she
had had to run fast all the way home to be in time for supper. She, too,
hung her head over her plate to hide her heated face.

Emma and Fani were not there.

Mrs. Stanhope looked silently first at the empty places, then at the
children.

Clarissa watched the door uneasily; no one came.

"I am willing to allow children all possible freedom," said Mrs.
Stanhope, seriously; "but the order of the house must be maintained. I
am very much annoyed at unpunctuality at meals. Fani has never allowed
himself any such irregularity. I wonder how it happened now."

She looked from one brother to another as if expecting some explanation.
They looked so uncomfortable that she took it as a sign of regret for
their sister's delinquency, and so forbore farther remark.

After supper, Mrs. Stanhope went out as usual on the terrace, and the
others followed. It began to grow dark. Clarissa's anxiety became
unendurable; what could have happened to the children?

"Dear Mrs. Stanhope," she said, entreatingly, "do let me send some one
out to look for the children. I cannot rest for fear that they have met
with some accident."

"Where can we send? We have no clue to the direction they have taken,"
answered Mrs. Stanhope in a tone of vexation. "It is very provoking.
Fani never did such a thing before. I will go with you."

She rose and went through a long corridor to the court-yard. Clarissa
and the children followed. There they found the servants all assembled:
the footman, coachman, cook, and maids were holding a council. They were
talking over the children's absence, its possible cause, and Mrs.
Stanhope's probable displeasure. When that lady came upon them
unperceived, they tried to separate and escape; but it was too late. She
told the men to go out into the street and to inquire in different
directions whether anything had been seen of the lost children. Lina
came forward to say that the cook knew that the young lady had gone
fishing. It was a pity that all these young people were so cruel to
animals, the house-maid added; and therewith she shot an angry glance at
Fred, whom she hadn't forgiven for the trouble he had given her.

"For Heaven's sake!" cried Clarissa, in great alarm. "If those children
have gone out on the river, something terrible must have happened to
them! If we could only have the least idea which way they went!"

The cook, being appealed to, said that she had directed the young lady
to the fisherman's hut