I may be wanted."
"You're wanted here," said Joan. "What do you mean--Miss Clinton
missing? Has she gone away?"
"I'll just tell you what I know, Miss Joan," said Hannah, "and then I
must go downstairs and 'elp. I was going along the passage by the room
last night, jest when they was ready to take in dinner, and Mr. Porter
came along and says to me, 'What are _you_ doing here?' Well, of course,
I was struck all of a 'eap, because----"
"Oh, don't let's waste time with her," interrupted Nancy, "let's go and
ask Miss Bird what it's all about."
"Wait a minute, Miss Nancy," cried Hannah. "I was telling you----"
But the twins were at the door. "Lock her in," said Joan. "We shall want
her when we come back." And they locked her in, to the great damage of
her dignity, and went along the passage to the room which had sheltered
Miss Bird's virgin slumbers for nearly thirty years. They were at first
refused admission, but upon Joan's saying in a clear voice outside the
door, "We want to know about Cicely. If you won't tell us we must go and
ask the servants," Miss Bird unlocked the door, and was discovered in a
dressing-gown of pink flannel with her hair in curl papers. The twins
were too eager for news to remark upon these phenomena, and allowed Miss
Bird to get back into bed while they sat at the foot of it to hear her
story.
"Well, you must know some time," said Miss Bird, "and to say that you
will ask the servants is _not_ the way to behave as you know very well
and I am the proper person to come to."
"Well, we have come to you," said Joan, "only you wouldn't let us in.
Now tell us. Has Cicely run away?"
"Really, Joan, that is a most foolish question," said Miss Bird, "to
call it running away to visit Walter and Muriel her _own_ brother and
sister too as you might say and that is all and I suppose it is that
Hannah who has been putting ideas into your head for I came in to see
you last night and you knew nothing but were both in a _sweet_ sleep and
I often think that if you could see yourselves then you would be more
careful how you behave and especially Nancy for it is innocence and
goodness itself and a pity that it can't be so sleeping _and_ waking."
"I've seen Joan asleep and she looked like a stuck pig," said Nancy.
"But what _has_ happened, starling darling? Do tell us. Has Cicely just
gone up to stay with Muriel? Is that all?"
"It is very inconsiderate of Cicely," said Miss Bird, "nobody could
_pos
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