“Awful much!” said Ralph.
“I saw you kiss her to-night,” said Patience.
“Cause I love her so much,” said Ralph.
“Good-night now, Ralph. Sleep very sound.”
“Wait till I say my ‘Matthew, Mark,’” said Ralph.
He closed his eyes, repeated the old song rapidly and, before the last words had come to an end, was asleep.
Patience went downstairs. By this time Harriet had returned. She had been forced to remove the poor chocolate-stained white frock and to put on another, which did not make her look half so well dressed. She was still feeling cross and sore. As soon as she entered the room, her first exclamation was, “Where is Ralph?”
“Gone to bed,” said Frederica Chetwold.
“Gone to bed?” said Harriet. “Who has given Ralph leave to go to bed?”
“Patience took him to bed. You had better not interfere about it,” said Frederica: “for if you do,” she continued, “we’ll all tell Mr Durrant in the morning. You are not school-mother yet, so don’t be over sure of things.”