"
"What have you been doing with yourselves?" inquired Alan, as he
sat down on the step below them and pulled his soft hat forward,
to keep the dazzling sun out of his eyes. "I came here just before
noon, but I couldn't start up anybody. Where were you?"
"How strange we didn't hear you!" said Molly innocently. "We were
here all the morning. Are you sure the bell rang?"
"I should say it did," said Alan. "I pulled it till I was tired.
You must have been deaf, or asleep."
"We weren't either; we were only just busy," answered Polly, with,
an air of importance which would have roused Alan's suspicions,
had not Molly come to the rescue by asking about her cousins.
"They're off driving, this afternoon," answered Alan. "They tried
to make me go, but I told them flatly I didn't want to, so they
took Florence instead. I had to play casino with Kit all last
evening, and that was all I could stand. I say, I'm going to stay
to dinner over here, if you ask me to." The girls exchanged
glances of consternation which, happily, passed over the top of
Alan's head, and were unseen.
"Well," assented Polly, with some reluctance; "you can stay, I
suppose, but you won't get much to be thankful for, I warn you.
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