"Where is Sheila?"
"She hasn't come back yet."
"Come back? From where?"
"Next door," said Nell.
"What has she gone there for? I object to her running in and out."
"She went to tea."
"No. I have come from there only half an hour ago."
"Are you _sure_?" Nell looked bewildered.
"Stewart had tea with us. She was not there."
Nell looked at Molly; her eyes had widened suddenly,
"Molly!"--her voice was quite sharp--"you said she had gone--"
"I thought she had. A maid came and asked her--"
Denis bounded down the stairs.
"Sarah!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Do you know anything about a maid coming from next door to ask Miss
Sheila to go to tea?"
"Yes, sir, but she said, 'No, thank you, she didn't wish to go.'"
"Have you seen her go out, Sarah?"
"No, sir. She's never out, and it pouring and that bitter cold and
windy!"
In another minute he had on his coat, and had gone off to the milkman's
to see if she were there. The others waited. Molly tried guiltily to
comfort Nell, and to excuse herself.
"Oh, do be quiet!" Nell interrupted her. "Can't you at least do that?"
Denis returned with no news of her.
"She may have gone to Mr. Yovil's or to Sarah's home--"
"Or Ted Lancaster's--Denis," Nell's voice was desperate, "she's been
gone nearly three hours! I can't stay here. I'll go to Sarah's, while
you go--"
"You will not! You cannot go out alone! It is dark and raining," Miss
Kezia interrupted.
Nell gave a queer little laugh.
"I'm going," she said.
"Nell," Denis interposed, "I'll get you a cab. You go to Mr.
Yovil's--I'll go off to Lancaster's. Sarah will go home." His tone was
quietly authoritative.
Miss Kezia found herself put aside and everyone obeying him implicitly.
In reality she was very uneasy and anxious herself, but she hid it
beneath a cold and disapproving manner.
Nell returned a few minutes after he did. She shook her head.
"He was out. She hasn't been there."
"There's Sarah yet. She isn't back."
"Must we wait, Denis?"
"No. I'm off to the police station. If she should bring her back, I can
go and cancel orders."
His hand was on the door latch. "Here's Sarah!" he said.
Sarah hurried in, wet, breathless.
"No, missansir--oh, and them crool moters--and she such a baby for all
her grown ways!"
The wind and the rain beat in angrily. Denis closed the door, and
turned to speak to Nell. Something drove up and stopped outside. He
flung open the door. In the light of the lamp they could discern a
small figure standing by a horse's head. The horse was in a
four-wheeled cab, the driver was getting down from his box. The next
instant Sheila Pat was met at the gate and marshalled up the steps.
Into the hall she came, a small, weary figure, drenched through, her
face shining white in the lamplight.
They closed round her; Nell's arms squeezed her desperately; there was a
babel of questions, reprimands, relief.
"What a rikkledous fuss!" were the first words the Atom spoke, and a
strong odor of peppermint began to pervade the hall.
"Where have you been?" demanded Miss Kezia for the third time.
"Out," laconically.
Nell cried: "Oh, Sheila Pat, you're soaked through! Come and get dry
things on!"
"Directly her clothes have been changed I wish to hear an account of
what she has been doing," said Miss Kezia.
Denis picked her up into his arms and held her tight. "You're eating
peppermint, you vulgar little ragamuffin!"
"He gave it me--he says it keeps out the cold wonderful. He used to take
to drink to keep himself warm, but ever since his little baby was
borned, a year ago, he sucks peppermint instead!" The excited little
voice vanished up the stairs.
"With whom have you been consorting, Sheila?" Miss Kezia's dire tones
followed her.
"I haven't been con--con--doin' that at all!" was the indignant
response.