Part 9 (1/2)

Guy complied rather lazily. Nan moved a little apart with him, and the two began an eager, whispered conversation. Molly and Hester once more joined forces and resumed the interrupted talk of the morning. The others wandered away in different directions, and Nora and Kitty found themselves together. Nora felt rather discontented. She missed Annie Forest, not because she particularly liked her just now, but because Annie's conduct during their morning walk had rather piqued her. Nora was quite sharp enough to read Kitty's secret in her troubled, demure, watchful and impatient eyes. She thought it would be rather good fun to bully Kitty a little.

”What are you staring through that long line of trees for?” she said.

”Come here, and out with it at once. You know you're bursting with a secret. If you don't tell soon you'll explode, and there'll be nothing left of you. Come here, I say, and out with it.”

Nora thought it quite unnecessary to put on her society manners for Kitty's benefit.

”Come here, Kit, at once, when I call you,” she said, in a cross voice.

”I needn't come if I don't like,” answered Kitty. ”I'm not obliged to obey you, so don't you think it.”

”Highty tighty. Do you suppose I'm going to take impertinence from a little chit like you? You know perfectly well where Annie Forest has gone, and it is your duty to tell.”

”I won't tell. There!”

”Ah!” laughed Nora, now thoroughly exasperated. ”I guessed you had a secret. I knew it when I saw you shutting up your lips so straightly, and putting on that little demure expression whenever Annie's name was mentioned. Now you have confessed it.”

”I have confessed nothing,” said Kitty in alarm.

”Yes, you have; you said you wouldn't tell. How could you say you wouldn't tell if you had nothing to tell? I know mother is uneasy about Annie, and I know Jane Macalister is uneasy, and you know where she is and you dare to keep them in suspense. Come along to mother at once.

She'll soon get this secret out of you.”

”I won't go, Nora--I won't. I'll climb up into this tree, where you can't catch me. Here,” continued Kitty, suiting the action to the word, ”you can't catch me up here; you can't. I won't go to mother--no, I won't.”

”You will if I make you,” said Nora. ”You think I can't climb.”

”You wouldn't dare to climb!” exclaimed Kitty, shouting down from the foliage of the tree into which she had hastily swung herself. ”You'll get your frock all torn, and Molly and Jane will be just mad. You daren't climb, Nora--you daren't. You can't catch me Nora--you can't.”

Nora had a quick temper, and Kitty's manner was most exasperating. Under ordinary circ.u.mstances the ladylike Nora would have hated climbing trees, but now all was forgotten in her fierce desire to lay hold of the daring, exasperating little Kitty and to force her secret out of her.

How dared Annie Forest snub Nora and then confide in a baby like Kitty?

”Unless you come down this minute, I'll follow you into the tree and drag you down,” said Nora. ”Now you know what I mean to do, so come down this instant.”

”Not I, not I,” laughed Kitty. She had been rather frightened while Nora was taunting her on the ground, but now she felt so secure that she could afford to laugh, and even in her turn to use taunting words.

”I knew you were too much of a coward, fine, ladylike Miss Nora, to climb up here,” she said; ”and I'm going to stay here just as long as I please.”

”Oh, are you?” said Nora. ”There'll be two people to decide that point.”

She was in a blind fury now, and, before Kitty could say another word, began to swarm up the tree. She managed to catch the branch where Kitty had planted herself, and in another instant would have caught hold of the little girl's dress; but Kitty and Boris could both climb like monkeys, and it did not take the little girl an instant to swing herself on to a higher branch. Nora's mettle was now up. She was resolved that Kitty should not conquer her. The spirit of defiance in Kitty made her resolve to die rather than be taken.

”You shan't catch me--you shan't,” screamed the child. ”I'm lighter than you. I'm going to creep on to the end of this bough; it will bear my weight, but it won't bear yours, Nora. Don't attempt to get on it, Nora; if you do the bough will break.”

Kitty, as good as her word, crept on to a dead branch of the forest beech tree; it was high above the ground and nearly bare of leaves. It looked what it was, thoroughly rotten; but it bore Kitty's light weight without strain. She reached almost the end, and turned her flushed, laughing, defiant face towards Nora. Nora had reached the bough, but hesitated a moment before trusting herself on it.

”Who said I was going to be caught?” exclaimed Kitty. ”Hurrah! hurrah!

I'm safe enough.”

”I will catch you!” exclaimed Nora. ”You horrid, sneaking little cheat.