‘Well, of all the impudent children!’ ejaculated the outraged Jane.
‘Why,’ cried Emmeline, who came hurrying in to see what was going on, ‘what’s the mat——’ She broke off suddenly, and turned quite pale as she caught sight of the blankets. Everything would be found out now!
‘The matter is, Miss Emmeline,’ said Jane, ‘that the new spare room blankets have just been found in a disgusting, dirty dog-kennel.’ (‘Well, I gave it a wash-out last week, so it can’t be so bad as all that,’ murmured Cook in a low voice.) ‘Put there, I’m very much afraid, by Master Micky,’ went on Jane, disregarding the interruption, and fixing Micky with an awful glare.
‘Yes, I put them there myself this morning,’ said Micky.
‘You did, did you?’ cried Jane, dropping her tragic tone and relapsing into shrillness. ‘And may I make so bold as to ask what you put them there for?’
Emmeline was trembling so much that she had to steady herself against the door-post. What would Micky say?
‘Oh, I thought it would be a nice safe place to keep them in,’ answered Micky, with great serenity.
This was altogether too much for Jane.
‘You’re the naughtiest, most mis-chiev-ous child that ever I saw!’ she exclaimed, taking him by the shoulders and shaking him till his teeth chattered. ‘It’s downright pure mischiefulness—that’s what it is, and I’ll make you sorry for it, that I will! You’ll come off to bed this very moment.’