"Here I am, Bessie," said Belle, putting her head out of the summer-house.
Bessie ran to her, and great was her astonishment when she saw Belle standing there with her sacque all awry and half-buttoned, and her shoe held in her hand.
"What is the matter?" she asked.
"Oh, I was naughty!" said Belle. "I went and climbed up on the wall where your mamma told us not to go; and a great ugly stone hurt my foot, and tore my shoe and stocking, and oh, Bessie! I can't find the skin."
She showed Bessie the hurt foot, and then a new search was commenced for the missing piece of skin; but it was all in vain, and after much wonderment as to what could have come of it, Bessie begged Belle to come at once to the house.
"For Jane must have Maggie ready," she said; "and you will take cold barefeeted, Belle. We must go right home and tell mamma."
The garden-path was planked, like the summer-house floor, about half-way up to the house; and Belle went on pretty well over the smooth boards, which did not hurt the little stocking-foot, but when she came to the gravel walks it was not so easy. There the pebbles hurt; and she limped and hopped along till she came to the back stoop, where Miss Ashton and Jane met her, full of alarm at the state in which they found her.
Miss Ashton did not scold, but she looked very much grieved at Belle's disobedience; and she told Jane she must take her home as fast as possible, so that the hurt foot might be attended to, and something be given to her which might prevent her from taking cold.
As for putting on the walking shoe, or even the cut gaiter, that was quite out of the question. Miss Ashton rolled a soft handkerchief around the foot; and, wrapping a shawl over that, Jane took Belle in her arms, and hurried home as fast as Bessie's little feet could keep pace with her. But if Miss Ashton had not much to say, Jane found enough.
"To think of your doing such a thing, Miss Belle!" she said; "to be so naughty, and hurt yourself, and maybe make yourself sick, and give so much trouble to Mrs. Bradford. Now she'll be so worried, and that's very bad for her. You know she was worse the other day when Frankie fell down and cut his head."