“Oh!” cried all the children together.
“And I always supposed she had gone to England for despite all my exertions, I could find no trace of her. Ah, Mary,” he said reproachfully, “why didn't you let me know where you were?”
“I heard,” said Mrs. Pepper, “that you'd grown awfully rich, and I couldn't.”
“You always were a proud little thing,” he said laughing. “Well, but,” broke in Mr. King, unable to keep silence any longer, “I'd like to inquire, Mason, why you didn't find all this out before, in Marian's letters, when she mentioned Mrs. Pepper?”
“She didn't ever mention her,” said Mr. Whitney, turning around to face his questioner, “not as Mrs. Pepper—never once by name. It was always either 'Polly's mother,' or 'Phronsie's mother.' Just like a woman,” he added, with a mischievous glance at his wife, “not to be explicit.”
“And just like a man,” she retorted, with a happy little laugh, “not to ask for explanations.”
“I hear Jappy,” cried Polly, in a glad voice, “and Ben—oh, good!” as a sound of rushing footsteps was heard over the veranda steps, and down the long hall.
The door was thrown suddenly open, and Jasper plunged in, his face flushed with excitement, and after him Ben, looking a little as he did when Phronsie was lost, while Prince squeezed panting in between the two boys.
“Has Polly got—” began Jasper.
“Oh, yes, I'm here,” cried Polly, springing up to them; “oh, Ben!”