“I'll walk first!” said Diantha.
“O Dr. Major,” cried her mother from the window, “Don't go! We want you to stay to supper of course!”
But he had other calls to make, he said, and went away, his big hands clasped behind him; his head bent, smiling one minute and shaking his head the next.
Diantha leaned against a pearly eucalyptus trunk and watched him. She would miss Dr. Major. But who was this approaching? Her heart sank miserably. Mrs. Warden—and all the girls.
She went to meet them—perforce. Mrs. Warden had always been kind and courteous to her; the girls she had not seen very much of, but they had the sweet Southern manner, were always polite. Ross's mother she must love. Ross's sisters too—if she could. Why did the bottom drop out of her courage at sight of them?
“You dear child!” said Mrs. Warden, kissing her. “I know just how you feel! You want to help my boy! That's your secret! But this won't do it, my dear!”
“You've no idea how badly Ross feels!” said Madeline. “Mrs. Delafield dropped in just now and told us. You ought to have seen him!”
“He didn't believe it of course,” Adeline put in. “And he wouldn't say a thing—not a thing to blame you.”
“We said we'd come over right off—and tried to bring him—but he said he'd got to go back to the store,” Coraline explained.
“He was mad though!” said Dora—“I know.”