"A bad dream," Miss Warren echoed. "Nightmare, most likely! Bless the child, you're shaking like an aspen leaf!"
"I'm very sorry," murmured Dick again. "I know I've been very silly. I'm not frightened now."
"There is nothing to be frightened at," Miss Warren told him reassuringly. "Who did you think was after you, my dear?"
"The smugglers. I was dreaming of the secret passage, and—"
"There, now!" Miss Warren interposed vexedly. "I guessed as much! You have had your head filled with tales of smugglers, and secret passages, and nonsense of that kind till you've let your imagination run away with you! I'll sit by your side till you go to sleep, and then you'll feel perfectly safe, will you not?"
Dick assented gratefully. He was very ashamed of himself for having disturbed his aunt's rest; but it was a comforting thought that she was near. She was as good as her word, and remained patiently watching him till he fell asleep.
The next morning, at the breakfast-table, she told her brother of the scene which had been enacted during the night, and gave him a description of Dick's terror at his dream.
"A fine fright he gave me too!" she said in conclusion; "I thought something dreadful had happened, and was quite relieved to find he had only been dreaming!"
"He could not help it," the doctor replied with a glance of sympathy at his little nephew's pale face. "I remember when I was a boy, I used to have nightmare myself, and imagine I was falling out of a window, or down a precipice, or being chased by a wild animal, or something equally ridiculous. You shall have your supper a little earlier for the future, Dick. So your nightmare took the shape of smugglers, eh?"
"Yes," Dick said; "and awful-looking men they were, with dreadful, wicked faces. I thought I was in the secret passage, and they were running after me; then I suppose I screamed, and Aunt Mary Ann heard me, for when I woke up, there she was standing by the bed. Oh, wasn't I glad to see her."