“There is something in that,” remarked Miss Grandiere.
As for Elva and Rosemary, they were sitting close together on one chair, with their arms locked around each other’s waist, in fond anticipation of their coming intimacy.
Henny now came in and said that the spare room was all ready for the young ladies.
Miss Grandiere lighted a fresh candle, and conducted her visitors to the upper chamber, saw that all their wants were supplied, and bade them good-night.
Soon after, aunt and niece also retired to bed; but Rosemary could not sleep for the happiness of thinking about going to boarding school in the city along with Wynnette and Elva.
Early in the morning William and Molly Elk, their little girls, and in fact the whole household, with the exception of Miss Sukey, her niece and her maid, were astonished to hear that there were visitors in the house who had arrived late on the night before.
They prepared a better breakfast than usual in their honor, and gave them a warm welcome.
Soon after breakfast, Jake arrived with the family carriage to fetch the young people home, and also with a message from Mr. and Mrs. Force, thanking Miss Grandiere for having detained their imprudent children all night.
“You and Rosemary go home with us, Miss Susannah. There’s plenty of room inside the carriage for six people, and we would only be five. Do, now! And let us have this matter of going to school settled at once,” urged Wynnette.
Miss Grandiere hesitated, even though Elva joined in the invitation. But when Odalite, the eldest and grown-up sister, added her entreaties to those of the others, Miss Sukey yielded, because she wanted to yield.