distant; but the road there was hard, and they knew that they could
hear from there the fall of his horse's feet. There they stood from
seven to nearly eight, whispering a word now and then to each other,
listening always, but in vain. Looking away to the west every now and
then, they fancied that they could see the sky glow with flames, and
then they would tell each other that it was fancy. The evening grew
darker and still darker, but no sound was heard through the moaning
wind. From time to time Mrs. Growler came out to them, declaring her
fears in no measured terms. "Well, marm, I do declare I think we'd
better go away out of this."

"Go away, Mrs. Growler! What nonsense! Where can we go to?"

"The mill would be nearest, ma'am, and we should be safe there. I'm
sure Mrs. Medlicot would take us in."

"Why should you not be safe here?" said Kate.

"That wretched Chinese hasn't gone and left us for nothing, miss, and
what would we three lone women do here if all them Brownbies came
down upon us? Why don't master come back? He ought to come back;
oughtn't he, ma'am? He never do think what lone women are."

Mrs. Heathcote took her husband's part very strongly, and gave Mrs.
Growler as hard a scolding as she knew how to pronounce. But her own
courage was giving way much as Mrs. Growler's had done. "We are bound
to stay here," she said; "and if the worst comes, we must bear it as
others have done before us." Then Mrs. Growler was very sulky, and,
retreating to the kitchen, sobbed there in solitude. "Oh, Kate, I do
wish he would come," said the elder sister.