Sylvia had never heard of Lady Caroline's ghost. "Do tell me about it,
Flora," she urged.

There was a wide cushioned seat with many pillows beneath the windows,
and here the girls established themselves very comfortably.

"Yes, tell Sylvia the story," said Grace, piling up several cushions
behind her back. "Of course it isn't true, but it's thrilling."

"It is true," persisted Flora. "My mother says that her own governess
saw Lady Caroline's ghost. And that she had on the very hat she has on
in the portrait, and the same blue dress and lace collar. You know
there's a secret stairway in this house. It leads from one of the
closets in your room down to a closet in my father's library and out-of-
doors, and Lady Caroline's ghost always comes in that way."

Sylvia looked up at the beautiful pictured face with a little shiver. "I
guess that the governess dreamed it," she said.

"Of course she did," declared Grace. "I think you look like that
picture, Flora," she added.

"Well, whether you believe it or not, everybody knows that this is a
haunted house," persisted Flora. "Why, there is an account of it in a
book."

But Grace shook her head laughingly. "Flora, show Sylvia your lovely
lace-work," she said.