‘Oh, Punch, you aren’t nearly so much good as a story dog!’ complained poor Kitty, ‘how can you think about hunting rabbits when Uncle Micky’s lost?’
It was nearer twelve than eleven o’clock when the two girls came home again, after a weary and futile search, but Miss Miller did not say a word of reproach to them. She herself had not been waiting for them long, for, though her ride to Chudstone and back had only taken about half-an-hour, she had since been out again looking for Micky here, there and everywhere. One or other of the servants too, had been constantly going off to some place where it had suddenly struck them that the boy might possibly be, but, so far, everybody’s searching had been equally in vain. Micky might have disappeared from off the face of the earth for all the trace of him that they could find.
‘Come up to the schoolroom and rest,’ said Miss Miller, kindly. ‘I won’t bother you with any real lessons to-day, but I’ll read some “Marmion” aloud to you.’
They were just reading ‘Marmion’ for their literature. As a rule they were thrilled by it, but this morning neither Emmeline nor Kitty took in much of what they read. Sitting still only made them realise their trouble the more vividly, and Kitty was on the verge of breaking into a howl when Jane came in to ask Miss Miller if she might speak to her alone for a moment. She made the request with such an air of mystery that Emmeline’s heart began to thump wildly.
‘Jane, tell me!’ she gasped. ‘Micky—has anything happened?’
‘I know no more of Master Micky than you do,’ said Jane. ‘I only wish I did,’ she added, in a gentler voice than the children had ever yet heard her use.
‘I think I ought to tell you, Miss Miller,’ began Jane, after Miss Miller had followed her from the room, ‘Mrs. Tom Wright was round just now, and told us something which upset me very much. It seems her husband saw Master Micky playing in the wood yesterday afternoon with a little tramp boy.’
‘Dear me! That doesn’t seem suitable,’ remarked Miss Miller, trying hard to be as much shocked and surprised as Jane evidently expected.
‘Well,’ continued Jane solemnly, ‘I shouldn’t be a bit surprised if that little tramp boy isn’t at the bottom of it all.’