"To the lake," George answered decisively.
The mouth of the stupefied Miss Bee gaped. Was it sensible to go that distance, and in satin slippers? For her slippers were of satin.
"We must go there, and we need not be sensible."
Such was the lofty answer given by George to Bee. She had put him to shame, and now she pretended to be astonished. It was now his turn to refer her disdainfully to her doll. Girls goad a man into adventures, and then draw back. Her behaviour was disgraceful. She might stay behind, but he would go himself.
She took him by the arm. He pushed her away. She flung herself round the neck of her brother.
"Little brother!" she said sobbing, "I will follow you."
Her repentance was complete, and it moved him.
"Come along," he said, "but do not let us go by the town, we might be seen. We had better follow the ramparts and reach the high road by a short cut."
They went holding each other by the hand. George explained the scheme he had drawn up.
"We will follow the road we took to go to the Hermitage; we are certain to see it as we saw it last time, and then we will go straight to it across the field in a bee-line."