The next instant quick feet were heard running away from Miss Symes's room, in the center of which Fanny stood stunned and really frightened. What had those awful children put into her bed? She had heard vague rumors of a pet of theirs called Dickie, but had never been interested enough even to inquire about him. Who was Dickie? What was Dickie? Why was his bite dangerous? Why was he put into her bed? Fanny, for all her careful training, for all her airs and graces, was by no means remarkable for physical courage. She approached the bed once or twice, and went back again. She was really afraid to pull down the bedclothes. At last, summoning up courage, she did so. To her horror, she saw an enormous spider, the largest she had ever beheld, in the center of the bed! This, then, was Dickie! He was curled up as though he were asleep. But as Fanny ventured to approach a step nearer it seemed to her that one wicked, protruding eye fastened itself on her face. The next instant Dickie began to run, and when Dickie ran he ran towards her. Fanny uttered a shriek. It was the culmination of all she had lived through during that miserable evening. One shriek followed another, and in a minute Susie Rushworth and Olive Repton ran into the room. "Oh, save me! Save me!" said Fanny. "Those little horrors have done it! I don't know where it is! Oh, it is such an odious, dangerous, awful kind of reptile! It's the biggest spider I ever saw in all my life, and those horrible twins came and put it into my bed! Oh, girls, what I am suffering! Do have pity on me! Do help me to find it! Do help me to kill it!" "To kill Dickie!" said Susie. "Why, the poor little twins were heartbroken for two or three days because they thought he was lost. I for one certainly won't kill Dickie." "Nor I," said Olive. "Oh, dear! what shall I do?" said poor Fanny. "I really never was in such miserable confusion and wretchedness in my life." "Do, Fanny, cease to be such a coward!" said Susie. "I must say I am surprised at you. The poor little twins are almost beside themselves--that is, on account of darling Betty. Betty is so ill; and they think--the twins do----I mean, they have got it into their heads that you--you don't like Betty, although she is your cousin and the very sweetest girl in all the world. But as to your being afraid of a spider! We'll have a good hunt for him, and find him. Fanny, I never thought you could scream out as you did. What a mercy that Miss Symes's room is a good way off from poor darling Betty's!" "Do try to think of some one besides Betty for a minute!" said Fanny; "and you find that horror and put him into his box, or put him into anything, only don't have him loose in the room." "Well, we'll have a good search," said both the girls, "and we may find him."