No doubt Miss Wyvern and her sister will go to bed earlier than usual on this particular occasion.

Let them do so.

Send the servants to bed, too.

You and Miss Lorne go to your beds at the same time as the others--or, at least, let them think that you have done so; then come down and let us out." To this Sir Horace assented, and, taking Miss Lorne with him, went at once to the picture-gallery and joined his daughters, with whom they remained until eleven o'clock.

Promptly at that hour, however, the house was locked up, the bride-elect and her sister went to bed--the servants having already gone to theirs--and stillness settled down over the darkened house.