Part 8 (1/2)
”Mrs Orban,” called a voice softly--a fa voice; ”Mrs Orban, are you still up?”
Mother and son fell apart, and Eustace sprang to his feet
”Why, it is Bob!” he exclaimed in bewilderment
”Bob!” cried his mother ”I round into the streak of la his boots in his hands ”I just strolled over to see if you were all right When I got to the steps it struckup, so I took my boots off and crept round to find out where you were You were so quiet I thought you ”
”We were talking, nevertheless, when you arrived,” Mrs Orban said, ”for I was telling Eustace a story”
”I didn't hear you,” Bob said ”Probablyso loud that it deafened me; for, of course, I knew I carried my life in my hand”
”Your life in your hand?” repeated Eustace wonderingly
”Certainly I felt sure you would bound on me with a revolver the moment you heard me, shoot me dead, and then de one ht of your order, Sir Eustace”
Bob's chaff went deeper ho after the strain of the last few minutes He hoped with all his heart that Mrs Orban would not betray to Bob how terror-stricken he had just shown himself Perhaps she understood, or it may be that she was half ashamed of her own unnecessary panic, for she only said,--
”It is really very good of you to have corave peril, and at such an hour too”
”Well, the fact is I wanted to,” Bob said in his casual way, ”and thein the house for to-night, and I thought I would just turn in with Eustace, if you don't hted,” Mrs Orban said, with a feeling of real relief
”The hlands early to-morrow,” Bob went on; ”you, Becky, and Eustace She can't bear to think of your loneliness here Do come and stay with us till Mr
Orban coood, homely little Mrs Cochrane was celebrated for But Mrs Orban shook her head
”It is just like your ,” she said, ”and just like her son to be her er so readily, but I can't do it, Bob I couldn't possibly leave the maids and the house to take care of themselves Mary and Kate would be terrified”
”Oh, bother Mary and Kate!” said Bob
”I should be _most_ bothered if they took it into their heads to run away and leave us, especially now thatNo, really, I cannot leave home, much as I should enjoy it Your mother, as an experienced housekeeper, will feel for ot the maids and the house,” said Bob in a disappointed tone
”It can't be helped,” said Mrs Orban lightly; ”and, indeed, we are quite all right There is nothing to be afraid of, and I have Eustace--Which reminds me, old man, hadn't you better be off to bed? This is considerably later than I meant you to be”
”Oh but, mother,” Eustace exclaimed, ”what about Aunt Dorothy? I couldn't sleep without the rest of that story”
”Oh yes, do let's have the rest of the story first,” pleaded Bob
”There isn'thiame of hide-and-seek when she was five years old We had been hunting the house for hours; a sort of awful silence had fallen a I don't knohat--”
”When close upon ht,” quoted Eustace in a mysterious voice
”There arose the cry of a terror-stricken child--shriek upon shriek--feeble because of the distance it was fro silence, but distinct enough to be recognized as Dorothy's voice I shall never forget it--it makes me shudder now--for the panic in that child's cry was appalling What was being done to her? What awful pain was she in that she should shriek in such a way? Such were our thoughts as we hurried in a tu mass after father and mother We reached the turret stairs, and father coht the way Right to the very top ent, into the little round room we called the Watchman's Nest, and here the sounds were loudest; but they were still n of Dorothy anywhere”
”Was there any furniture for her to hide in?” asked Eustace, looking puzzled
”One table, one chair,” said Mrs Orban, ”and a sainst the inner wall--it would have just about held Dorothy on the lower shelf We opened it, flashed in our lanterns, but it was black and empty One peculiar feature there was about it--when the cupboard door was open we heard the childto do, but doent on ined Dorothy --invisible but tangible Of course there was nothing but wood to touch; but with ht have been in the same room with her”