On the top she turned and looked at Allan, whose face was as white as her own.
'Can't be helped,' he said in a hard voice. 'Some ass went and told him that Mrs. Macdonnell was worse.'
'Hullo,' called out Reggie as they came within hearing, 'is he gone?'
'Gone!' echoed the others, and Marjorie sank down on the heather and gasped.
When she looked up the boys were sitting beside her.
'Well?' began Reggie sympathetically.
'He wouldn't go,' said Allan; 'we did all we could. Duncan and Rob are still storming at him down there.'
There was nothing to be said, and they all sat and reflected.
'The worst of it is,' said Marjorie in a trembling tearless voice, 'that in spite of our Compact and everything else, we haven't been able to do him a bit of good!'
The others assented by their silence.