“For anything you know she may have eloped with him! You are the most extraordinary creature!”
“I know dashed well she hasn’t eloped with him, and if you weren’t so bird-witted you’d know it too.”
“Well, I do know it, but you must own that after the way he has been dangling round her it would not be surprising! But, in fact, she took that very odd friend of hers as well—Miss Plymstock.”
Freddy was subjecting the dish of fruit to a close scrutiny, but at these words he let his eyeglass fall, and said; “Did she, though! Then that explains it! At least, don’t quite see why she’s gone to Arnside, but I daresay there’s a very good reason.”
“So you do understand it!” said Meg. “To be sure, Kitty said you would, but I thought she was hoaxing me. Freddy, what is she doing? Not one word would she vouchsafe to me, except that it would be better if I didn’t know, which nearly sent me into hysterics!”
“Daresay she was right,” said Freddy, considering the matter. “Might be the devil of a dust over it—if she’s doing what I think she is, which, mind you, I ain’t sure of.”
“You had better read the letter she wrote to you,” said Meg, suddenly remembering the existence of Kitty’s letter, and producing it from her reticule.
“I should dashed well think I had!” said Freddy indignantly. “If it ain’t just like you, Meg, to sit there prosing on for ever instead of giving it to me at once!”
“I had forgot I had it,” apologized Meg, giving it to him.
He cast her a look of scorn, broke the wafer, and spread open the sheets. His sister sat in growing impatience while he slowly perused the whole, every now and then turning back to consult some phrase on a previous page, Restraining her ardent wish to demand enlightenment, she waited until he had, come to the end before saying: “Well?”