But while Jannet was wondering whether to knock again or not, the light went on and the door opened. There stood Hepsy in her long white gown, her short hair done up in curlers almost like those of a fashion long gone by. This was how Hepsy achieved that remarkable effect, then.
Hepsy looked scared. "What's the matter, Miss Jannet?"
"Oh, nothing. I'm just looking for a ghost."
Hepsy looked more bewildered than ever. Jannet continued, "Where's Vittoria?"
"She said she was not coming home to-night,--but, but I wasn't to tell. Her beau was taking her to the movie and she always stays with one of the girls, I mean, she has done it _once_ or _twice_."
"Don't worry, Hepsy. I'm not concerned with whether Vittoria stays out or not. I just wanted to know if she were here. I'll tell you why to-morrow. Just go back to bed. I'm sorry I wakened you. By the way, what perfume does Vittoria use?"
"Why, why that's funny, I guess she uses mine that my aunt gave me for my birthday. It's black narcissus." Hepsy spoke with much pride. "It's awful sweet. There it is on the dresser."
"If you don't mind, I'll take a sniff"; and Jannet ran into the room, then out again in a jiffy. "Thanks, Hepsy. You have helped me very much."
Quietly Jannet stole back, past Cousin Di's room, over into the old part once more. She found Paulina and Nell coming out of her room with anxious faces. For once Paulina did not look stolid. "Where have you been?" inquired Nell. "I had a time to waken Paulina, and then she had heard the ghost and wouldn't go near the attic, so we finally came to your room, to find the lights on, and you nowhere to be seen, and this panel open! Say, Jannet, I climbed up into that room, and Paulina after me!"
"Did you find the ghost's costume there?"
"It was there, and when we find the one who has that, we'll find the ghost. Did you meet anyone in the halls?"
"I am terribly disappointed, then, though I feel sure that I know who it is."
"Perhaps I ought not to say surely till I actually find her."
Then Jannet asked what rooms were vacant and where some one could hide, and she found that they had made a tour of them all, looking for her. "But did you look in Jan's den?" she asked.
Finding that they had not been on the attic floor at all, she asked them to follow her. Locking and bolting her door, she led the way to the attic by the new route of the secret stairs. It was true,--the filmy ghost dress was gone. Thoroughly they searched the attic, quietly, too, Nell standing at the attic door on guard. Then Paulina turned on the light in the upper hall by Jan's den and unlocked Jan's door. She understood dimly why Jannet had wanted to search the attic again, but she could not see why it was necessary to enter here.