"But it would look so," I said, repressing another yawn; for I, too, was dreadfully tired. "I don't care," said Clara. "I don't want to hear about the revolution to-night, and what Garibaldi once did. I don't care. Red shirts are becoming, but one gets tired of hearing about them. It is such dull work, all four of us being together, and watching every movement. It isn't as if we were alone." "I do declare I'm quite ashamed of you," I said. "Why, it would not be prudent for us to go alone." "Oh, no, of course not," said Clara, mockingly. "Nobody you know ever went down to the elms all alone by herself." "But you knew of it," I said. "No thanks to you, miss, if I did; so come, now," replied Clara. I saw that it was of no use to dispute with her, so I let the matter drop; and then, opening the window, I leaned out, when I heard voices whispering in what seemed to be the shrubbery, just beyond the conservatory cistern; and, withdrawing my head, I hastily told Clara. "Why, they are soon to-night," she whispered, as, carefully closing the window, I then opened the door, and we stood at the top of the great staircase, after going on tiptoe past the Fraulein's room. We listened patiently for some time, as we stood hand in hand; while neither of us now seemed disposed to yawn. Then we quickly and quietly descended; but before we reached the bottom I recollected that I had left our door open, and it would be a great chance if some one did not hear Patty snoring. "Go back and shut it, there's a dear," I said, in a whisper. "No, you go, dear," said Clara. "I'll wait for you." But I did not like going alone; neither did she. So we went together and shut it; and at last we stood listening at the foot of the stairs, for I half fancied I heard the click of a door-handle. But it was not repeated; and feeling sure that it was only fancy, we quietly unlocked the drawing-room door, glided in, closed it after us, and then unfastened the shutters of the French window, when we stood in the conservatory, at the end of which was the sash, giving, as Achille called it, upon the rain water tank--whose very broad edge was covered with ivy, upon which they used to climb from the low terrace wall that ran down to the little fountain of which I have spoken before, and then stand in the empty cistern. "I always put on my old sings when I come, _chere_ Laure," poor Achille used to say to me, which of course was not very complimentary; but, then, all his estates had been confiscated, and my Lady Blunt was too fond of money to part with much for her teachers. When we peeped out of our window there was no one there; so we pulled up the sash very gently, and stood waiting till, in each of our cases, Romeo came.