The incident gave cause for serious apprehension. Miss Harding made a most careful round of the house before bedtime, to see that all bolts and shutters were well secured. Though she would not betray her alarm to the girls, she was afraid that a burglary might be committed during the night. Both she and Mademoiselle kept awake till dawn, listening for suspicious footsteps on the gravel outside. All was as usual, however, in the morning; there were no evidences of attempts to force locks or windows, and no trace of the mysterious thief who had taken the bread and butter. Mademoiselle reported indeed that she had again heard the curious sounds which for some nights past had disturbed her. She had risen and patrolled the house, and had come to the unmistakable conclusion that they issued from the barred room. The closed chamber was as much a riddle to teachers as to girls, so Miss Harding merely shook her head, and recommended Mademoiselle to tell her experiences to Miss Birks as soon as the Principal returned. At five o'clock that afternoon Elyned Hughes came running downstairs with a white, scared face. She solemnly averred that, when passing the door of the mysterious room, she had heard extraordinary noises within. "It was exactly like somebody moving about and frying sausages. I smelled them too!" she declared. The report was in part confirmed by several other girls, who pledged their word that they heard stealthy movements when they listened at the barred door. "Are you absolutely certain, or is it only mice?" queried Gerda. "We've so often fancied things." "Mice don't clink cans, and strike matches, and clear their throats!" retorted Rhoda. "But you may have thought it sounded like that." "I couldn't be mistaken." "Somebody's there, beyond a doubt," said Agnes. "Perhaps it's a ghost?" queried Elyned. "It's nothing supernatural this time, I'll undertake to say--whatever may have made the noises before." "It ought to be enquired into," declared Doris. "Miss Birks ought to insist on having the bars taken down, and seeing what's going on." "Oh, no, no! It's best to leave things as they are." Gerda was looking white and upset and spoke almost hysterically. "Do you expect the ghost to bolt in amongst us the moment the door is unlocked?" mocked Rhoda. "No, of course, I'm not so silly! But it's often better to let well alone." "Mrs. Trevellyan is still away, so Miss Birks couldn't ask her to have the bars taken down now," volunteered Betty Scott. "So she is," exclaimed Gerda, with an air of relief. "Ah! You're afraid of the ghost," repeated Rhoda. "I'm more inclined towards the burglar theory. In the circumstances, I think Miss Birks would be quite justified in making an investigation, even without Mrs. Trevellyan's permission." "I shouldn't wonder myself if Miss Birks called in the police," said Betty Scott.