"Mebbe 'tis father's cottage miss sees shining," ventured Sarah. But this time she was not so lucky.
"Rubbish, Sarah," said Lizzie. "There's more'n one cottage in Brackenshire."
"And there's a mamma and a baby—and a papa who goes to work, in my cottage," said Peggy. "So I don't think it could be——" but here she grew confused, remembering that all about the white cottage was only fancy, and that besides the Smileys' father might have lived there long ago. She got rather red, feeling somehow as if it was not very kind of her not to like the idea of its being his cottage. She had seen him once or twice; he looked big and rough, and his clothes were old—she could not fancy him ever having lived in her dainty white house.
Just then came a loud voice from the upper story, demanding Sarah.
"'Tis Mother Whelan," said Brown Smiley, starting up. "Rebecca said as how I was to run of an errant for her. It's time I were off."
Peggy turned to go.
"I must go home," she said. "P'raps I'll come again some day. If mamma was at home I'd ask her if you mightn't come to look out of the nursery window," she added, turning to Lizzie.
"Bless you," said the poor girl, "I'd never get up the stairs; thank you all the same."
And with a deep sigh of regret at having to leave such pleasant company, Peggy ran across the street home.