“Yes, dear.  I got Miss Twining to bed, and she quieted down a little.  Finally I left her and crept back to my room.  I don’t know what time it was,—­but after eleven,—­I woke dreaming that I heard my name called.  I jumped up and ran and opened the door.  Everything was still.  But I waited, and pretty soon I heard a voice in the room opposite.  I rushed across the hall—­the door was locked!  ‘Miss Twining!  Miss Twining!’ I called, two or three times.  At first nobody answered; then Miss Sniffen came over to the door and said, ‘Shut up and go to bed!’ I asked her to let me in, but she wouldn’t.  I said things that I shouldn’t have dared to say if I’d been cooler; but I’m glad I did!  After a while I went back to my room, and I took out my key and hid it.  I was afraid she’d lock me in.  She did mean to, but for once she got fooled.  I lay still as a mouse, hearing her fumble round my door.  Finally she went downstairs.  When I was sure she’d gone for good I took my key and stole across the hall.  Sure enough, it unlocked the door, just as I hoped it would.  Oh, that poor child was so glad to see me!  Miss Sniffen had come up prepared to give her a whipping!  She had brought a little riding-whip with her!  But the very sight of it so upset Miss Twining, in her nervous state, that she had a bad turn with her heart,—­you know her heart always bothers her,—­and once she gave a little cry.  Of course, Miss Sniffen didn’t want any rumpus, and she just clapped her hand hard over Miss Twining’s mouth.  She says she doesn’t know whether it took her breath away suddenly, or what; but she fainted!  When she came to, Miss Sniffen was rubbing her—­I guess she was pretty well frightened!  There wasn’t anything more said about whipping!  After she made up her mind that Miss Twining wasn’t likely to die right off, she and the riding-whip left.”

“Oh, dear, what will become of us!” cried Miss Crilly.  “We are not safe a minute!”

“You shall be!” Polly burst out excitedly.  “I’m going to tell Mr. Randolph everything about it!”

“Polly!  Polly!” Miss Sterling laid a quieting hand on her shoulder.

The girl threw it off.  Then she caught it to her lips and kissed it passionately.  “I can’t bear it!  I can’t bear it!” she cried.  “To think of you all in such danger!  You don’t know what she’ll do!”

“I don’t think we need have any fear until she gets over her scare about this,” said Mrs. Albright reassuringly.  “She seems to me pretty well cowed down.  Her eyes looked actually frightened when I caught her off guard.  You see, she’s in a fix!  She knows Miss Twining needs a doctor; but, of course, he would ask first thing what brought this on, and she couldn’t make the patient lie it out.”

“I guess lying wouldn’t trouble her any,” put in Miss Crilly.

“Dear Miss Twining!” murmured Polly plaintively.

“She is a sweet little woman,” Miss Crilly sighed.