I thought Jack would certainly stay behind and offer some kind of fuller explanation. But he did not; and I was troubled.
Next day came, and Jack still said nothing; neither did Cress bring up the subject. It was Owen, not one of the elder boys, who said to me in the course of the afternoon—
“Mother, we really didn’t mean to be so long coming home yesterday.”
“It was not right,” I said. “And Jack has not told me how it happened.”
“No,” Owen replied. “The fact is, mother, he is afraid Maimie will be blamed. He wanted me to promise not to say a word; but I would not promise, and I don’t like to see you worried.”
“Then it was Maimie’s doing?” I said.
“Maimie doesn’t understand,” the boy said. “Jack wanted to come back in good time from Westminster, and he said you and father liked it best, and Maimie laughed. She says she has always done as she wished; and she seemed to think it so funny for a big fellow like Jack to have to obey. And then Cress laughed too, and he said he should please himself, and he didn’t mean to hurry. And Maimie proposed to go on the river, and to pay for all of us. We didn’t think at first of going to St. Paul’s; but the first boat that passed went that way, and when Maimie found we were near the Cathedral nothing could stop her. Jack was vexed about it all; but if he had come away, Maimie and Cress would have stayed behind.”
“Perhaps if Jack had been decided, they would have given in,” I said.
“I don’t think so, mother. Maimie was so bent on seeing St. Paul’s; and I’m sure Jack wouldn’t have liked to leave Maimie with Cress. He told me I had better stay too—I mean, he seemed to think we had better all keep together.”
“Maimie was not right,” I said.