It was not allayed by the mystic manners of the members or by the unnecessary emphasis they laid upon their coldness toward himself; and when a committee informed him darkly that there were "secret orders" to prevent his coming within "a hundred and sixteen feet"-- such was Penrod's arbitrary language--of the Williams' yard, "in any direction", Georgie could bear it no longer, but entered his own house, and, in burning words, laid the case before a woman higher up.

Here the responsibility for things is directly traceable to grown people.

Within that hour, Mrs.
Bassett sat in Mrs.Williams's library to address her hostess upon the subject of Georgie's grievance.
"Of course, it isn't Sam's fault," she said, concluding her interpretation of the affair.

"Georgie likes Sam, and didn't blame him at all.

No; we both felt that Sam would always be a polite, nice boy--Georgie used those very words--but Penrod seems to have a VERY bad influence.