‘I will tell you presently,’ whispered Elizabeth, breathlessly, ’when you have done.’  She darted away again, and returned with the right book; but Mrs, Woodbourne was too much alarmed by her manner to spend another moment in giving directions to the cook, and instantly followed her to her own room.  Elizabeth hastily shut the door, and sat down to recover her breath.

‘My dear Lizzie, there is nothing amiss with any of the—­’ exclaimed Mrs. Woodbourne, almost gasping for breath.

‘Oh no, Mamma,’ said Elizabeth, a smile passing over her face in spite of her distress, ’it is not Winifred who is mad.  It is I who have been more mad and foolish and self-willed than you would ever believe.  Mamma, I have been with Mrs. Turner to the Mechanics’ Institute.’

‘My dear Lizzie, you do not mean it!’ said Mrs. Woodbourne.

‘Yes, Mamma, indeed it is so,’ said Elizabeth mournfully; ’I did not know what had happened there certainly, but I would not listen to Helen’s good advice, and so I have made Papa seem to consent to what he abhors; I have led Kate and Anne and Harriet all wrong.  Oh!  Mamma, is not it terrible?’

‘Indeed, I wish I had told you what your Papa said to Mr. Turner,’ said Mrs. Woodbourne; ’I am afraid your papa will be very much annoyed; but, my dear, do not distress yourself, you could not know that it was wrong.’

‘Yes; but, Mamma,’ said Elizabeth, ’I did know that it was wrong to go out without asking your leave.  Simple obedience might have kept me straight.  But now I will tell you all, and you shall judge what had best be done about the Hazlebys and Fido.’

Rather incoherently, and with many sobs, Elizabeth told the history of the preceding evening.  Mrs. Woodbourne listened to her with the utmost kindness, and said all she could to soothe and console her, assuring her that Mr. Woodbourne could not be seriously displeased with her for having transgressed a command of which she was ignorant.  Elizabeth was much relieved by having been able to talk over her conduct in this manner; and though she still felt that she had been very much to blame, and by no means sure that Mr. Woodbourne would pass over her fault so lightly, was greatly comforted by her mamma’s kindness.  She went away to bathe her swollen eyes, before she went down to the school-room to read the Psalms and Lessons with her sisters, as was their regular custom when there was no service at the church, before they began their morning’s work; Mrs. Woodbourne undertaking to call the children down in a few minutes, and saying that she would speak to Katherine in the course of the day.  She willingly promised to say nothing to Mrs. Hazleby, and only wished she was quite sure that there were no symptoms of madness about Fido.

‘What a strange girl Lizzie is!’ cried Harriet, just as Elizabeth departed on her search for her father or Mrs. Woodbourne.

‘But, Harriet,’ said Lucy, drawing her aside to the window, ’what difference is her saying nothing to make?  Mamma will ask how Fido was lost.’