Page:The Story of the Treasure Seekers.djvu/220

182 sister meant it kindly." And she looked round the room just like the butcher had done. Then she said again, "I didn't know&mdash;I'm very sorry ..."

So I said, "Don't mention it," and shook hands with her, and let her out. Of course we couldn't have asked her to buy the wine after what she'd said. But I think she was not a bad sort of person. I do like a person to say they're sorry when they ought to be&mdash;especially a grown-up. They do it so seldom. I suppose that's why we think so much of it.

But Alice and I didn't feel jolly for ever so long afterwards. And when I went back into the dining-room I saw how different it was from when Mother was here, and we are different, and Father is different, and nothing is like it was. I am glad I am not made to think about it every day.

I went and found Alice, and told her what the lady had said, and when she had finished crying we put away the bottle and said we would not try to sell any more to people who came. And we did not tell the others&mdash;we only said the lady did not buy any&mdash;but we went up on the Heath, and some soldiers went by and there was a Punch-and-Judy