Betty hastened to tell her mother that she was not hurt, “only all upset, Mamma,” but she had to have a little cry before she could tell all about it. “Oh, I’m so sorry!” she exclaimed more than once. “Poor Jack! And Mathilde didn’t know what she was doing the last time I spoke to her!”
“Come; you can tell me more tomorrow. I’m going to give you a little quieting medicine, Betty, and put you into bed. I am thankful that you are safe at home. Think about being snug in your own bed and forget the rest till morning.”
“But how’ll I ever explain, Mother—about leaving and everything?”
“That can be the least of your worries, Betty. Your father and I are the ones to ask for an explanation.”
“Oh.” Betty was thoughtful. “But you wouldn’t make a big trouble over it, would you?”
“Do you think that would be like us?”
“No. All right. It’s your affair, Mamma. It’s too much for me!” and Betty took the hot drink her mother offered her, instead of the medicine she had first suggested, and went to bed.
CHAPTER XVI
AN UNHAPPY INTERVIEW
Then there was something in the remarks that had been made about Jack Huxley. Betty woke early after a few hours’ sleep, recalling the sound of low voices, those of her father and mother, talking over the matter, of course. Careful not to waken Doris, Betty presently gathered up her school clothes and went to the bathroom to dress; but she was not the first one up. She could hear some one, presumably her mother, moving about in the other part of the apartment.
Before Betty combed her tousled golden head, she hurried into the kitchen and found her mother fixing grape fruit for breakfast. It was during a sad but short interval without the little maid. Mrs. Lee looked at Betty with a whimsical smile and asked, “How’s the ‘wreck of the Hesperus?’”—for that was Betty’s favorite expression when she was tired.