“Hullo!” he said. “Well won, Nancy; you are considerably ahead of the others. Is it a race or what?”
The three were now all laughing heartily; but when she got back her breath, Nancy’s face looked paler than its wont. The Captain noticed it, and holding out his hand, clasped hers.
“Come here,” he said. “Are you fretting about your bird? What is wrong?”
Tears filled Nancy’s eyes; she could not speak.
“Don’t question her, please, Uncle Pete,” said Kitty. “She has been quite, quite darling and sweet about Sunbeam. But she must not be questioned. Only if you stoop down I will tell you in a whisper.—Go on, Nancy; walk on with Nora.”
“Please don’t talk about it,” said Nancy in an imploring voice; but she took Nora’s hand and walked on in front.
“Stoop, Uncle Pete; she must not hear,” said Kitty. “She gave her darling Sunbeam, whom she loves so passionately, to that little sick girl in the wood—Grace Hammond—because the little girl wants the bird more than she does.”
“Was that the reason? Oh, how pleased I am!” said the Captain.
CHAPTER XXVIII.—“IS WRONG RIGHT?”
The day arrived when Augusta was to go to the Cinderella dance at the Asprays’. All her plans were made. She was to go unknown to her family. She was to return equally unknown. As far as she was concerned, not a single member of the Richmond family was ever to discover this escapade.