"It's most mysterious," added Peter, "as she had no wish to see anything at all of him and was so devoted to you. It is much more likely that she was unhappy about something connected with you. Had you been scolding her?" he asked the question with a half-smile.
"Yes. But she could not have been so silly as to feel it so much as to run away. I was vexed with her and told her so."
"I am sure your scolding could not have been severe."
"Yes it was. You see I was very cross with her. I felt her conduct was disgraceful and I told her so."
Peter looked grave.
"You don't mean that seriously do you?"
The gravity of his face had the effect of making Sheila excuse herself quickly.
"Yes I do," she said. "You must confess that Meg was very extraordinary at the concert. I was really obliged to speak to her."
"But not in such a way as to hurt her."
"I didn't of course mean to hurt her. But it made me hurry to say a thing that I had been intending to say for a long time."