But we shook our heads.
"No, thank you," Persis managed to get out.
"Ah," she said, "I'm sorry; but I understand."
And then we liked her quite.
We trotted on beside papa, none of us speaking. At last Persis touched me.
"Archie," she said, "I think it's for a punishment. May I tell?"
Then Persis went close up to papa and put her hand through his arm.
"Papa," she said, "we've something to tell you. We're not crying only for Bruno, we're unhappy because—because we've not been good."
"We've not been honest," I said. That word "honest" had been sticking in my throat ever since the day papa had said it when he was speaking about it being right to advertise the dog. And now, when I said it, I felt as if I was going to choke. It felt so awful, you don't know.