-your mistakes, and all about it. I
believe certainly you did not _mean_ to do wrong.'

Her mention of mamma startled me into remembering at last how
frightened she and all of them would be at home.

'Oh!' I exclaimed, 'if we stay away all night, what _will_ mamma do?'

'I was just going to tell you what we have done,' said Mrs. Wylie. 'That
was what kept us--Beryl and me. We have telegraphed to your mamma. She
will not be frightened now. Indeed, I hope she may have got the telegram
in time to prevent her beginning to be anxious. And we also--' but here
she stopped, for a glance at Margaret, as she told me afterwards,
reminded her of Margaret's fears lest she should be sent back to Rock
Terrace and Miss Bogle. And what she had been on the point of saying
was, that they had also telegraphed to 'the witch.'

'It was awfully good of you,' I said, feeling more and more ashamed of
the trouble we were causing.

I would have given anything to go home that night, even if it had been
to find papa and mamma more displeased with me than they had ever been
in their life, and, as I was beginning to see, as they had a right to
be. But in the face of all Mrs. Wylie and Beryl were doing, I could not
possibly have gone against what they thought best.

'I shall also write to your mamma to-night,' Mrs. Wylie went on. 'There
is plenty of time. It is not really as late as the fog makes it seem.
And the first thing we now have to do,' for just then Margaret had
another bad fit of coughing, 'is to put this child to bed. If you are
not better in the morning, or rather if you are any worse, we must send
for the doctor.'

'Oh, _please_ don't!' said Margaret, as soon as she could speak. 'It's
only the fog got into my throat. It doesn't hurt me at all, as it did
when I had that very bad cold at home. I don't like strange doctors,
_please_, Mrs. Wylie. And to-morrow nursey can send for our own doctor
at home at Hill Horton, if I'm not quite well. I may go home to my
nursey quite early, mayn't I? And you will tell their mamma not to be
vexed with them, won't you? They only wanted to help me.'

She looked such a shrimp of a creature, with her tiny face, so pale too,
that nobody could have found it in their heart to scold her. Mrs. Wylie
just patted her hand and said something about putting it all right, but
that she must go to bed now and have a good long sleep.

And just then Beryl, who had left us with Mrs. Wylie, came back to say
that ev