The Heather-Moon

Mrs. Muir's motive for visiting the garret out of season was a simple one, but it was wellthat Barrie did not know this, for it was not at all interesting, and would have broken themusic, thrown cold water on the thrill. Moths, no respecters of persons or judges of highreligious reputations, had dared to nest in Mrs. MacDonald's best black cashmere dress, which had not been worn and would not be worn, except on great occasions, until nextseason, and had mechanically reduced it to the rate of second best. Moth-powder andmoth-balls were exhausted in downstairs regions, but there was a store of both in thegarret; and in her annoyance at having to ascend at an unprecedented time, and hervexation at an accident such as must happen in the best regulated families, Mrs. Muir hadhurriedly returned with the wanted box, forgetting to lock the door. Barrie could not be sure that the housekeeper was not even now in the garret; but she hadto find out: and the awful thrill of uncertainty made her next step a high adventure, theadventure of her life. It was a step onto the garret stairs, and though it meant dangers of allsorts, she risked them every one, and closed the door behind her. You see, if she had notdone this, any person passing along the landing-a person such as Grandma, or JanetHepburn-would at once have seen the streak of gold, a mere yellow crack to them, andthen and there would have arisen a clamour for the key