There had been, as may be supposed, a great commotion in The Leas when it was found that Kitty’s room was vacant in the morning. A girl’s absence is more easily discovered than a boy’s. Mrs. Lawrence thought that Walter had gone off for the day to see some of his friends, and would come back to dinner, as he had done many times before; and though she was angry with him for leaving his work, she was not anxious. But a young lady does not make escapades of this sort; and when it was discovered that Kitty’s best things had disappeared, and her favourite locket, and that she had evidently never gone to bed in a proper and legitimate way, the house and the neighbourhood was roused. Mrs. Bircham sent off messengers far and near; and Mr. Bircham himself, though an easy-minded man, went out on the same errand, visiting, among other places, Blencarrow, where all the gaiety of a Christmas party was still going on, and the boys were trying with delight the first faint film of ice upon the pond to see when it would be likely to bear. Then, after a hasty but late luncheon, he had gone to see whether Mrs. Lawrence knew anything about the fugitive; and Mrs. Bircham, at her wits’ end, and not knowing what to do, was alone in the drawing-room at The Leas, pondering everything, wishing she had Kitty there to shake her, longing to pour forth floods of wrath; but at the same time chilled by that dread of something having happened which will come in even when a mother is most enraged. She was saying to herself that nothing could have happened--that it must be that young Lawrence--that the girl was an idiot--that she washed her hands of her--that she would have nothing to do with them--that, oh, if she had only thought to lock her up in her bedroom and stop it all! ‘Oh, Kitty, Kitty! where are you, child?’ she cried nervously at the conclusion of all. There was a rustle and a little rush, and Kitty ran in, flinging herself upon her knees upon the hearthrug, and replied: ‘Here I am--here I am, mamma!’ Mrs. Bircham uttered a shriek. She saw Walter behind, and the situation in a moment became clear to her. ‘You young fools!’ she said; ‘you disobedient, ungrateful children--you----’ ‘Oh, mamma, one moment. We have been to Gretna Green--Walter and me!’ ‘How dared you, sir?’ said Mrs. Bircham, turning upon the hapless lover--‘how dared you steal my innocent child away? And then you come here to triumph over us. Begone, sir--begone, sir, out of my house; begone out of my house!’ Kitty jumped up off her knees and caught Walter by the arm. ‘He does not go a step without me,’ she cried. ‘But, mamma, if you would have a moment’s patience, you would not think any more about it. We were going to London; but I came back, though I knew you would scold, to tell you. Listen to me one moment,’ cried Kitty, running all the words into one; ‘it’s something about Mrs. Blencarrow.’