Before she could gather herself together to meet this demand upon her Anne felt little Anne’s arms clinging around her waist, and looked down into the shining eyes of the child, lifted to hers above her quaint gown.
“I don’t quite know what it is, Anne, dearest,” little Anne whispered, “only Miss Carrington says forgive her, and we have to, or it would be a dreadful sin! You’ve got to forgive people, sorry ones, because you’re so often a sorry one yourself—I mean all of us!”
The elder and the younger Anne smiled at each other over the head of the youngest Anne; the smile seemed to clear up the difficulty, to simplify and make natural the next step.
“You see you have the authority of the saints for it, Anne Dallas!” said Miss Carrington.
“I’ll go with you, Miss Carrington,” said Anne.
Kit had come in before them and had gone to his room.
Minerva followed her mistress and Anne up to Miss Carrington’s sitting room; she helped Miss Carrington off with her outdoor garments, meantime scanning Anne surreptitiously and reaching a favourable verdict upon her.
“Handsomer and grander Helen Abercrombie may be, but this sweet, good kind for me! I’m glad Master Kit has the sense!” thought Minerva.
“Better ask Mr. Christopher to come down, Minerva,” said Miss Carrington when Minerva’s task was done, and Miss Carrington had taken the teaspoonful of aromatic ammonia in water made necessary by the exhausting nature of her afternoon’s mission.
“Go behind that curtain, my dear, if you please. We may as well set our little drama to the best of our ability, and get out of it every iota of its flavour! I want to surprise the boy.”