[p108]
“I don’t think she would wish to say ‘No’ to anything that she thought would make uncle or me happy,” mused Inna aloud, and in this happy confidence she hugged the foundling to her, and went on her way through the moonlight, just as if she was not going home to the unlooked-for, that which would stir her poor little heart to its centre.
How would she bear it?
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[p109]
CHAPTER IX.
OSCAR’S RETURN—THE MYSTERY CLEARED—ON THE TOR AGAIN.
How did Inna bear it?
As she bounded into the fire-lit kitchen, to prefer her request to Mrs. Grant about her kitten, there sat Oscar by the fire, in his own especial chair, just as if he had sat there nightly for the last six weeks: save for this, that he had an ugly scar on his forehead scarcely healed, that his face was thin and wan, and that he wore somebody’s clothes, not his own—those in which he had vanished.
“Oscar!” she cried, and sat down and wept over her joy as if it were a sorrow, like a very excited little maiden—that is how she bore her surprise. Mary knew nothing of his arrival; he had come after she had left to bring the little girls home. The poor kitten went flying somewhere, anywhere to be out of the way of such sobs and tears.
[p110]
“Master—Dr. Willett,” called the housekeeper from out of the open kitchen door, wondering what effect the sight of Oscar would have upon the two doctors, who had to bear the sight of so much.
“Yes—what is it?” came wandering back up the passage. The speaker followed close behind, Mr. Barlow behind him. Oscar come back, Inna crying over it. Well, with the coming of the two doctors she soon dried her eyes and inquired for her kitten.
“Kitten, dear?” Mrs. Grant thought there was something a little wrong with her head still, just a cobweb not cleared away, because of her crying so, you know. Not so the doctor, for there came a piteous prolonged mew, and up scrambled the kitten, inside one of the legs of the doctor’s trousers. She had missed her way, you see, but had chosen a friend next best to Inna.