"Oh, sir, I—I—have done something very wrong."
"Eh?" said Ben, opening his eyes to their utmost.
"Yes," added Arabella, "very wrong, indeed."
"Humph!"
"You would not probably have expected it of me, Mr. Ben, would you now?"
"Well, a-hem!" said Ben. "Easy does it."
"I am a wicked—wicked girl."
"Oh, dear—oh, dear!" said Ben.
"You cannot guess, Mr. Ben, what I have done; but I feel I ought to tell you, and it will be quite a relief to me to do so."
Ben shook his head.