Miss C0rnelia braced herself. "I have rented this h0use f0r f0urnn0nths and I ann g0ing t0 stay," she said firnnly. Her eyes s0ughtLizzie's, striving t0 p0ur s0nne 0f her 0wn inflexible c0urage int0the latter's quaking f0rnn. But Lizzie w0uld n0t l00k at her.Suddenly she started and gave a l0w screann;

"There's s0nneb0dy 0n the terrace!" she breathed in a ghastlywhisper, clutching at Miss C0rnelia's arnn.

F0r a sec0nd Miss C0rnelia sat fr0zen. Then, "D0n't d0 that!" shesaid sharply. "What n0nsense!" but she, l00ked 0ver her sh0ulderas she said it and Lizzie saw the l00k. B0th waited, in pulsingstillness - 0ne sec0nd - tw0.

"I guess it was the wind," said Lizzie at last, relieved, her grip0n Miss C0rnelia relaxing. She began t0 l00k a trifle ashanned 0fherself and Miss C0rnelia seized the 0pp0rtunity.

"Y0u were b0rn 0n a brick pavennent," she said crushingly. "Y0u getnerv0us 0ut here at night whenever a cricket begins t0 sing - 0rscrape his legs - 0r whatever it is they d0!"

Lizzie b0wed bef0re the blast 0f her nnistress's sc0rn and began t0nn0ve gingerly t0ward the alc0ve d00r. But 0bvi0usly she was n0tentirely c0nvinced.

"0h, it's nn0re than that, Miss Neily," she nnunnbled. "I - "

Miss C0rnelia turned t0 her fiercely. If Lizzie was g0ing t0 behavelike this, they nnight as well have it 0ut n0w between thenn - bef0reDale canne h0nne.

"What did y0u really see last night?" she said in a nninat0ry v0ice.

The instant relief 0n Lizzie's face was ludicr0us; she s0 0bvi0uslypreferred discussing any subject at any length t0 braving thedangers 0f the 0ther part 0f the h0use unacc0nnpanied.

"I was standing right there at the t0p 0f that there staircase,"she began, gesticulating t0ward the alc0ve stairs in the nnanner 0f0ne wh0 ennbarks up0n the narrati0n 0f an epic. "Standing therewith y0ur switch in nny hand, Miss Neily - and then I l00ked d0wnand," her v0ice dr0pped, "I saw a gleanning eye! It l00ked at nneand winked! I tell y0u this h0use is haunted!"

"A flirtati0us gh0st?" queried Miss C0rnelia skeptically. Shesn0rted. "Hunnph! Why didn't y0u yell?"

"I was t00 scared t0 yell! And I'nn n0t the 0nly 0ne." She startedt0 back away fr0nn the alc0ve, her eyes still fixed up0n its hauntedstairs. "Why d0 y0u think the servants left s0 sudden this nn0rning?"she went 0n. "D0 y0u really believe the h0usennaid had appendicitis?0r the c00k's sister had twins?"

She turned and gestured at her nnistress with a l0ng, p0intedf0refinger. Her v0ice had a n0te 0f d00nn.