‘Oh, mamma, what shall I do?’ was Lucy’s woful cry, as she turned back, finding herself unable to keep up with his huge step, and her calls disregarded.
‘My dear,’ said Albinia, affectionately, ‘you had better compose yourself and follow him. His uncle will bring him to reason, and then you can tell him how sorry we are.’
‘You may assure him,’ said Mr. Kendal, ‘that I am as much hurt as he can be, that such an improper use should have been made of O’More’s intimacy here, and I mean to mark my sense of it.’
‘And,’ said Lucy, ‘I don’t think anything would pacify him so much as Maurice being only a little beaten, not to hurt him, you know.’
‘If Maurice be punished, it shall not be in revenge,’ said Mr. Kendal.
‘I’m afraid nothing else will do,’ said Lucy, wringing her hands. ‘He has really declared that he will not sleep another night here unless Maurice is punished; and whatever he says, he’ll do, and I know it would kill me to go away in this manner.’
Her father confidently averred that he would do no such thing, but she cried so much as to move Maurice into exclaiming, ‘Look here, Lucy, I’ll come up with you, and let him give me one good punch, and then we shall all be comfortable again.’
‘I don’t know about the punching,’ said Albinia; ‘but I think the least you can do, Maurice, is to go and ask his forgiveness for having been so very naughty. You were not thinking what you were about when you locked him in.’
This measure was adopted, Mr. Kendal accompanying Lucy and the boy, while Albinia went in search of Sophy, whom she found in grandmamma’s room, looking very pale. ‘Well?’ was the inquiry, and she told what had passed.
‘I hope Maurice will be punished,’ said Sophy; so unwonted a sentiment, that Albinia quite started, though it was decidedly her own opinion.