"Do you mean to say you have been there ever since?" he said in utter amazement.
"Yes," said Hetty, trying to keep her teeth from chattering. "You told me not to mind if you were kept a while. And I did not mind."
"But do you know that I have been two hours away, and have had a long ride with father?" said Mark.
"It seemed a long time," said Hetty; "but I did not know what you were doing. I promised to stay and I stayed."
"Well, you were a precious goose," he said, taking the string out of her hand. "Nobody but a stupid of a girl would do such a thing."
Hetty said nothing, but slapped her hands together, and tried to keep the tears of disappointment from coming into her eyes.
"Here, hold the string a moment longer while I put this peg properly into the ground. Can't you catch it tight? Oh, your fingers are stiff. There, that will do for to-night Now, come home and get warm again."
They walked up to the house together. Hetty was too cold, and tired, and hurt to speak again, and Mark was too much annoyed at his own carelessness, and what he called Hetty's stupidity, to be able to thank her, and offer to make friends with her. Hetty went up to her own room to take off her things, and when she came down to the school-room she found that the tea was over and she was in disgrace for staying out so long. Phyllis cast a disapproving glance at her as she entered. Punctuality was one of Phyllis's virtues. Miss Davis rebuked Hetty for staying out alone so late.
"I must tell Mrs. Kane," she said, "not to keep you so late when you go to see her."
Then Hetty was obliged to say that she had not been to see Mrs. Kane.