The next minute Floy felt a light tap on her shoulder, and looked up to find Hetty’s bright, cheery face bending over her.
“Ah, I’ve surprised you! Thought I should. Hope the shock will be good for your nerves,” Hetty said, laughing in a pleased, kindly way at Floy’s start and joyous exclamation:
“Oh! is it you? how glad I am!”
“Yes; John and I have come to take you home.”
“John?”
“One of Aunt Prue’s boys. The children have come home for the holidays—but wouldn’t Araminta take my head off if she heard me say that! She’s the youngest, has arrived at the mature age of fifteen, and considers herself wiser than her parents or ‘than ten men that can render a reason.’ Come, put on your things, my dear.”
“I wish I could, but I have engaged to finish this to-night, and there’s a full hour’s work on it yet.”
“Not if I help,” said Hetty, pulling off her gloves and taking a thimble from her pocket. “I’ll call master John up and give him a book. You see I came prepared for emergencies.”
“He won’t like it, will he?”
“He’s a dear good fellow, and would do more than that for me; or for you when he knows you.”