He had completely forgotten Hetty,
and the pegs, and the cord that had to be held taut till he should come
back.
In the meantime Hetty was standing just where he had left her, looking
in the direction from which he was to return. A quarter of an hour
passed, and her finger and thumb, which held the string exactly as Mark
had directed, were a little stiff. Another quarter passed, and lest the
cord should relax she changed it from one hand to the other.
"Jack must have gone out," she thought, "and Mark is waiting for him. I
wish he would come back, for I do want to see Mrs. Kane."
However, another quarter passed and Mark did not appear. Hetty was very
cold, for it was damp wintry weather with a sharp wind, and one gets
chilly standing perfectly still so long in the open air. She felt
tempted to put down the string and go to look for Mark, but on
reflection thought it would be disloyal to do so. He should not be
disappointed in her again. Something extraordinary had happened to keep
him away, but he should find her at her post when he came back. Then he
would be sure to forgive her, and she would be happy again.
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