"But what about Albert's mother? Didn't you think how anxious she would be at his not coming home? As it happens I saw him come in with you, so we knew it was all right. But if I hadn't, eh?"
He only talks like that when he is very serious, or even angry. Other times he talks like people in books—to us, I mean.
We none of us said anything. But I was thinking. Then Alice spoke.
Girls seem not to mind saying things that we don't say. She put her arms round Albert-next-door's uncle's neck and said—
"We're very, very sorry. We didn't think about his mother. You see we try very hard not to think about other people's mothers because——"
Just then we heard Father's key in the door and Albert-next-door's uncle kissed Alice and put her down, and we all went down to meet Father. As we went I thought I heard Albert-next-door's uncle say something that sounded like "Poor little beggars!"
He couldn't have meant us, when we'd been having such a jolly time, and chestnuts, and fireworks to look forward to after dinner and everything!
