sibly_ have objected to her going to stay with Muriel and Miles
would have packed her clothes and gone up to London with her to look
after her and to go by herself without a _word_ and not take a _stitch_
to put on her back and Mr. Clinton in the greatest anxiety and very
naturally annoyed for with all the horses in the stable to walk to
Bathgate in this heat for from Kencote she did _not_ go one of the men
was sent there to inquire I wonder at her doing such a thing."

"Keep the facts in your head as they come, Joan," said Nancy. "She
didn't tell anybody she was going. She didn't take any clothes. She
walked to Bathgate, I suppose, to put them off the scent."

"But whatever did she do it for?" asked Joan. "Something must have upset
her. It is running away, you know. I wish she had told us about it."

"We'd have gone with her," said Nancy. "She must have done it for a
lark."

"Oh, don't be a fool," said Joan. This was one of the twins' formulae. It
meant, "There _are_ serious things in life," and was more often used by
Joan than by Nancy.

"Joan how often am I to tell you not to use that expression?" said Miss
Bird, "I may speak to the winds of Heaven for all the effect it has
don't you know that it says he that calleth his brother thou fool shall
be in danger of hell fire?"

"Nancy isn't my brother, and I'll take the risk," said Joan. "Didn't
Cicely tell mother that she was going?"

"No she did not and for that I blame her," said Miss Bird. "Mrs. Clinton
came to me in the schoolroom as I was finishing my dinner and although
her calmness is a lesson to all of us she was upset as I could see and
did my _very_ best to persuade her not to worry."

"It's too bad of Cicely," said Joan. "What are they going to do now?"

"Your brother Dick went up to London by the late train and a telegram
was to be sent the _first_ thing this morning to relieve all anxiety
though with Muriel no harm can come to Cicely if she got there safely
which I hope and trust may be the case although to go about London by
herself is a thing that she knows she would not be allowed to do, but
there I'm saying a great deal too much to you Joan 'n Nancy you must not
run away with ideas in your head Cicely no doubt has a _very_ good
reason for what she has done and she is _years_ older than both of you
and you must not ask troublesome questions when you go downstairs the
only way you can help is by holding your tongues and being good girls."

"Oh,