I should have taken the whole thing to Mrs. Churchill at
once, instead of trying to keep it quiet."
"My meeting her down there alone was entirely my plan," began Jeff
again; but this time it was his sister Charlotte who interrupted.
"Neither of you is in the least to blame, my dears," she said, smiling
on them both. "You had the best of motives, and the plan might have
worked out well but for the child's sudden mad idea of jumping into that
boat. I suppose she meant to row away."
"She didn't stop to cast off--she couldn't have got away before I should
have been in the boat, too," objected Jeff.
"That simply shows how out of her head with excitement she was. But
that's all over. She mercifully wasn't drowned"--a little involuntary
shiver passed over the speaker--"and we'll hope for no serious
consequences. The thing now is to think how to act when she wakes in the
morning."
"I should say treat the whole thing for what it is, a childish escapade.
Show her the silliness of it, and then let it drop," said Doctor
Churchill.
Charlotte looked at him appealingly.
"Lucy and Ran go home next week," she said, slowly.
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