funds. Aunt Raby had stinted herself dreadfully to get Priscilla's
modest little outfit together, and now-- oh, she would rather starve
than appeal to her again.

Suddenly as she stood in the middle of her room a memory came back to
her. It was the recollection of a very trivial incident. She
remembered something dropping on the floor as she sat by Maggie's side
at dinner. She had felt too nervous and miserable at the time to take
any notice of the slight sound made by the fall, but now it returned
vividly to her memory. She was sure that her purse must have dropped
out of her pocket at that moment, and was now convinced that it was
now lying quietly under the table where she had sat.

Priscilla felt far too excited to wait until the morning to make
herself sure on this point. No; happen what might, she would set her
fears at rest now and find her way somehow through the strange and
sleeping house until she discovered her lost treasure.

Partly re-dressing, she took her candle in her hand and softly
unhasped her door. It was a well-oiled lock and made no click or noise
of any kind as she turned the handle. When she opened the door wide it
did not creak. The long corridor outside had a stone floor and was
richly carpeted. No fear of treacherous, creaking boards here.
Priscilla prepared to walk briskly down the length of the corridor,
when she was arrested by seeing a light streaming out of Maggie
Oliphant's room.

The electric lights were all extinguished, and this light alone shone
like a ray in the darkness.