“You did though. And it is what you were doing again just now until the horror of hearing the truth made you turn around to fly at me! You did turn your back upon me last night, Miss Rose, and you hurt my feelings.” “Indeed, you did not seem to be hurt. You seemed to be enjoying yourself very much!” “Well, so I was in a way. But I should have enjoyed myself much more if you had been as nice as you were in the garden.” Mabin heaved a deep sigh. “It’s no use expecting me to be nice,” she said in a voice of despair, “I can only manage it so very seldom.” “Well, could you hold out some signal, such as by wearing a particular flower, or color, or some especial knot of ribbon, to let one know when one may speak to you without being snubbed?” “No, I couldn’t,” retorted Mabin with great fierceness, but with a twinkle of fun in her gray eyes, which gave greater hopes than her words did. “It is of no use for me to promise more than I can perform. You had much better look upon me as a decidedly disagreeable person, with rare moments of proper behavior.” “Proper behavior, then, means niceness? I’m glad you think it proper to be nice to me!” said Rudolph. “I perceive that I’ve lighted upon one of the ‘rare moments,’ and I’m going to take advantage of it,” he added, as he came a little nearer to her, and looked up in her face with a glance of amusement and admiration which made her blush a little. “I’m going to make you talk to me, and amuse me, as you were told to do last night.” “No! It was _you_ who were told to amuse me!” “Was it? Well, we’ll take it in turn then. Do you remember how I taught you cricket?” “Yes, oh yes.” “And what a rage you used to be in when you were caught out?” “Yes,” answered Mabin, “I remember; but I don’t want to talk about cricket. I want to tell you something. Mrs. Dale has a fancy that ‘The Towers’ is haunted.” And she related the adventure of the previous night, and her intention of changing rooms with her hostess. Rudolph listened gravely, and there was a pause when she had finished before he made any comment. Then he said abruptly: “You are not nervous, are you, Mabin? I know you used to have no end of pluck.” “Well, I haven’t any less than I ever had.” “Well, if you do change rooms, you have got to be prepared to see the ghost yourself.” “You make me feel rather--rather creepy! What do you really think I shall see?” “A face at the window probably. The face of the spy from your house. What else can she have seen?” Mabin considered a moment. “I’ll risk it!” she cried at last. “I shan’t go to bed at all. I shall sit up and watch.” “I wish you would. We should find out something if you had the strength of mind to do that.” Not without a wild beating of the heart, Mabin undertook the task of holding the strange night-watch, without saying a word to Mrs. Dale of her intention. “She thinks she only had a dreadful dream, you know,” said Mabin.