"Nonsense!" said Bessie. "Who is going to be frightened at a silly
trick?"

"But it may be somebody wanting to get in to do us harm--kill us
perhaps," suggested Bell.

"People who want to get into a house for bad ends don't ring the front
doorbell, or any bell," said Bessie.

At this junction two figures appeared in the distance advancing along
the road to the castle--soon made out to be the servants, so that they
at least were guiltless in the affair.

"It has not been them, you see," cried John.

"No," Bessie said, "and you are not to say anything about it to them
when they come: if they know anything of it, it will soon leak out;
and if they don't tell, they will be quite frightened: they are as
easily frightened as Bell or Jessie here."




V.


All this time Mr. Forrester was feeling--not frightened certainly,
but--perplexed; and while he could not but admire Miss Ormiston's
coolness and courage, he could not help wishing that she had been just