"I think you were in the room when I said so."
"Oh no, ma'am. You only said you could not give her any. I meant no harm, but she told me she did not think she ought to eat them, so we put them in the basket, but I do wonder where they are."
As she spoke, she stooped to look on the floor for the missing treasure, and at once cried out, "There they are!" Pushing the sofa out from the wall, she seized the basket. Alas! it was empty. Hetty grew quite red.
"They may have fallen out," said Mrs. Eyre. "Look on the carpet."
Hetty went down on her knees, and searched about; but she was so long, that at last Mrs. Eyre said, "What are you about, Hetty? Are the cherries there, or not?"
Hetty got up. She held out on the palm of her hand thirteen cherry stones and a little heap of stalks.
"Hetty, oh, Hetty, perhaps you ate them! When she would not, you know. You do forget things, you see."
"What is keeping you, Celia?" said Mr. Eyre, walking in.
"Did you, Hetty?" repeated Mrs. Eyre.
"No, ma'am."