They were taken off to bed by the grandmother. She went first with a candle ; the stairs rang to their climbing feet. Isabel and Lottie lay in a room to themselves, Kezia curled in her grandmother's soft bed.

" Aren't there going to be any sheets, my granma ? "

" No, not to-night."

" It's tickly," said Kezia, " but it's like Indians." She dragged her grandmother down to her and kissed her under the chin. " Come to bed soon and be my Indian brave."

" What a silly you are," said the old woman, tucking her in as she loved to be tucked.

" Aren't you going to leave me a candle ? "

"No. Sh—h. Go to sleep." page 16" Well, can I have the door left open ? " She rolled herself up into a round but she did not go to sleep. From all over the house came the sound of steps. The house itself creaked and popped. Loud whispering voices came from downstairs. Once she heard Aunt Beryl's rush of high laughter, and once she heard a loud trumpeting from Burnell blowing his nose. Outside the window hundreds of black cats with yellow eyes sat in the sky watching her—but she was not frightened. Lottie was saying to Isabel: " I'm going to say my prayers in bed to-night." " No you can't, Lottie." Isabel was very firm. " God only excuses you saying your prayers in bed if you've got a temperature." So Lottie yielded :

Gentle Jesus meek anmile,
Look pon a little chile.
Pity me, simple Lizzie
Suffer me to come to thee.

And then they lay down back to back, their little behinds just touching, and fell asleep.