“Now, whoever has done this?” she cried, breaking into a merry peal and looking at Audry and Elspeth.
They both shook their heads.
She examined the potato and found that it had been scooped out and held a packet very tightly rolled up, within which was a piece of Walter’s choicest lace. On the packet was written, “To Somebody from Somebody’s enemy.”
“From whose enemy?”—said Aline,—“Mine?”
“‘Who chased whom round the walls of what?’” Audry observed. “I expect the two somebodies are not the same.”
“Well, but whom is it from?”
At this moment Aline caught sight of the upper part of a head trying to peep round the door. It vanished instantly.
She paused for a moment and then gave chase down the newel-stairs. Round and round and round lightly flashed the little feet and she could hear great heavy footsteps at much longer intervals going down, apparently three steps at a time, some way below her.
She reached the bottom just in time to see the figure of Silas dash into the screens; but he vanished altogether before she had time to catch him and thank him for what was obviously his gift.