"None of that, my lass! A mother's eyes are not deceived. I knew it was you! All those jewels and silks, finer than your poor dear sisters can afford to wear, did not deceive me. And the prince dancing with you shamelessly while your poor sisters sat by as if they had wooden legs . . . did you suppose for an instant you could deceive me?" Of course Cinderella knew she had been found out. She replied in a tone of sad resignation: "I could scarcely have expected to deceive you, mother. I've had so little experience in doing so. You know I've always been obedient--always before. Deceit isn't easy. I had only changed my dress, after all, while you had put on a gracious manner--and yet I knew you instantly." "Precisely . . . _What_? Oh, you shall pay for that!" The angry creature looked about for some means of inflicting a cruel punishment, and her eyes came upon a closet door. "Come, to bed with you!" she exclaimed. "In the closet! It will do very well for such as you. I'll have you under lock and key to-night, and to-morrow I'll look into your case, you impudent, disobedient wretch!" Seeing what her mother's intention was, Cinderella cried in a mournful tone, "Oh, mother!" But her mother stamped her foot violently. "In with you!" she cried. Whereupon she removed a key from its peg on the wall and unlocked the closet door. With one movement she forced Cinderella into the closet. Then she locked the door and replaced the key on its peg. "Unless the child is a witch in disguise--which I shouldn't put apast her, for how else should she get the silks and jewels she wore to-night?--she'll not be able to show her face again until I come to let her out. I _wore a gracious manner_, did I?--and she knew me instantly in spite of it! There's a dutiful child for you. A dutiful child? A shameless hussy!" And the furious creature blew out the candle on the mantel and left the room. You could hear her slam the door. A faint cry of distress came from the locked closet: "Mother--mother!" In the darkness Everychild's voice could be heard speaking cautiously, "Wait, Cinderella--wait until I can make a light." The voice from the closet was heard again: "Mother--mother!" And then Everychild's voice: "I must make a light, so that I can find the key!" For the last time Cinderella's voice could be heard faintly--"Mother!" And then there was the calm voice of the Masked Lady: "Now you can see!" The room was lighted again! The Masked Lady had arisen from her place. She was holding the lighted candle above her head. Not a second was wasted by Everychild. He hurriedly crossed the room and took the key from its peg. He unlocked the closet door. Cinderella thrust the door open and burst into the room. "I couldn't leave you there, you know," said Everychild.