door, and opened it; no one was there. She rang the bell for
Martha, and when Martha came, her mistress told her to go for eggs
to a farm at the other end of the town.

"I will lock the door after you, Martha. You are not afraid to go,
are you?"

"No, ma'am, not at all; Jem Hearn will be only too proud to go with
me."

Miss Matty drew herself up, and as soon as we were alone, she
wished that Martha had more maidenly reserve.

"We'll put out the candle, my dear. We can talk just as well by
firelight, you know. There! Well, you see, Deborah had gone from
home for a fortnight or so; it was a very still, quiet day, I
remember, overhead; and the lilacs were all in flower, so I suppose
it was spring. My father had gone out to see some sick people in
the parish; I recollect seeing him leave the house with his wig and
shovel-hat and cane. What possessed our poor Peter I don't know;
he had the sweetest temper, and yet he always seemed to like to
plague Deborah. She never laughed at his jokes, and thought him
ungenteel, and not careful enough about improving his mind; and
that vexed him.

"Well! he went to her room, it seems, and dressed himself in her
old gown, and shawl, and bonnet; just the things she used to wear
in Cranford, and was known by everywhere; and he made the pillow
into a little--you are sure you locked the door, my dear, for I
should not like anyone to hear--into--into a little baby, with