"I shall write and explain. There is nothing else to be done."
Miss Storey gazed round the room, seeing in imagination a small rampageous infant rushing about, teasing the canary, worrying the cat, upsetting everything, behaving altogether precisely as little girls of five should not behave. "It is impossible," she said again. "Frederick ought not to have asked such a thing of us."
"If it cannot be, I suppose there is no more to be said," Miss Anne regretfully observed, standing up. "I am sorry. Poor little Ivy!"
"We are just beginning to get Hecla a little into order; and another child in the house would upset her completely. They would make one another naughty. No, dear Anne, it cannot be. I am quite decided."
"Then you will write," Miss Anne said, and she went out, that her sister might not see tears in her eyes.
In the passage, Hecla ran plump against her.
"Gently, dear. Where are you going?"
"Out for a walk." Hecla's face was all sunshine again, and she held it up for a kiss.
"Elisabeth and I are going."
"Where is Elisabeth?"