And this gave Mrs. Frere a good opportunity of showing the kind-hearted but thoughtless children the risk they had run of getting themselves and their little friends into real trouble—above all, by concealing their foolish play, and causing Nelly and her little brothers for the first time in their lives to act at all deceitfully.
"You will be afraid to let them play with us any more," said Freda very sadly, "and I'm sure I don't wonder."
"No, dear," said her new friend. "On the contrary, I shall now feel sure that I may trust you and Hugh and Maggie."
Freda grew red with pleasure.
"You may indeed," she said; "I promise you we won't lead them into mischief and—and if ever we do, we'll tell you all about it at once."
Mrs. Frere laughed at this quaint way of putting it.
"I don't think my children will be any the worse for a little more 'running wild' than they have had," she said.
"And we won't be any the worse for having to think a little before we rush off on some fun," said Freda. "I really never did see before how very easy it would be to get into telling regular stories, if you don't take care."
