"Yes. Isn't anybody in?"
"They're all gone away to Llandudno, for a month."
"All? Isn't anyone here?"
"No, the house is locked up."
Here a warning call of "Willie!" caused their informant to disappear as suddenly as he had come, but the girls had heard enough. All their hopes were suddenly blighted. They had arrived at the end of their journey only to draw a blank. They were indeed in a worse position than when they had missed the train at Denscourt, for they were farther from home, and it was much later. Almost ready to cry, they turned down the garden again.
"We've got to get home to-night somehow!" said Ingred through her set teeth.
"Shall we go to the police station?" quavered Verity.
"And give ourselves up like lost children? No, it's too undignified! Wait a moment, I've got an idea!" said Beatrice. "We passed the post office just now, and I noticed it had a 'Public Telephone.' I'll ring up Mother and tell her where we are, and ask her to come over for us."
"But you can't telephone for nothing, and we haven't so much as a solitary penny amongst us!"
"I know. I thought I'd explain that to the people at the post office, and ask them to let me have the call, and Mother will pay when she comes. I could give them my watch as a security."