The footsteps passed by the schoolroom door without pausing, and Emmeline gave a gasp of relief. If only Micky would make haste and come back before someone really did come in!
‘You’d better go and undress, Kitty,’ she said nervously. I must wait here to take in the can, but there’s no need for you to stay, and if Aunt Grace or Jane come in and find you still here they will want to know why.’
It is hard to be ordered off to bed when one is in the middle of such an exciting thing as a plot, and poor Kitty looked so much disappointed that Emmeline had to comfort her by telling her to fetch her own tooth-glass to be filled with milk and hidden for the night in the schoolroom cupboard. That cheered her up again, and she went off to bed contentedly enough afterwards.
Before she had been gone more than a minute Micky and his empty tumblers returned.
‘Diamond Jubilee’s a greedy pig,’ he said, as he began fumbling with the knots.
‘People shouldn’t talk like that of their adopted children,’ said Emmeline, ‘and do, do make haste!’
‘Well, but he is,’ persisted Micky; ‘and I say, Emmeline, I can’t undo these knots.’
‘Oh, Micky, you must be able to undo your own knots!’ exclaimed Emmeline, almost in tears.
‘Well, I can’t, then,’ said Micky, after a few more desperate tugs, ‘and what’s more, it’s getting so dark I can hardly see.’
‘What is to be done?’ cried poor Emmeline.