Garnet looked at the good-natured face of the old lady, and felt compunction for the answer she was about to make. “I am sorry to spoil the plan of your evening’s entertainment, Miss Joe, but I am going to explore Hutton’s Island to-night.” “Going to explore Hutton’s Island to-night!” exclaimed Miss Joe, dropping knife and fork, and staring at her. “Yes.” “You!” “Yes.” “The Lord have mercy upon her! I’ve been havin’ of my misgivin’s all this time, but now I know she’s a little deranged!” said Miss Joe to herself. Then speaking aloud, in something of the tone one would take in addressing a sick and delirious child, “No, no, honey, don’t think of it! You’re sick, you know, and it is cold and dark and dangerous. Then, it isn’t proper for a young lady to do such a thing, anyhow!” Miss Seabright smiled a queer smile, as she replied: “For the first objections, my good old friend, cowardice is not one of my weaknesses; for the last”—she paused and her smile deepened in meaning—“I made a start in life by quite innocently perpetrating a heinous, a fatal—crime? no, impropriety! I broke no law of God or man; yet I am told that for all that I shall be banished from society unless I do commit a sin, in open day, in the face of society; who will then forgive me!” “Mad! mad!” said Miss Joe to herself, gazing at the ironical girl. “Well! “‘What’s _banished_ but yet free?’ I will do whatever I please—conventional or unconventional! I will break no law of God’s or man’s, and after that is said, all is said for me. For the rest, I will do whatever my spirit impels me to do, whether the world likes it or not!” said Garnet, speaking more to herself than to another, and rising and ringing the bell. “Mad! mad! mad! and getting worse every minute,” said Miss Joe, hurrying out, and hastening into the front hall, where Cæsar was lighting the lamp. “Cæsar, come here to me, quick—close. Hush! don’t say anything. Go as hard as you can to Hemlock Hollow, and tell Mr. Lionel Hardcastle how he must come as fast as possible here; how he’s wanted badly, very badly. Hurry—mount a fast horse, and go as quick as ever you can!” The man, with his eyes staring wide, ran to obey. Miss Joe then returned to the parlor, where she found Garnet giving directions to a servant to have two horses saddled, and prepare himself to attend her down to the shore. Miss Seabright was giving her orders with so much calmness and precision that the old lady thought she had a lucid interval in her madness, and that this afforded her an excellent opportunity for argument; so, as soon as the man retired, she said coaxingly: “My dear child, think of it!” “I do, Miss Joe; and the more I think of it the more I want to go. I am determined to vary the tedious monotony of my days with a little adventure!” “My dear child, you have heard of the fate of Agnes! How she was either murdered or carried off from that island by unknown ruffians!”