Panting with excitement, she stooped through the open window and prepared to draw her other foot after her. But before she had time to do so, a light step had crossed the hall and an arm was flung round her from behind.
'Barbara!' exclaimed Miss Finlayson. '_Barbara!_'
The disappointment was too much. Barbara covered her face with her hands and burst into tears.
'Let me go, do let me go!' she cried, struggling to free herself. 'It can't make any difference to you whether I run away or not, and it does matter to me and the boys!'
'Barbara!' repeated Miss Finlayson, very quietly indeed. But the child did not seem to hear.
'Why won't you let me go?' she sobbed passionately. 'I can't stop any longer in this horrible place. Nobody wants me here, nobody! Do, do let me go back with the boys.'
Miss Finlayson put her other arm for a moment round the little figure in the pink dressing-gown, and she kissed the only place on the hot, wet cheek that was to be seen. Then she stepped backwards and left her free.
'You can go, Barbara, if you want to,' she said, just as calmly as before.
Babs uncovered her eyes and looked at her incredulously. Now that she was free to go the inclination to run away seemed to have left her. Outside, the boys were waiting and wondering why she did not join them. They could just see something at the open window, but the shadow cast by the orchard wall made it indistinguishable. Miss Finlayson shot one glance outwards, that took in the row of figures at the top of the wall, and the row of bicycles at the bottom of it; then she waited passively for Barbara to make up her mind. But this was precisely what the child could not do.
'Wouldn't you--wouldn't you _mind_?' she stammered at last.
'Would it matter to you if I did?' asked Miss Finlayson.
Babs stood still, in a miserable state of indecision, with one foot still on the window-seat, and the other placed on the ledge outside. She was beginning to feel exhausted by the excitement she had gone through, and she gave a weary yawn that turned into a shiver. Miss Finlayson promptly put an end to the situation by lifting her back into the hall. Directly she did so, a series of thuds in the neighbourhood of the wall, followed by the crunch of footsteps along the gravel path, sounded from without, and the tops of five heads suddenly appeared at the open window.