He was so soft and easily impressed, that she almost trusted to make
him feel that it would be right that he should suffer for his
misconduct.
When she went up-stairs, almost as soon as grace had been said, he
was gone. Nobody could find him, and calling produced no answer.
She became quite distressed and anxious, but could not go far from
the house herself, nor send Sam, in case the message should arrive.
"Oh," said Sam, "no doubt he's after something with the Grevilles,
and was afraid you would stop him in."
She tried to believe this, but still felt far from satisfied all the
afternoon, and was glad to see the boy come back in time for tea.
He said he had been with the Grevilles; he did not see why anybody
need ask him questions; he should do what he pleased without being
called to account. Nobody told him not to run away after dinner; he
was not going to stay to be ordered about for nothing.
This was so bad a temper, that Christabel could not bear to try to
touch him with the thought of his sick mother. She knew that
softening must come in time, and believed the best thing to do at the
moment would be to put a stop to his disrespectful speeches to her,
and his cross ones to his brothers and sisters, by sending him to bed
as soon as tea was over, as the completion of his punishment.
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