Come!" She took his arm, and they started at a brisk pace for the Beech Walk.
The ground, baked hard as iron, rang under their tread, and whether it was the bitter blast or not, Mr.Edwards could not tell, but his companion's face was flushed with a more brilliant glow, in the ghostly moonlight, than he had ever before seen there.
They reached the long grove of magnificent copper-beeches, and just without its entrance Miss Silver began searching for her lost locket.
"It is not here," said Sybilla.

"Let us go further down----" She paused at a sudden gesture of her companion.
"Hush!" he said.

"There is some one talking in the Beech Walk." Both paused and stood stock still.

Borne unmistakably on the night wind, voices came to them--the soft voice of a woman, the deeper tones of a man.
"One of the maids, I dare say," Sybilla said, carelessly, "holding tryst with her lover." "No," said the valet; "not one of the maids would set foot hinside this walk hafter nightfall for a kingdom! They say it's 'aunted.

Come forward a little, and let's see if we can't 'ave a look at the talkers.
Whoever it is, he's hup to no good, I'll be bound!" Very softly, stealing on tiptoe, the twain approached the entrance of the avenue.