"I shall never sit on that old wall again without expecting something to
happen," said Betty in solemn tones.

"And you will never be disappointed after _she_ comes," Dan foreboded
gloomily, "so it is just as well to be prepared." At which they all
groaned in miserable chorus.

By-and-by they straggled downstairs again and out into the yard.
The house was really unbearably hot, and seemed too small to allow their
minds to grasp all they had to grasp. They had a sort of gloomy
longing, too, to revisit the spot where so much had happened, to go over
the familiar ground and see if the bright outer world looked different
at all; there surely must be some sign of the tragedy that had befallen
them.

In the outer world things had changed very much. The sun had
disappeared, and the sky was heavy and overcast with threatenings of the
storm that had been brewing all the day; the old wall looked gray, and
sad, and uninviting.

"Just as though it knew," thought Kitty.

In the yard Prue was standing somewhat dejectedly, evidently waiting to
be harnessed; Jabez was creeping about, getting out the carriage in
preparation for a journey. He looked quite imposing with his bandaged
head, and he was taking himself very seriously. He glanced furtively at
the children, and bore himself with an air of patient but superior
resignation. In his heart he was really vexed with himself for having
complained of them, though he felt it would not do to let them know it.