In her haste she had not noticed the way she was taking. The streets were not familiar to her and as she hurried on, hardly daring to speak to her brother, or even to look at him, she became bewildered and anxious, and her courage failed a little. "I am afraid Caroline will think I have been foolish. And they will be sure to look in her house, as they will not find him at home. Oh! if I only had a safe place in which to hide him for a few days!" She thought of Mr St. Cyr's house. But then she was not sure that their old friend had remained true to them. And besides, he was ill, and Father Jerome was often there, and the house was no place for Hubert. "A safe place," repeated she, and then there came into her mind the thought of Mistress Campbell and her garret, where there never entered a creature, but Eppie herself. Without a moment's hesitation, she turned her steps in the direction of Mrs Glencairn's house. "Hubert dear," said she coaxingly, "you will be very good, won't you, and stay with Mistress Campbell till I know what I ought to do. No one will think of looking for you there." "But are we not going home? Why should we not go home?" demanded Hubert. "It is quite impossible to-night," said Fred firmly. "Father Jerome would have you back at school again this very night. You cannot go home." "Father Jerome? What has he to do with it? I don't know what you mean, Fred." "Was it not he who took you there, when he should have taken you back to your former school again?" No, Hubert thought not. He did not remember very well about it. But Father Jerome had nothing to do with their going to school. But Frederica had her doubts about it all the same, and hurried on. "But we cannot go home, because mama is not there, nor papa. But Madame is there, and you may be sure she would not let you even stay one night, but send you back at once, and they would be sure to punish you for coming without leave." "It is you they ought to punish, Fred, I think," said Hubert. "Ah! wouldn't they. If they could! And tell me about about Charlie. Where was he?" "But Hubert knew very little about his brother. They very seldom saw each other. They were not in the same class." "And are they good to you? Are you glad to come away?" It was not so, bad as it might be. Still, Hubert was very glad to get away. Some of the boys were not nice, and they had queer ways there. But of his life there he had no complaint to make. In the midst of his talk they reached Mrs Glencairn's house. They went round to the door at the wing at which the pupils entered. They stumbled over a scrubbing-brush and a pail of water at the open door, but they saw no one; and went up till they reached the attic unseen. "Where are we going?" said Hubert, holding fast his sister's hand in the dimness, of the little passage. "Into the spider's parlour, I think."