Mrs. Cragg had no strong objections to her present position from motives of truth and honour, but she did very much object to being found out, and she went hot all over with fright. There was no time to restore the letters to their envelope. She thrust them loosely into the box, shut the lid, turned her key with some difficulty, drew it out, and dropped the bunch into her pocket. Then she whisked across the room to an old chiffonier in the farthest corner, and made believe to be hunting in a drawer.
"Ma-ma!" cried Dot's little voice, as the two came in; "Ma-ma, I'se had a clumble!"
"Jane said you were here," Pattie added. "Dot fell down and hurt her leg, and so I brought her home."
"And I didn't cly, ma-ma, not at all," protested Dot. "Pattie said I was blave. And my leg hurted—oh, ever so much."
"Oh!" Pattie's face changed as she saw the chest of drawers and the boxes.
"Yes, those were brought by young Waters." Mrs. Cragg was too busy to look Pattie in the face. "I told him to put them here, and to come again to be paid. Rubbish mostly, I suppose. You'll have to see if they are worth keeping."
"Yes; thank you. I think I had better have them in my room."
"They'll lumber you up there."
"It doesn't matter. May I have something to put on Dot's leg?"
"How did she come to do such a stupid thing?"