There was no answer. The pencil went on writing.
"Mayn't we look over?" Kathleen said again."
Of course you may!" said the voice near the paper. "I nodded,
didn't I? Oh, I forgot, my nodding's invisible too."T
he pencil was forming round, clear letters on the page torn out of
the note-book. This is what it wrote:
"DEAR AUNT, I am afraid you will not see me again for some
time. A lady in a motor-car has adopted me, and we are going
straight to the coast and then in a ship. It is useless to try to follow
me. Farewell, and may you be happy. I hope you enjoyed the fair
MABEL."
"But that's all lies," said Jimmy bluntly.
"No, it isn't; it's fancy," said Mabel. "If I said I've become invisible,
she'd think that was a lie, anyhow.""
Oh, come along," said Jimmy; "you can quarrel just as well
walking."
Gerald folded up the note as a lady in India had taught him to do
years before, and Mabel led them by another and very much nearer
way out of the park. And the walk home was a great deal shorter,
too, than the walk out had been.
The sky had clouded over while they were in the Temple of Flora,
and the first spots of rain fell as they got back to the house, very
late indeed for tea.
Mademoiselle was looking out of the window, and came herself to
open the door
"But it is that you are in lateness, in lateness!" she cried. "You
have had a misfortune no? All goes well?"
"We are very sorry indeed," said Gerald.
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