At all sorts of hours, seasonable and unseasonable, Miss Timmens presented herself at Willow Cottage. Rarely alone. Sometimes Mrs. Hill would be with her; or it would be Maria Lease; or one of the Batley girls; and once it was young Jim. Louis Roe grew to feel annoyed at this; he told Harriet he would not have confounded people coming there, prying; and he closed the door against them. So, the next time Miss Timmens went, she found the door bolted in the most inhospitable manner. Harriet threw open the parlour window to speak to her. "Louis says he won't have any more visitors calling here just now; not even you, Aunt Susan." "What does he say that for?" snapped Miss Timmens. "We came down here to be quiet: he has some accounts to go over, and can't be disturbed at them. So perhaps you'll stay away, Aunt Susan. I'll come to the school-house sometimes instead." It was the dusk of the evenings but Miss Timmens could see the fearful look of illness on Harriet's face. She was also trembling. "Harriet, what's the matter with you?" she asked, in a kinder tone. "Nothing." "_Nothing!_ Why, you look as ill as you can look. You are trembling all over." "It's true I don't feel very well this evening, aunt, but I think it is nothing. I often feel as if I had a touch of ague." Miss Timmens bent her face nearer; it had a strange concern in it. "Harriet, look here. There's some mystery about this place; won't you tell me what it is? I--seem--to--be--afraid--for--_you_," she concluded, in a slow and scarcely audible whisper. For answer, Miss Timmens found the window slammed down in her face. An impression arose--she hardly knew whence gathered, or whether it had any foundation--that it was not Harriet who had slammed it, but some one concealed behind the curtain. "Well I'm sure!" cried she. "It might have taken my nose off." "It was so cold, aunt!" Harriet called out apologetically through the glass. "Good night." Miss Timmens walked off in dudgeon. Revolving matters along the broad field-path, she liked their appearance less and less. Harriet was looking as ill as possible: and what meant that trembling? Was it caused by sickness of body, or terror of mind? Mrs. Hill, when consulted, summed it up comprehensively: "It is David about the place: _that's_ killing her." Harriet Roe did not make her appearance at the school-house, and the next day but one Miss Timmens went up again. The door was bolted. Miss Timmens knocked, but received no answer. Not choosing to be treated in that way she made so much noise, first at the door and then at the window, that the former was at length unclosed by Mrs. James, in list shoes and a dressing-gown, as if her toilette had been delayed that day. The chain was kept up--a new chain that Miss Timmens had not seen before--and she could not enter. "I want to see Harriet, Mrs. James." "Harriet's gone," replied Mrs. James. "Gone! Gone where?" "To London. She went off there yesterday morning."