Aunt Minerva, who had really been all packed and ready for the past twenty-nine minutes, meekly obeyed. "I won't be gone more than a few days," she remarked, as she kissed the girls good-by. "I'll get some one to take my place with Drusilla just as soon as I can. Don't let Eliza boil the corn too long, and tell her--" The sentence was never finished, for the captain at that point gently but firmly led her into the hall and closed the door. And, though the girls suspected it not, this sudden departure of Aunt Minerva had more bearing on the mystery they were trying to solve than any of them dreamed! CHAPTER XVI ONE MYSTERY EXPLAINED Meantime, Cecily Marlowe, immured in the lonely house, had been having an experience all her own. And when the girls came to see her, the day after the visit to the ship, she too was bursting with news. But she quietly waited till they had told their own tale, and was as puzzled as they about the strange translation of the characters on the bracelet. Of anything pertaining to China or the Chinese she had not the remotest notion, and could not understand how it could have any connection with her affairs. "Now you must hear _my_ story," she began, when they had discussed the newest development till there was nothing left to discuss. "It's about Miss Benedict. She has--but just wait, and I'll begin at the beginning. It was two nights ago, and she had one of those headaches. She has such very bad ones, you know. She says they are from her poor eye-sight, and she suffers terribly. "Well, she had a worse one than usual, and so she was obliged to call me into her room and ask me to fetch things for her. I sat by her and bathed her head and fanned her, and at last she fell asleep. Even then I didn't go away, but sat there fanning and fanning her for a long time, till finally, after a couple of hours, she woke up. "She was very much better then, and presently she began to talk to me quite differently from what she ever had before. First she asked me if I were contented and happy here. I said I tried to be, but I was very lonely sometimes. She didn't say much to that, but suddenly she spoke again: [Illustration: "Child, I suppose you wonder very much at this queer life I lead!"] "'Child, I suppose you wonder very much at this queer life I lead, don't you?' I said, yes, I couldn't help wondering about it. Then she turned away her head and whispered: "'Oh, if you only _knew_, you would not wonder! I have been very unhappy. My life has been very unhappy!' All I could think of to answer her was that I was so sorry, and she need not tell me anything she didn't wish to. I would never ask about it. And she raised herself up in bed, and said: "'That's just it, dear child. I have always supposed that young folks were one and all curious, inquisitive, and thoughtless. That is one reason I was so--so strict with you--in the beginning. But you and those two nice girls next door have been a revelation to me.'