"That's the name of the place."
"You don't mean the kid is at Miss Mapleton's school?"
"Why shouldn't she be?"
"But Miss Mapleton is my aunt Agatha's oldest friend."
"I know. It was your aunt Agatha who got Mother to send me there when I
was a kid."
"I say," I said earnestly, "when you were there this afternoon you
didn't mention having met me here?"
"No."
"That's all right." I was relieved. "You see, if Miss Mapleton knew
I was in Bingley she would expect me to call. I shall be leaving
to-morrow morning, so all will be well. But, dash it," I said, spotting
the snag, "how about to-night?"
"What about to-night?"
"Well, shan't I have to see her? I can't just ring the front doorbell,
sling the kid in, and leg it. I should never hear the last of it from
Aunt Agatha."
Bobbie looked at me in an odd, meditative sort of way. "As a matter of
fact, Bertie," she said, "I had been meaning to touch on that point. I
think, if I were you, I wouldn't ring the front doorbell."
"Eh? Why not?"
"Well, it's like this, you see. Clementina is supposed to be in bed.
They sent her there just as I was leaving this afternoon. Think of it!
On her birthday--right plumb spang in the middle of her birthday--and
all for putting sherbet in the ink to make it fizz!"
I reeled. "You aren't telling me that this foul kid came out without
leave?"
"Yes, I am. That's exactly it. She got up and sneaked out when nobody
was looking. She had set her heart on getting a square meal. I suppose
I really ought to have told you right at the start, but I didn't want
to spoil your evening."
As a general rule, in my dealings with the delicately nurtured, I am
the soul of knightly chivalry--suave, genial, and polished. But I can
on occasion say the bitter, cutting thing, and I said it now.
"Oh?" I said.
"But it's all right."
"Yes," I said, speaking, if I recollect, between my clenched teeth;
"nothing could be sweeter, could it? The situation is one which it
would be impossible to view with concern, what? I shall turn up
with the kid, get looked at through steel-rimmed spectacles by the
Mapleton, and after an agreeable five minutes shall back out, leaving
the Mapleton to go to her escritoire and write a full account of the
proceedings to my aunt Agatha. And contemplating what will happen after
that, the imagination totters. I confidently expect Aunt Agatha to beat
all previous records."
The girl clicked her tongue chidingly. "Don't make such heavy weather,
Bertie. You must learn not to fuss so."
"I must, must I?"
"Everything's going to be all right. I'm not saying it won't be
necessary to exercise a little strategy in getting Clem into the house,
but it will be perfectly simple if you'll only listen carefully to what
I'm going to tell you. First, you will need a long piece of string."
"String?"
"String. Surely even you know what string is?"