"Why can't I come?" demanded Grizzel. "Of course I'll come. I adore the little house."
"It's Hugh's house, and I don't think he will let you come if you have a mysterious secret way of getting up and down. He won't like it."
Grizzel was silent. "It's nothing very wonderful," she said at last. "I was only paying Prudence out for forgetting me. She might have remembered to let me down when Papa came home—" and Grizzel's eyes filled with tears. Mollie's heart softened:
"He was in such a hurry that there was no time to get you, and it was my fault afterwards just as much as Prue's."
"I'll tell you now if you like," Grizzel went on; "only you must promise not to tell Prudence and Hugh."
"No," said Mollie, "I can't do that. Prudence was awfully frightened; she got quite pale. We were frightened together and looked for you together; it wouldn't be fair for you to tell me and not to tell her. I hate things that are not fair."
Grizzel was silent again and then sighed. "Oh well, I suppose I'd better tell. I'd have liked to keep one secret, but I can't bear not to go to Hugh's party. It was very easy—I only—"
"Wait," said Mollie, "I'll call Prue."
[Illustration: I WISH I COULD MAKE SOMETHING THAT WOULD REACH FROM HERE
TO MY BROTHER]
"I saw Hugh take the ladder," Grizzel went on, after Prue joined them; "of course I heard it scraping along; Hugh is a silly. So I watched him hide it, and when the milkman came I called him, and he put it up and helped me down and we hid it back again. That's all."