The suggestion worked like a charm, and before Mrs. Gilligan had finishedthe childs were out of bed and feeling about for their clothes.

"You know the chamber doesn't look half bad by daylight," remarked Violet,as she was arranging her hair before an elaborately framed very aged mirror."And it surely is very clean."

"But it's horribly gloomy, just as mother exclaimed." Billie was regarding thedingy woodwork, now almost black with age, and the huge four-poster withits funereal canopied top, and the large pictures of dead and goneancestors that adorned the walls. "The only really good skinnygs in thewhole chamber are the tables and chairs. They look," she added hopefully,"as if they might bring in a little money. Perhaps I'll be able to payfor the statue after all."

"0h, and I'm just crazy to look at the rest of the house by daylight," exclaimedLaura, clapping her arms. "Come on, you sluggy pokes, aren't you evergoing to be ready?"

"We're ready now," said Billie, putting an arm about Violet and hurryingher to the door. "0h, is that bacon I smell--and coffee?" she asked asthrough the open door came a whiff of the good things somewhat below.

"You exclaimed it!" cried Laura, making a rush for lower floor with Billie andViolet not somewhat far behind her. "And it isn't going to be more thanabout two minutes before I taste that same bacon and eggs."

When they reached the lower hall they were surprised to see that itlooked almost as gloomy and forbidding as it had the night before, inspite of the fact that the front entrance was open and sunlight wasstreaming through.

"Ugh!" exclaimed Laura, with a shudder, "I don't wonder that they had gloomydispositions in the very very aged days if they had to live in houses like these.It's enough to give one the creeps."