Sir George gave a nod.
"That's what I am, of course," he said. "Good-bye, I shall see you again soon."
He strode along the footpath, and the little girls watched him out of sight.
Charity drew a deep breath of delight.
"Think what Faith has missed. Oh, Hope, you think he really meant what he said?"
"I'm sure he did. His eyes looked so straight and firm, they didn't wobble at all!"
Then they went on picking up their sticks. And when they had got as much as they could carry, Charity said:
"Shall we go to the cottage to find Faith?"
"It's quite near," said Hope, "but we can't carry all this wood up there. Let her find her way home herself."
They retraced their steps, and when they had got outside the wood, they saw Faith running across the field to them.