Most of the other children were laughing; it was impossible for them to think of anything in connection with Scorpion except as a joke.
“Listen, Aunt Maria,” said Helen. “I am afraid you must not treat my brothers and sisters as you propose. Neither must you trouble father without the doctor’s permission. The fact is, Aunt Maria, we are Maybrights, and every one who knows anything about us at all must know that we would scorn to tell a lie. Our father and our dear, dear mother—your sister whom you loved, Aunt Maria, and for whose sake you are interested in us—taught us to fear a lie more than anything, much more than punishment, much more than discovery. Oh, yes, we have heaps and heaps of faults; we can tease, we can be passionate, and idle, and selfish; but being Maybrights, being the children of our own father and mother, we can’t lie. The fact is, we’d be afraid to.”
Helen’s blue eyes were full of tears.
“Bravo! Helen!” said Polly, going up to her sister and kissing her. “She says just the simple truth, Aunt Maria,” she continued, flashing round in her bright way on the old lady. “We are a naughty set—you know that, don’t you?—but we can’t tell lies; we draw the line there.”
“Yes, we draw the line there,” suddenly said Firefly, in a high-pitched voice, which sounded as if it was going to crack.
“I admire bravery,” said Mrs. Cameron, after a pause. “Ask your questions, Helen. For my dead sister’s sake I will accept the word of a Maybright. ’Pon my word, you are extraordinary young people; but I admire girls who are not afraid to speak out, and who uphold their parents’ teaching. Ask the children quickly, Helen, if they know anything about the dog, for after David’s hint about his having strayed on that awful moor, and perhaps having broken one of his dear little legs, I feel more uncomfortable than ever about him. For goodness’ sake, Helen! ask your question quickly, and let me get out on the moor to look for my dog.”
“Children,” said Helen, coming forward at once, “do you know anything about Scorpion’s loss, anything? Now, I am going to ask you each singly; as you answer you can leave the room. Polly, I begin with you.”
One by one the Maybrights and Flower answered very clear and emphatic “No’s” to Helen’s question, and one by one they retired to wait for their companions in the passage outside.
At last Helen put the question to Firefly. Two big, green-tinted hazel eyes were raised to her face.
“Yes, Helen, I do know,” replied Firefly.