All my fears seemed to awaken again as I hurried on, and the children's faces grew grave and anxious.
Mrs. Wylie sat down quietly.
'My dear boy,' she said, 'there can be no question of any of you, Margaret especially, going back to-night. The fog is very bad, and it is very cold besides. My niece has told me the whole story, and——'
'I suppose you think we've all been dreadfully naughty,' I interrupted. 'I did not mean to be, and they didn't,' glancing at the others. 'But of course I'm older, only——'
Mrs. Wylie laid her hand on my arm.
'There will be a good deal to talk over,' she said, speaking still very quietly, but rather gravely. 'And I feel that your dear mamma is the right person to—to explain things—your mistakes, and all about it. I believe certainly you did not mean to do wrong.'
Her mention of mamma startled me into remembering at last how frightened she and all of them would be at home.
'Oh!' I exclaimed, 'if we stay away all night, what will mamma do?'
'I was just going to tell you what we have done,' said Mrs. Wylie. 'That was what kept us—Beryl and me. We have telegraphed to your mamma. She will not be frightened now. Indeed, I hope she may have got the telegram in time to prevent her beginning to be anxious. And we also—' but here she stopped, for a glance at Margaret, as she told me afterwards, reminded her of Margaret's fears lest she should be sent back to Rock Terrace and Miss Bogle. And what she had been on the point of saying was, that they had also telegraphed to 'the witch.'
'It was awfully good of you,' I said, feeling more and more ashamed of the trouble we were causing.