Elsie still looked at her, but her firmness, her determination melted. Her lips trembled. Unshed tears glistened in her eyes. When she spoke her tone was changed completely. “Please, please,” she besought Kate. “You are just a girl even if you are—well, even if you are Kate Marshall. Please promise me that you’ll wait a week before exploring the orchard house. After that I won’t care. Go and live in it, if you like. But just for a week, promise me.”
“No, I won’t promise.” But Kate was softening. “I won’t promise. But perhaps, since you care so much, I won’t go in to-morrow or the next day. Perhaps I’ll stay away a week. Only I think you’ll have to tell me why.”
But Elsie shook her head. “I can’t tell you why. You’ll know for yourself within a few days. You’ve promised?”
“I have not promised. And I think you ought to explain to me. Are you sure you won’t? I’m a pretty good person at keeping a secret. If I knew, I might promise.”
Elsie shook her head. Kate saw the tears still glistening in her eyes. She felt brutal to have made a fairy cry!
“Don’t, don’t cry,” she begged softly. “I won’t use the key to-morrow, anyway. I promise you that. And I’ll tell you before I do use it. I don’t see why I shouldn’t put it off for a week if you care so much. I’m not a pig.”
“And you won’t even prowl around the orchard house during that week?”
Kate, instantly forgetting her momentary pity, grew hot. “I never prowl. What a nasty word!”
“You prowled to-night.”
“I didn’t. We were playing a game with the house. I’m going in.”