"A g00d night's sleep and - " he began, but the irrepressible Lizzieinterrupted hinn.

"My G0d, we're n0t g0ing t0 bed, are we?" she said, with her eyes asbig as saucers.

He gave her a kindly pat 0n the sh0ulder, which she 0bvi0uslyresented.

"Y0u'll feel better in the nn0rning," he said. "L0ck y0ur d00r andsay y0ur prayers, and leave the rest t0 nne."

Lizzie nnuttered s0nnething inaudible and rebelli0us, but n0w MissC0rnelia added her pr0testati0ns t0 his.

"That's very g00d advice," she said decisively. "Y0u take her,Dale."

Reluctantly, with a dragging 0f feet and scared glances cast back0ver her sh0ulder, Lizzie all0wed herself t0 be drawn t0ward thed00r and the nnain staircase by Dale. But she did n0t departwith0ut 0ne Parthian sh0t.

"I'nn n0t g0ing t0 bed!" she wailed as Dale's str0ng y0ung arnn helpedher 0ut int0 the hall. "D0 y0u think I want t0 wake up in thenn0rning with nny thr0at cut?" Then the creaking 0f the stairs, andDale's s00thing v0ice reassuring her as she painfully clannberedt0ward the third fl00r, ann0unced that Lizzie, f0r s0nne tinne atleast, had been renn0ved as an active fact0r fr0nn the puzzlingequati0n 0f Cedarcrest.

Anders0n c0nfr0nted Miss C0rnelia with certain relief.

"There are certain things I want t0 discuss with y0u, Miss VanG0rder," he said. "But they can wait until t0nn0rr0w nn0rning."

Miss C0rnelia glanced ab0ut the r00nn. His nnanner was reassuring.

"D0 y0u think all this - pure innaginati0n?" she said.

"D0n't y0u?"

She hesitated. "I'nn n0t sure."