I really began to feel quite frightened. And so would _you_; wouldn't
_you_, now, Kitty darling; now _wouldn't_ you? Please say so."

"Oh yes!"

"Of course you would. Well, this person followed us. I could see him
very easily, though he tried to avoid notice; and so at last we got to
the Hermitage, and he came too. Well, you know, I think I was very
much excited, and I asked Dowdy to let us go and see the cone; so she
let us go. She gave no end of warnings, and we promised to do all that
she said. So Ethel and I went out, and there was the stranger. Well, I
felt more excited than ever, and a little bit frightened--just a very,
very, tiny, little bit, you know, and I teased Ethel to go to the
cone. Well, the stranger kept in sight all the time, you know, and I
_felt_ his eyes on me--I really _felt_ them. So, you know, when we got
at the foot of the cone, I was so excited that I was really quite
beside myself, and I teased and teased, till at last Ethel consented
to go up. So the men took us up on chairs, and all the time the
stranger was in sight. He walked up by himself with great, big, long,
strong strides. So we went on till we got at the top, and then I was
wilder than ever. I didn't know that there was a particle of danger. I
was dying with curiosity to look down, and see where the smoke came
from. The stranger was standing there too, and that's what made me so
excited. I wanted to show him--I don't know what. I think my idea was
to show him that I could take care of myself. So then I teased and
teased, and Ethel begged and prayed, and she cried, and I laughed; and
there stood the stranger, seeing it all, until at last I started off,
and ran up to the top, you know."

Mrs. Willoughby shuddered, and took her sister's hand.