'That's right, Biddy dear,' said Mrs. Vane. 'You've not stayed too late.'
Rough was there too; he had not told about her being cross evidently, and Biddy felt grateful to him. It was very nice when mamma spoke like that; it reminded her of the way her hand had been pressed that afternoon. But a sudden thought rather chilled her satisfaction. Biddy was beginning to be troubled with thoughts, and thoughts too that would not be driven away and forgotten, as she had been accustomed to drive away and forget anything that made her feel at all uncomfortable. This thought teased and pricked her for a few seconds, and though she wriggled herself about and stamped her feet down with hard thumps on the gravel, it would not go.
'Biddy,' it said, 'Biddy, you know what you should do.'
So that at last, in sheer impatience of its teasing, she gave her mother's sleeve a little tug.
'Mamma,' she said, 'it was her that made me not stay longer than you'd said. I wanted to. I wasn't very good, but she's good.'
Mrs. Vane turned with real pleasure in her face.
'I'm very glad you've told me, Biddy,' she said. 'Yes, it was nice and good of Celestina to remind you. I think she must really be a very conscientious child.'
'I don't know what that is,' said Bridget. 'At least, p'raps I do know, but it's such a trouble to think. But Celestina is good. I almost think she's a little too good.'
Her tone was very melancholy. Rough burst out laughing, but Mrs. Vane looked rather disappointed.
'It will be so vexing if Biddy takes a dislike to her just when I was hoping it would be a good thing,' she thought to herself.