Mrs. Marsh paused, as if expecting Gretel to speak. The little girl had grown very red, and her lip was trembling, but she said nothing, and after waiting a moment Mrs. Marsh went on.
“It is rather difficult to fix upon any one particular thing you have done, but your whole manner has been different. You have not looked happy; indeed, you have appeared quite sullen at times. Now sullenness is a very disagreeable trait in a child. When your brother placed you in my care, he expected me to take a mother’s place to you, and so, painful though it may be, I feel that it is my duty to reprove you for your faults.”
Mrs. Marsh paused again, and this time Gretel raised her big honest brown eyes to her face; they were full of tears.
“I’m sorry,” she said simply; “I didn’t mean to be sullen, but you see, I haven’t been very happy since Dora went away.”
“Not been happy?” repeated Mrs. Marsh, her voice rising in astonishment; “and why have you not been happy, pray?”
“I don’t know exactly,” said Gretel, “but Dora was very kind to me, and I liked her. She wouldn’t have let Lillie and Peter come if I hadn’t said I loved music, and so it was partly my fault that she had to go away.”
“If that is all that is troubling you you may dismiss the matter from your mind at once,” said Mrs. Marsh, decidedly. “The girl was very careless and incompetent, and I should probably have dismissed her at any rate. As for the mischief caused by those dreadful children, that certainly was partly your fault. You had no business to bring food into the house without my permission, but I forgave you for that when you assured me you were sorry. I never bear malice, and even though my carpet is practically ruined, I did not intend to refer to the matter again. It is your sullen, disagreeable manner that has pained me so deeply.”
Two big tears splashed down Gretel’s cheeks, and dropped on the stocking she was darning.
“I’m very sorry,” she murmured tremulously; “I don’t want to pain anybody.”
Mrs. Marsh’s face softened a little.