"Oh, yes! I didn't know what you were talking about. Did you really see me then? How curious! Then that was the first time!"
"It was a little before ten?"
She nodded, her eyes dancing with suppressed mischief, though she drew her lips down like a fair penitent.
"Where had you been, Kittie?"
"To the skating rink on Elm Street."
"Alone?"
She nodded again, and glanced back at Miss Rose, who was gathering her scattered flock together at a safe distance beyond hearing.
"It was this way," she said, hurriedly. "Everybody else had gone home for the vacation on Saturday, and Miss Elliott had made me stay till Tuesday to make up some history. I was just wild about it, missing three whole days. I got thinking what I could do to get even,--it would be a secret satisfaction even if she never knew it. So Monday night I climbed down from my room by way of the window, and got out by the Secret Passage I told you there was, and went to the rink and had a splendid time. I knew Miss Elliott had a friend visiting her, and so she would not be likely to think of me or anything like that. And she didn't. She never knew I wasn't learning the names of the Roman emperors, horrid old things, all the time."
"But, Kittie, is that all?"
"Goodness! Miss Elliott would think it was enough!"