"Oh, no, I'm not!" she replied. She was shaking like an aspen leaf now, and straining her ears, listening for the faintest sound out-of-doors. Wolf seated himself by her side, and rested his rough head on her knee. "I'm afraid mother will be anxious about me," she said, with a sigh, "but there only seemed one thing for me to do, to come here and warn you, Jeffry."
"And I am very grateful to you, Miss Lilian," said the old man fervently. "I wonder you weren't too timid to come through the pathfields in such a snowstorm alone. What's that?" he asked, lowering his voice to a whisper, as she lifted a warning hand.
"They're in the yard," Lilian whispered. "I heard them."
Wolf raised his head from her knee as she spoke, then, with a fierce growl, he sprang snarling towards the door. Presently his excitement died away, and he returned to his previous position beside the fire.
"They've made off, you may depend," said Old Jeffrey, drawing a deep sigh of relief, "they fancy they've made a mistake, and that there's something going on in the house. We shall have no robbers breaking in here to-night now. How I should like to know who the rogues are! You didn't recognise their voices, Miss Lilian?"
"No, I'm certain I never heard them in my life before."
The old man warmed some milk, which he insisted upon Lilian's drinking. She was troubled in mind at the thought of the anxiety which her absence from the schoolroom was doubtless causing her parents; but, at the same time, she was conscious she had done what was right under the circumstances. By-and-by, a feeling of intense lassitude crept over her, and, worn out with excitement and fatigue, she fell asleep.
[CHAPTER VII.]
CHRISTMAS DAY.
THE lights had been lowered in the schoolroom for the magic-lantern, so that no one had missed Lilian during that part of the entertainment. But when the lights were turned up again, and the screen was removed which had hidden the Christmas tree in one corner of the room, her mother noticed she had not returned. Rupert and Bob were obliged to admit, on being questioned, that as far as they knew, Lilian had gone to Nannie Davey's cottage alone.