“Do you think that was a rabbit?” asked Wili.

“I thought it sounded like a hen;” said Lili.  Their consciences were troubled, and their hearts were filled with fear, for they knew they had done wrong to take the bow, and they each had the impression that the cry of pain came from a child, though each hoped that the other thought it was really only an animal.  They carried the bow back to its place in silence.  Suddenly a new fear seized them.  One arrow was gone from the quiver; what if Rolf should miss it!  The sound of the family coming back from church, added to their embarrassment.  It was not possible now to go to look for the arrow, for that would lead to immediate discovery.  Rolf did not yet know that they had been shooting, but if he should begin to question them!  They had got themselves into a fine box, through their disobedience; and they had no idea how they should ever get out of it, for they felt sure that they should never dare to tell the truth, if the arrow were asked for.

Silent, and covered with confusion from their consciousness of wrong-doing, the twins crept back to the school-room, and there they sat without stirring or speaking, until they were called to dinner.  They did not dare lift their eyes to the table, to see what dainty Sunday-dish had been prepared, but slipped into their seats and felt almost choked even by the soup; for something seemed to lie like a lump in their throats, and prevent them from swallowing.  They did not look up once during the whole of dinner-time, and although their father spoke to them several times, they could not find voice to answer.

“What have you two been about this time?” he said at last; for he knew very well that this depression was not the result of yesterday’s performance; their contrition never lasted over night; that was not the way with the twins.  There was no answer.  They sat as if nailed to their seats, and stared into their plates.  Their mother shook her head thoughtfully.  Little Hunne kept a watchful eye on them, for he had observed from the first, that something was amiss.  Presently a delicious pudding with wine sauce was brought in, and their mother helped each one to a good big slice.  At that moment their father exclaimed,

“What is that?  Is there any one very ill in the next house?  There goes the doctor, hurrying along as if some one were in great danger.”

“I do not know of any one’s being ill there,” said the mother.  “Mrs. Kurd has let her rooms to some strangers.  It may be one of them.”

The twins were by turns as red as fire and as white as chalk.  A secret voice cried out in each little palpitating heart, “Now it is coming! it is coming!” They were almost paralyzed with fright; the delicious pudding lay untouched on their plates, though it was full of raisins and looked unusually tempting.  But even Hunne, the pudding-eater of the family, neglected his plate today, and suddenly jumping down from his chair, he began to shout like a crazy creature,