There was nothing for Tom to do but to come back and shake hands with Mrs. Glanville and Kitty. He was a shy-looking boy, and his manner was rather embarrassed.
"I wanted to see you to speak to you about that rabbit—" Kitty was commencing, when he interrupted her hastily.
"Oh, yes!" he exclaimed, growing very red. "I was so sorry I couldn't let you have it after all. The truth is, I—I sold it, and made a good price of it. I ought to have let you know, of course; but I was so rushed for time, and—I hope you didn't mind?"
"But you did send the rabbit!" said Kitty, looking bewildered. "At least, I suppose it was you who sent it, for I found a dear little rabbit had been put in my hutch, and as you had told Bob you meant to give me one I guessed it had come from you."
"Yes, yes, I did tell him you should have one," Tom admitted. "But I—well, I broke my word, I'm afraid. In fact," the boy added in greater confusion than before, "I—I acted awfully shabbily about it."
"Then you didn't send the rabbit?" the little girl gasped. "Oh, please understand I'm not a bit angry, but—" her eyes opening in a wide stare of incredulity, "I should like to be quite certain."
Tom shook his head. "No," he said emphatically, "I give you my word I didn't send it. Somebody else must have done it as a surprise. At any rate, the rabbit wasn't mine."
[CHAPTER IX.]
GENERAL BEWILDERMENT.
WHEN Mr. Glanville returned to his wife and little daughter, as he did ten minutes after he had left them, bearing a tray which held their tea, Kitty inquired eagerly where her brother was, and received the reply that, at the present moment, he was engaged in eating sponge-cakes and ices in the refreshment tent, in company with Tim Shuttleworth.