Part 17 (2/2)
”Ha-ha-ha!” Then another, ”Ha-ha-ha!”
Miss Chase listened in bewilder enviously at the undisturbed Nesta ”Who on earth can be out at this time?”
She supposed that itabout outside; but she wondered at her brother-in-law allowing the to sleep
”Ha-ha! ha-ha!” jeered the voice outside, as ifat her annoyance Then followed a chorus of chuckles, and Miss Chase sat up in bed, and strained her ears to catch the joke, if possible
But no words reached her There was a little pause as if sohted chuckles, so very funny that they were quite infectious, and Miss Chase smiled in spite of herself
”Ha-ha! ha-ha! ha-ha-ha-ha!” laughed the voices Now certainly there were ht Miss Chase, beginning to chuckle softly to herself ”What can they be saying or doing out there?”
At last the hilarity becaot the better of her, and slipping on a wrapper she opened theand crept out on to the veranda
To her surprise there was no one to be seen--not a soul was about either on the veranda or below, though she leant right over, and strained her eyes to catch a glimpse of these queer people
It was corayness before dawn a pleasant contrast to the tropical glare that was positively hurtful to the new-coazed away and away towards the now deep gray sea, lying like a bath of mist beyond the dense black of the trees in the valley
”What a queer, unreal world it see, ”and yet to little Peter this is all reality, and England nothing but a dream”
”Ha-ha!” said a voice fro
Miss Chase jumped, looked about in astonishment--and saw no one
”Ha-ha! ha-ha-ha!” repeated theat ave a little shi+ver It was not a very pleasant sensation to feel herself spied upon by an unseen watcher, and she began to beat a hasty retreat towards her o again
”Ha-ha!” laughed the unseen one, with such a note of triumph that now she was certain the humour was at her expense It annoyed her, and at the sahtened her Was it possibly a madman?--for assuredly the chuckles became madder and madder as they increased Besides which, what sane person would be out of bed and giggling at such an hour? The thought of a lunatic or two at large lurking round the house was discoland, with fast-barred doors and s that are supposed to be unassailable, it would not be pleasant; but here--where whatbut the flimsiest of French s, the s theirl found this new suspicion particularly disagreeable She wondered whether she ought not to go and rouse Mr Orban Perhaps he ought to be warned, she reflected, so as to be ready in case these maniacs burst into the house, intent on theover in anticipation
”I wish I knehat to do,” she thought in great agitation
”Ha-ha! ha-ha-ha-ha!” responded the laughers with lee
”Why, Aunt Dorothy,” exclaimed Nesta, as Miss Chase entered the roo?”
Nesta was sitting up in bed She had evidently awakened, and discovering her aunt's absence, ondering about it It comforted Miss Chase to have sohten the child, she said as steadily as she could,--
”I was only trying to find out what those people are laughing at out there It seee time to be so a to work”
”People!” repeated Nesta blankly