"Mother made me take my overcoat. You know I can't cycle in my overcoat. I've not been on my bicycle all day. Also my lamp's broken," he said, with gloomy defiance.
His curiosity about wondrous events in the house was quenched.
And Edwin felt angry with Hilda for having quite unjustifiably assumed that George had gone to school on his bicycle. Ought she not to have had the ordinary gumption to assure herself, before worrying, that the lad's bicycle was not in the shed? Incredible thoughtlessness! All these alarms for nothing!
"Then why are you so late?" Hilda demanded, diverting to George her indignation at Edwin's unuttered but yet conveyed criticism of herself.
"Kept in."
"All this time?" Hilda questioned, suspiciously.
George sullenly nodded.
"What for?"
"Latin."
"Homework? Again?" ejaculated Edwin. "Why hadn't you done it properly?"