Felicia was filled with dismay. No other course had presented itself to her mind but to herself befriend the gipsy children; she had thought she could easily explain the matter to Mr. Renford, but Doris had put it in a different light.
"Do you—do you think grandfather will punish me for disobeying him?" she asked hesitatingly, after a few minutes' uneasy reflection. "He has never been angry with me yet—"
"He will be now," Doris interposed; "you may take my word for that."
"Oh, dear!" sighed Felicia; "what do you imagine he will do to me?"
"I don't know." Doris paused a moment, as though she was considering the point, then she went on: "Soon after your arrival at the Priory, grandfather was talking to mother about you, and I overheard him say, 'We will try the plan of educating her with her cousins, but if it does not answer—if she proves troublesome or, disobedient, I shall send her to a strict boarding-school.' Those were his exact words. How would you like to go to boarding-school, Felicia?"
"Not at all. Oh, do you really think grandfather will send me to one just for such a little thing as that? Oh, I don't want to leave the Priory now; I've grown to like it; and there's Uncle Guy, and Uncle Nathaniel, and Aunt Mary, and—and—oh, I do hope I shan't be sent away from you all!" The tears rose to Felicia's eyes, and slowly trickled down her cheeks. "I meant no harm," she added plaintively, "but I see now I did wrong."
"Why do you say anything to grandfather about it?" suggested Doris, her conscience beginning to prick her for teasing her cousin, who was evidently in great distress. She knew well enough Mr. Renford had now no intention of sending Felicia to boarding-school, though he had contemplated the idea seriously at one time. "Did you meet anyone in particular on your way to the common?"
"Only a few of the villagers."
"Well, I shan't tell grandfather or anyone—not even Molly—that you were with the gipsies, so you can please yourself whether you mention the matter or not."
"Oh, thank you! It is very good of you to say that, but I think perhaps that it would be right—that I ought to tell grandfather—"