“Have you Loveday’s red cloak with you?”
“Yes; it is in this basket, so that I can get at it quite easily. I think she will be able to wear it back from the station, don’t you, father? It seems rather cold, I think.”
“Very cold!” laughed Dr. Carlyon, pretending to shiver as the sea-breeze swept into the compartment. “Now, then, look out for the first glimpse of the sea, and now for the station, and——”
“And Loveday!” almost shrieked Priscilla. “She is here. O father, father, she is here! She isn’t a prisoner yet!” and, by Priscilla’s rapturous relief, Dr. Carlyon realised how great, in spite of all, had been her secret fears.
CHAPTER XIV
PRISCILLA PAYS ANOTHER CALL
LOVEDAY was not a prisoner, but she was somewhat subdued and ashamed of herself, and Priscilla, who felt very, very sorry for her, and forgot all about her naughtiness and the injury she had done, was quite troubled to see how grave her father looked, and how sternly he spoke to her.
“Well,” he said, “this is a nice thing! Here am I, called away from my patients and everything, to come and help a little girl who cannot be trusted to go a-visiting by herself but she must go and behave disgracefully, and bring shame on us all! What have you to say for yourself?”
“Nothing, daddy,” cried the disgraced one, flinging herself into his arms and burying her face on his shoulder, while the spade and the bucket with “Thomas” on it went clattering to the ground.