Then the whole procession stopped, and reasoned and argued, but Mirandy was unmoved.
"What are you going to do? You can't get in," said Eliza.
"I'm going to sit on the door-step till Cap'n Moseby comes out," answered Mirandy.
"You'll sit there all day, likely's not," said Eliza. "What do you s'pose mother'll say? I'm a-going to tell her."
"She'll send me right back again if I don't stay," said Mirandy.
And there was some show of reason in what she said. It was indeed quite probable that Mrs. Josiah Thayer would send Mirandy straight back again to confess her sins and get the bucket.
"I don't know but mother would send her back," said Eliza; and Daniel nodded in assent.
"I'll stay with you," said Mary Ann, although she was still trembling with fear of the dog.
"Don't want anybody to stay," protested Mirandy.
Finally she sat on Cap'n Moseby's door-step, and watched them all straggle out of sight. The creak of Jonathan's wagon grew fainter and fainter, until she could hear it no longer. The dog was quiet now. Mirandy sat up straight in front of the panelled door.