"If you'll please to tell me where the young lady saw it, mum," said Scott, "I'll let Bill on it sudden. He's death on rats." "It was just at the foot of the bed," quavered Cicely. Scott stooped, and raised the valance with the greatest precaution. Bill sniffed eagerly, but he did not pounce upon any concealed victim. "There's nothing there, mum--leastways no rat," said Scott, straightening his back. "Are you sure?" gasped Miss Russell. "It couldn't possibly have escaped." "I think it's been a little mistake of the young lady's, mum," said Scott, suppressing a grin. "If you'll kindly take a look under the bed, you'll see for yourself." Miss Russell hastened to comply, and, bending down, gave an exclamation as she drew out one of Lindsay's best Sunday gloves. "What an extraordinary illusion!" she cried. "I don't wonder Cicely took it for a rat. The soft doeskin is exactly the same colour, and the buttons were gleaming just like two bright eyes. I never saw a more perfect resemblance. I should certainly have been deceived. Well, I'm glad our chase has been a case of much ado about nothing. I think you may go to bed with easy minds to-night, girls. If we have any more alarms, we must send for Bill to protect us. Good dog! Can you find some scraps for him in the kitchen, Mrs. Wilson?" Cicely's rat was of course a great joke in the school, and a subject of teasing for several days afterwards. "You'll imagine your dressing-gown is a tiger next," said Effie Hargreaves. "Some people scream at nothing. I'd have been sure about it first, before making such a fuss," said Beryl Austen. "She thought it was a wily rat, and watched to see it move, She looked again, and saw that it was nothing but a glove!" improvised Nora Proctor, who was fond of _Alice_, and had rather a taste for parody. "It was such a disappointment to us, when we were waiting to hear the scuffle," said Marjorie Butler. "We shan't believe in your scares next time," said Effie. "It's all very well, but I'm sure you'd have been just as frightened yourselves," retorted Cicely. "You've no need to make so much fun of me." "It's too bad. I vote we pay them out, and have the laugh on our side," sympathized Lindsay, leading her friend away. "I've thought of such a capital idea. Come to the summer-house and we'll talk it over." As the result of Lindsay's cogitations, the two girls went boldly to Mrs. Wilson, and begged an old cardboard box. "It's half to pieces," said "The Griffin", quite amiably, for a wonder. "It's not much good you'll do with it, I'm afraid." "Never mind, it's enough for what we want, thank you. We're not going to put anything very heavy in it, are we, Cicely?" Cicely's reply was such a wildly hysterical giggle that Mrs. Wilson stared at her in offended surprise. "She's only silly!" explained Lindsay hurriedly. "Please, could you let us have some scraps of dark cloth? Perhaps there'd be something in the rag bag. Be quiet, you stupid!"