“He’s coming nearer!” said she, tremulously.

Minnie felt her sister’s hand throb at the quick movement of her heart, and heard her short, quick breathing.

“Who can it be, I wonder?” said Minnie, full of curiosity, but without any excitement at all.

“Oh, Minnie!”

“What’s the matter, darling?”

“It’s so terrible.”

“What?”

“This suspense.  Oh, I’m so afraid!”

“Afraid!  Why, I’m not afraid at all.”

“Oh! he’ll be caught.”

“No, he won’t,” said Minnie, confidently.  “I knew he’d come.  They always do.  Don’t be afraid that he’ll be caught, or that he’ll fail.  They never fail.  They always will save me.  Wait till your life has been saved as often as mine has, Kitty darling.  Oh, I expected it all!  I was thinking a little while ago he ought to be here soon.”

“He!  Who?”

“Why, any person; the person who is going to save me this time.  I don’t know, of course, who he is; some horrid man, of course.  And then—­oh dear!—­I’ll have it all over again.  He’ll carry me away on his back, and through those wretched woods, and bump me against the trees and things.  Then he’ll get me to the road, and put me on a horrid old horse, and gallop away.  And by that time it will be morning.  And then he’ll propose.  And so there’ll be another.  And I don’t know what I shall do about it.  Oh dear!”

Mrs. Willoughby had not heard half of this.  All her soul was intent upon the figure outside.  She only pressed her sister’s hand, and gave a warning “Hus-s-s-h!”

“I know one thing I do wish,” said Minnie.

Her sister made no reply.

“I do wish it would turn out to be that nice, dear, good, kind Rufus K. Gunn.  I don’t want any more of them.  And I’m sure he’s nicer than this horrid Count, who wouldn’t take the trouble to get me even a chair.  And yet he pretends to be fond of me.”

“Hus-s-s-h!” said her sister.

But Minnie was irrepressible.

“I don’t want any horrid stranger.  But, oh, Kitty darling, it would be so awfully funny if he were to be caught! and then he couldn’t propose, you know.”

By this time the figure had reached the house.  Minnie peeped over and looked down.  Then she drew back her head and sighed.

“Oh dear!” she said, in a plaintive tone.

“What, darling?”

“Why, Kitty darling, do you know he really looks a little like that great, big, horrid man that ran with me down the volcano, and then pretended he was my dear papa.  And here he comes to save me again.  Oh, what shall I do?  Won’t you pretend you’re me, Kitty darling, and please go yourself?  Oh, ple-e-ease do!”

But now Minnie was interrupted by two strong hands grasping the window-sill.  A moment after a shadowy head arose above it.  Mrs. Willoughby started back, but through the gloom she was able to recognize the strongly marked face of Scone Dacres.