moment at the stove to warm her benumbed fingers, then groping her way to
her desk, she easily found her books and made her way out of the house in
the same manner that she had entered.

Just as she reached the ground a large, dark object sprang toward her and
two glittering eyes looked up into her face. She uttered a loud shriek and
was answered by a low whine, which she instantly recognized as belonging
to Tiger. "Why, Tiger," she exclaimed, "how you frightened me! What did
you follow me for?" It seems Tiger had thought there must be something
wrong, or his mistress would not be out at this unreasonable hour, so he
had followed on after her. She was noways displeased at this, for she
liked not the idea of again going alone through the wood, but with Tiger
for a companion she went fearlessly on and reached home just an hour after
she had left it.

On entering her room she struck a light and then tried to warm her chilled
limbs over a few faint coals which still glimmered on the hearth; but
there was no wood in the room and she dared not go for any, so she sat
down with her cloak still around her, and for four long hours studied as
she had never done before in all her life. At the end of that time her
lessons were very nearly learned, and sick with cold and fatigue, she
threw aside her books and prepared for bed.

Her movements awoke Fanny, who, on seeing her sister up at that late hour
of the night, started with surprise, and exclaimed, "What is it, Julia?
What is the matter?" Julia immediately extinguished the light, lest her
sister should discover the books and then said, "Nothing, Fanny, nothing;
only I have the toothache, and I got up for the camphor, but I cannot find
the bottle anywhere."