“Can’t you guess?”
“To burn barns, and steal cattle, and rob hen-roosts, I suppose,” sneered Elfie.
“No. I went simply to fetch you, and for no other reason in the world,” answered Albert.
“Me! How on earth did you know I was there?” inquired Elfie, thrown off her guard by unbounded astonishment.
“By the same means through which I become acquainted with most events that pass in Washington—by my spies. I learned that you were getting up a picnic to go to the Great Falls. And I determined to intercept your return.”
“Oh, the traitress! It was Alberta. It was no one but Alberta that informed you. For I remember I mentioned to her at breakfast that morning, that I wanted to get up a picnic to go up the river!” indignantly exclaimed Elfie.
“Well, yes, it was Alberta who first told me of the intended excursion. But she did not tell me the day it was to come off.”
“No, for the day was not fixed when she ran away, the ingrate, so she could not have told you.”
“But one of my other spies, who was a member of your picnic party could.”
“A spy in our picnic party! That is false, you villain! Albert Goldsborough, have you become mendacious as well as thievish? The members of our picnic party were loyal. We would have taken no others,” angrily cried Elfie.