"Yes," Fanny replied. "Why?"
"Oh!" gasped the culprits.
"What will she think of us?" groaned Mrs. Darling.
"What are you folks whisperin' about?" asked Mrs. Stout at that moment as she came out into the hall and joined them. Fanny laughed, she had guessed the cause of Mrs. Darling's and Mrs. Thornton's discomfiture, and enjoyed the situation.
"Well," whispered Mrs. Thornton in reply to Mrs. Stout's question, "we, Dolly and I, were talking out here, and we happened to mention—we spoke of Will Flint and Miss Wallace, and we think that perhaps she—"
"Heard," interrupted Mrs. Darling.
"Good 'nough for you," said Mrs. Stout.
"Sh! But we didn't say a word that she could object to," continued Mrs. Thornton.
"At least about her," added Mrs. Darling.
"But," said Mrs. Stout, "you did say somethin' about Willie Flint that—"