on his face which startled and b