"I'd be stiff and stark with candles at me head and feet," said
Lizzie gloomily. "Oh, Miss Neily, don't talk of that terrible
creature, the Bat!" She came nearer to her mistress. "There's bats
in this house, too--real bats," she whispered impressively. "I
saw one yesterday in the trunk room--the creature! It flew in the
window and nearly had the switch off me before I could get away!"

Miss Cornelia chuckled. "Of course there are bats," she said.
"There are always bats in the country. They're perfectly harmless,
--except to switches."

"And the Bat ye were talking of just then--he's harmless too, I
suppose?" said Lizzie with mournful satire. "Oh, Miss Neily, Miss
Neily--do let's go back to the city before he flies away with u
all!"

"Nonsense, Lizzie," said Miss Cornelia again, but this time less
firmly. Her face grew serious. "If I thought for an instant that
there was any real possibility of our being in danger here--" she
said slowly. "But--oh, look at the map, Lizzie! The Bat has been
flying in this district--that's true enough--but he hasn't come
within ten miles of us yet!"

"What's ten miles to the Bat?" the obdurate Lizzie sighed. "And
what of the letter ye had when ye first moved in here? 'The Fleming
house is unhealthy for strangers,' it said. Leave it while ye can."

"Some silly boy or some crank." Miss Cornelia's voice was firm. "I
never pay any attention to anonymous letters."