“Who is it?” she gasped.  “Oh, it’s you, Mrs. Barnes.  It is you, isn’t it?”

“Me?  Of course it’s me.  Have I changed so much in the night that you don’t know me?  What is it, Miss Timpson?  Are you sick?  Can I get you anything?”

“No, no.  I ain’t sick—­in body, anyway.  And nobody can get me anything this side of the grave.  Mrs. Barnes, I’m going.”

“You’re goin’?  What?  You don’t mean you’re dyin’?”

Considering her lodger’s remarks of the previous evening, those relating to “going when the time came,” it is no wonder Thankful was alarmed.  But Miss Timpson shook her head.

“No,” she said, “I don’t mean that, not yet, though that’ll come next; I feel it coming already.  No, Mrs. Barnes, I don’t mean that.  I mean I’m going away.  I can’t live here any longer.”

Thankful collapsed upon a chair.

“Goin’!” she repeated.  “You’re goin’ to leave here?  Why—­why you’ve just fixed up to stay!”

Miss Timpson groaned.  “I know,” she wailed; “I thought I had, but I—­I’ve changed my mind.  I’m going to leave—­now.”

By way of proof she pointed to her traveling-bag, which was beside her on the floor.  Mrs. Barnes had not noticed the bag before, but now she saw that it was, apparently, packed.

“My trunks ain’t ready yet,” went on the schoolmistress.  “I tried to pack ’em, but—­but I couldn’t.  I couldn’t bear to do it alone.  Maybe you or Imogene will help me by and by.  Oh, my soul!  What was that?”

“What?  I didn’t hear anything.”

“Didn’t you?  Well, perhaps I didn’t, either.  It’s just my nerves, I guess!  Mrs. Barnes, could you help me pack those trunks pretty soon?  I’m going away.  I must go.  If I stay in this house any longer I shall die.”

She was trembling and wringing her hands.  Thankful tried to comfort her and did succeed in quieting her somewhat, but, in spite of her questionings and pleadings Miss Timpson refused to reveal the cause of her agitation or of her sudden determination to leave the High Cliff House.

“It ain’t anything you’ve done or haven’t done, Mrs. Barnes,” she said.  “I like it here and I like the board and I like you.  But I must go.  I’m going to my cousin’s down in the village first and after that I don’t know where I’ll go.  Please don’t ask me any more.”

She ate a few mouthfuls of the breakfast which Thankful hastily prepared for her and then she departed for her cousin’s.  Thankful begged her to stay until Kenelm came, when he might harness the horse and drive her to her destination, but she would not wait.  She would not even remain to pack her trunks.

“I’ll come back and pack ’em,” she said.  “Or perhaps you and Imogene will pack ’em for me.  Oh, Mrs. Barnes, you’ve been so kind.  I hate to leave you this way, I do, honest.”

“But why are you leavin’?” asked Thankful once more.  For the first time Miss Timpson seemed to hesitate.  She looked about, as if to make sure that the two were alone; then she leaned forward and whispered in her companion’s ear.