1
Allie knocked on the Goslings’ door at sunrise the next morning, and Blanche, who had come to bed two hours after her mother and sister, was the only one to respond. She woke with the feeling that she had something important to do, and that the affair was in some way pleasant and inspiring.
Millie was not easily roused. She had slept heavily, and did not approve the suggestion that she should get up and dress herself.
“All right, B., all right!” she mumbled, and cuddled down under the bedclothes like a dormouse into its straw.
“Oh! do get up!” urged Blanche, impatiently, and at last resorted to physical force.
“What is the matter?” snapped Millie, struggling to maintain her hold of the blankets. “Why can’t you leave me alone?”
“Because it’s time to get up, lazy!” said Blanche, continuing the struggle.
“Well, I said I’d get up in a minute.”
“Well, get up then.”
“In a minute.”
“No—now!”
“Oh, bother!” said Millie.
Blanche succeeded at last in obtaining possession of the blankets.
“You’ll wake mother!” was Millie’s last, desperate shaft.
“I’m going to try,” replied Blanche.
Millie sat up in the bed and wondered vaguely where she was. These scenes had often been enacted at Wisteria Grove, and her mind had gone back to those delightful days of peace and security. When full consciousness returned to her, she was half inclined to cry, and more than half inclined to go to sleep again.
Mrs Gosling was quite as difficult.
“What’s the time?” was her first question.
“I don’t know,” said Blanche.
“I’m sure it’s not seven,” murmured Mrs Gosling.
Millie, still sitting on the bed, wondered whether Blanche would let her get to the blankets which were tumbled on the floor a few feet away.
“No, you don’t!” exclaimed Blanche, anticipating the attempt.
Finally she lost her temper and shook her mother vigorously.
At that, Mrs Gosling sat up suddenly and stared at her. “What in ’eaven’s name’s wrong, gel?” she asked. Her instinct told her with absolute certainty that it was still the middle of the night by Wisteria Grove standards.
“Oh! my goodness! I’m going to have my hands full with you two!” broke out Blanche impatiently. Her imagination pictured for her in that instant how great the trouble would be. She would never be able to wake them up....
They took the road before eight o’clock. Aunt May was generous in the matter of eggs and fruit, and she left her many urgent duties to point the way for the inexperienced explorers.
“Get right out as far as you can,” was her parting word of advice.
They did not see Mrs Pollard again. She was still in bed when they set out.