She looked out of the window.
"There's no light on the lawn from the library," said she. "Everybody must be in bed. Let's go down."
"You hold my hand tight," said Highboy.
Hortense did so, and they stole down the stairs together.
Coal and Ember growled a bit when they entered Grandmother's room but stopped when they saw who it was.
"What do we do to-night?" Owl asked. "I feel wakeful."
"Andy's coming over," said Hortense, "and then we're going to ask Malay Kris and Alligator Sofa to play with us."
"Andy sounds like a boy," said Owl. "I hate boys. One robbed my nest of eggs once, and I swore I'd pull his hair if I ever met him again."
"That was another boy, I'm sure," Hortense replied.
"All boys are bad," Owl grumbled. "Who are Malay Kris and Alligator Sofa?"