e curly head of the Imp appeared
at the window, followed by the major portion of his person.

"Oh, Uncle Dick!" he cried in a loud stage-whisper, "I think you had
better be the Black Knight, 'cause you're so big, you know."

"Imp," I said, "get in at once, do you want to break your neck?"

The Imp obediently wriggled into safety.

"The ladder's in the tool-house, Uncle Dick--Ben'll show you. Will you
get it, please?" he pleaded in a wheedling tone.

"First of all, my Imp, why did your Auntie Lisbeth send you to bed--had
you been a very naughty boy?"

"No-o!" he answered, after a moment's pause, "I don't think I was so
very naughty--I only painted Dorothy like an Indian chief--green, with
red spots, an' she looked fine, you know."

"Green, with red spots!" I repeated.

"Yes; only auntie didn't seem to like it."

"I fear your Auntie Lisbeth lacks an eye for colour."

"Yes, 'fraid so; she sent me to bed for it, you know."

"Still, Imp, under the circumstances I think it would be best if you
got undressed and went to sleep."

"Oh, but I can't, Uncle Dick!"

"Why not, my Imp?"

"'Cause the moon's so very bright, an' everything looks so fine down
there, an' I'm sure there's fairies about--Moon-fairies, you know, and
I'm 'miserable."

"Miserable, Imp?"

"Yes, Auntie Lisbeth never came to kiss me good-night, an' so I can't
go to sleep, Uncle Dick!"

"Why that alters the case, certainly."

"Yes, an' the ladder's in the tool-house."

"Imp," I said, as I turned to follow Benjamin, "oh, you Imp!"

There are few things in this world more difficult to manage than a
common or garden ladder; among other peculiarities it has a most
unpleasant knack of kicking out suddenly just as everything appears to
be going smoothly, which is apt to prove disconcerting to the novice.
However, after sundry mishaps of the kind, I eventually got it reared
up to the window, and a moment afterwards the Imp had climbed down and
stood beside me, drawing the breath of freedom.

As a precautionary measure we proceeded to hide the ladder in a clump
of rhododendrons hard by, and had but just done so when Benjamin
uttered a cry of warning and took to his heels, while the Imp and I
sought shelter behind a friendly tree. And not a whit too soon, for,
scarcely had we done so, when two figures came round a corner of the
house--two figures who walked very slowly and very close together.

"Why it's Betty-the cook, you know-an' Peter!" whi