“I wonder where Ruby and Bertrand are,” thought Mavis. Just then she heard Miss Hortensia’s voice.
“Poor dear,” she was saying. “Ruby, how could you be so thoughtless? I must get lights at once and go and look for her.”
“We’ve called and called up the stair, but she didn’t answer,” said Ruby in rather an ashamed tone of voice.
“Called,” repeated Miss Hortensia, “why didn’t you go?”
“It was so dark when we remembered about her, and—”
“You were afraid, I suppose,” said her cousin.
“Really; and yet you would leave poor Mavis all alone—and a great boy like you, Bertrand.”
“I wasn’t afraid, but I wasn’t going to bother to go up all that way. She could come down by herself,” said Master Bertrand rudely.
But before Miss Hortensia could reply again Mavis ran out.
“Here I am, dear cousin,” she said. “I’m all right.” And indeed she did look all right, as she stood there sideways in the doorway, the light from the room behind her falling on her pretty hair and fair face.