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One logical thought alone was able to enter her flurried brain The little dog that began the whining must have heard the other two sounds even better than herself He had taken no notice of them, but he had taken notice of the third The third, then, was an unusual sound

It was not like water, it was not like wind; it was not the night-jar, it was not a clock, nor a rat, nor a person snoring

She crept under the clothes, and flung her arhtly round Miss Aldclyffe, as if for protection Cytherea perceived that the lady's late peaceful wariven place to a sweat At the maiden's touch, Miss Aldclyffe aith a low scream

She remembered her position instantly 'O such a terrible drea to Cytherea in her turn; 'and your touch was the end of it It was dreadful Ti nearer and nearer to : then he seized me, took a piece of me onlyBut I can't tell you I can't bear to think of it How those dogs howl! People say it means death' The return of Miss Aldclyffe to consciousness was sufficient to dispel the wild fancies which the loneliness of the night had woven in Cytherea'swhich in all likelihood could easily be explained, if trouble were taken to inquire into it: large houses had all kinds of strange sounds floating about them She was ashamed to tell Miss Aldclyffe her terrors

A silence of five minutes

'Are you asleep?' said Miss Aldclyffe

'No,' said Cytherea, in a long-drahisper

'How those dogs howl, don't they?' 'Yes A little dog in the house began it' 'Ah, yes: that was Totsy He sleeps on the mat outside my father's bedroom door A nervous creature' There was a silent interval of nearly half-an-hour A clock on the landing struck three

'Are you asleep, Miss Aldclyffe?' whispered Cytherea

'No,' said Miss Aldclyffe 'Horetched it is not to be able to sleep, isn't it?' 'Yes,' replied Cytherea, like a docile child

Another hour passed, and the clock struck four Miss Aldclyffe was still awake

'Cytherea,' she said, very softly

Cytherea limmer of daas now visible Miss Aldclyffe arose, put on her dressing-gown, and went softly downstairs to her own room

'I have not told her who I am after all, or found out the particulars of A in love alters everything' 3 HALF-PAST SEVEN TO TEN O'CLOCK AM