Aunt Lois sank on the great hall chair, and the frightened maid thought that she was ill.
"Are ye faint, mum?" she asked, "an' will I be gettin' ye a glass o' water?"
"Call the coachman," said Aunt Lois.
"Sure, I don't want to be bold with advice, but I'd not like ter see ye goin' out fer a ride feelin' like ye do now. I'd think—"
"GET the coachman!" said Aunt Lois, and the girl, now thoroughly frightened, did as she was bid.
Nora ran at top speed to the stable, crying, as she reached the door:
"Oh, John, John! Miss Lois is come home, an' she's talkin' o' goin' right out ter ride, an' her sick, an' she wants ye ter come to her in the hall now, an' me not knowin' what ter do, at all!"
"Hi! Now calm down like a good lass, and tell a man what you need. I can't make sense out of what you said. Now, then?"
"Oh, come in, come in!" cried Nora, and turning, she ran toward the house, the coachman following, muttering something about girls never having their wits about them.
But when he reached the house, and heard that Rose and charming little Princess Polly were missing, his kindly face looked very serious, and he promised to get help and make a thorough search of the town.