"You must have been worried," said Nora.
"Oh, no," she answered philosophically; "me thought him gone home."
Then Brenda, who had hitherto kept silent, broke in with a graphic account of the fate Manuel had escaped through Nora's bravery. The mother probably only half comprehending the young girl's rapid flow of words, smiled and showed her white teeth. "T'ank you, t'ank you," she said. "You come and see him some day," she added, in a general invitation to the group.
"Come, girls, we must hasten," said Miss Crawdon. "Mrs. Brown will take down Manuel's address. Then, if your mothers are willing, you may go to see him some day."
Rather reluctantly Nora and Brenda bade good-bye to black-eyed Manuel and his mother. They gave Mrs. Brown many injunctions to make no mistake about his house and street. On Saturday they both hoped to be able to go to see him.
To them the whole thing presented the aspect of an adventure.
"I never spoke to a foreigner before in Boston, did you?" said Nora, "I mean except French teachers," she added.
"No, not a poor foreigner," responded Brenda. "Wasn't that woman picturesque, with her shawl over her head?"
As they drew near home both girls began to feel a little doubtful as to the wisdom of what they had done.
"Well, your mother never scolds," said Brenda, as she bade good-bye to Nora at the door of the latter.