It 's like a man to propose a bone and vulgar bread and cheese for company . I wo n't have anything of the sort in my house . Take that Scott up to Mother 's , and tell him I 'm away , sick , dead , anything . I wo n't see him , and you two can laugh at me and my jelly as much as you like . You wo n't have anything else here . '' and having delivered her defiance all on one breath , Meg cast away her pinafore and precipitately left the field to bemoan herself in her own room . What those two creatures did in her absence , she never knew , but Mr. Scott was not taken ` up to Mother 's ' , and when Meg descended , after they had strolled away together , she found traces of a promiscuous lunch which filled her with horror . Lotty reported that they had eaten `` a much , and greatly laughed , and the master bid her throw away all the sweet stuff , and hide the pots . '' Meg longed to go and tell Mother , but a sense of shame at her own short-comings , of loyalty to John , `` who might be cruel , but nobody should know it , '' restrained her , and after a summary cleaning up , she dressed herself prettily , and sat down to wait for John to come and be forgiven . Unfortunately , John did n't come , not seeing the matter in that light . He had carried it off as a good joke with Scott , excused his little wife as well as he could , and played the host so hospitably that his friend enjoyed the impromptu dinner , and promised to come again , but John was angry , though he did not show it , he felt that Meg had deserted him in his hour of need . `` It was n't fair to tell a man to bring folks home any time , with perfect freedom , and when he took you at your word , to flame up and blame him , and leave him in the lurch , to be laughed at or pitied . No , by George , it was n't ! And Meg must know it . '' He had fumed inwardly during the feast , but when the flurry was over and he strolled home after seeing Scott off , a milder mood came over him . `` Poor little thing ! It was hard upon her when she tried so heartily to please me . She was wrong , of course , but then she was young . I must be patient and teach her . '' He hoped she had not gone home -- he hated gossip and interference .
For a minute he was ruffled again at the mere thought of it , and then the fear that XXXXX would cry herself sick softened his heart , and sent him on at a quicker pace , resolving to be calm and kind , but firm , quite firm , and show her where she had failed in her duty to her spouse .
George John Lotty Meg Mother Scott hour left pinafore short-comings