"There"s Stephie at the window now," said Molly. A little figure in a night-dress was seen peeping out.
"It"s us, Stephie. Let us in; it"s most awfully important," whispered Molly"s voice in deep sepulchral tones from below.
"But say, what"s the matter?" called Stephanotie, opening her window and popping out her curly head.
"I can"t talk to you in the street. Slip down and open the hall-door and let us in," said Molly. "It"s most vital."
"It"s life or death," whispered Nora. There was something in Nora"s tremulous tones which touched Stephanotie, and at the same time stimulated her curiosity to such an extent that she flew into her clothes, dashing about perfectly reckless of the fact that she was making a loud noise; but, luckily for her, Miss Truefitt was deaf and the servants slept in a remote part of the old house. Soon Stephanotie was tumbling downstairs, the chain was taken off the door, and the two girls were admitted.
"Where shall I take you?" said Stephanotie. "It"s all as dark as pitch.
You know Aunt Vi won"t hear of gas in the house. But stay, we can go into the dining room. I suppose you can tell me by the light of a solitary glim." As she spoke she pointed to the candle which she was holding high above her head.
"Yes, yes, or with no light at all," said Nora.
Stephanotie now opened the door of the dining room, and the three girls entered. Stephanotie placed the candle on the table and turned and faced them.
"Well," she said, "what"s up? What do you want me to do?"
"I want you to lend me all the money you have," said Nora.
"All the money I have--good gracious!"
"Oh, Jehoshaphat! be quick about it," said Molly. "We cannot stand here talking; we want to catch the very next train to town."
"But why should I lend you all the money I have?"
"Oh, I"ll tell her, Nora; don"t you speak," said Molly. "Nora"s father has been awfully hurt; he was shot at from behind a hedge by some scoundrel in Ireland. A telegram came to-day about him to mother, and mother won"t take Nora to Ireland unless her father is in danger, and Nora is determined to go."
"I guess I"d about do the same," said Stephanotie, nodding her head.
"If poppa was shot at from behind a hedge, I guess there"s nothing would keep me away from him. But is it for that you want the money?"
"Yes," said Nora, plunging her hands into the depths of her black bag; "there"s only eight shillings and five-pence here, and I can"t get to Ireland with that."
"Haul out the spoil," said Molly; "make no bones about it. I"m going with Nora, because the child isn"t fit to travel alone."
"You coming with me?" said Nora. "I didn"t know that."
"I don"t mean to leave you, my dear, until I see you safe in the midst of your family; besides, I have a bit of curiosity with regard to that wonderful old place of yours."
"Oh, it"s lost, the place is quite lost," said Nora, remembering for the first time since the blow had fallen the feather-bed condition of Castle O"Shanaghgan.
"Well, lost or found, I"d like to have a peep at it," said Molly; "so fork out the spoil, Stephie, and be quick."
"I will, of course," said Stephanotie. "But how much do you want?"
"All you possess, my dear; you cannot give us more than all you possess."
"And when am I likely to have it back?"
"Oh, as if that mattered," said Molly; "the thing is to get Nora home.
You won"t be any the worse for this, if that is what you mean."
"Oh, I am not really thinking of that; but my school fees have to be paid, and the money only came from America two days ago for the purpose.
You know Aunt Vi is very poor."
"Poor or rich, don"t keep us waiting now," said Molly. "Look at Nora.
Do you think for a single moment that your school bills matter when her heart is breaking?"
"And you shall have the money back, Stephie, every farthing, if I die to get it for you," said Nora with sudden pa.s.sion.
"I don"t doubt you, darling," said the generous-hearted American girl.
"Well, I"ll go up to my room and see what I can do." She left the room, ran upstairs, and quickly returned with a fat purse. It contained gold and notes; and very soon Molly found, to her infinite delight, that it would be by no means necessary for her and Nora to take all Stephie"s wealth.
"Ten pounds will be sufficient," said Molly. "I have not the slightest idea what the fares to Ireland are, but I have no doubt we shall do nicely with this sum. May we have these two five-pounds notes, Stephie?"
"You may and welcome," said Stephanotie. "I have nearly thirty pounds here; but it"s on account of the school bills. As a rule, poppa is not quite so generous. He says it is better for young girls like me not to have too much money. I guess I"d eat too many bon-bons if I had a lot of money at my disposal. But had you not better take it in gold? It is much easier to change."
"To be sure," said Molly. "Holy Moses! it"s you that have got the sense, Stephie."
"Thank you for the compliment," replied Stephanotie. "Well, then, here you are--ten sovereigns. Good luck to you both. What do you mean to do?"
"Go to the station and find out about the trains, and start the very first moment possible," said Molly.
"I do wish I was going with you. It would be no end of a lark."
"Why don"t you come?" asked Molly.
"I wish I might; but there, I suppose I had better not. I must look perfectly innocent to-morrow, or I may get into an awful sc.r.a.pe for this. You must both go now, or Aunt Vi when she turns in her sleep may wake. She turns in her sleep about three times during the night; and whenever she turns she wakes, so she tells me. I guess it"s about time for her first turn now, so the sooner you are off the better."
"Oh, thank you, Stephie! I shall never, never forget your kindness,"
said Nora. She flung her arms impulsively round Stephanotie"s neck, and the next moment the girls left the house.
CHAPTER XXVII.
ADVENTURES--AND HOME AGAIN.
The girls now went straight to the railway station; the hour was a quarter to twelve. They entered and asked at once if there was a train up to town. Yes; the last train would be due in ten minutes. Molly now took the management of affairs; she purchased a third-cla.s.s ticket for herself and another for Nora.
"If we go third-cla.s.s we shall not be specially remarked," she said.
"People always notice girls who travel first-cla.s.s."
The tickets being bought, the girls stood side by side on the platform.
Molly had put on her shabbiest hat and oldest jacket; her gloves had some holes in them; her umbrella was rolled up in such a thick, ungainly fashion that it looked like a gamp. Nora, however, exquisitely neat and trim, stood by her companion"s side, betraying as she did so traces of her good birth and breeding.