On observing Alice, he started up, and assuming a cheerful look, ran to meet her.
"Oh! I'm so glad to find you here, Corrie," cried Alice, hastening forward; "I'm in such distress! Do you know that--Oh! I forgot papa said I was to tell nobody about it!" "Don't let that trouble you, Alice," said Corrie, as they sat down together under the tree.

"I know what you were about to say,--Henry and his mother are going away." "How do you know that?
I thought it was a great secret!" "So it is, a _tremendous_ secret," rejoined Corrie, with a look that was intended to be very mysterious; "and I know it, because I've been let into the secret for reasons which I cannot tell even to you.

But there is another secret which you don't know yet, and which will surprise you perhaps, _I_ am going away, too." "You!" exclaimed the little girl, her eyes dilating to their full size.
"Aye--me!" "You're jesting, Corrie." "Am I?
I wish I was; but it's a fact." "But where are you going to ?" said Alice, her eyes filling with tears.
"I don't know." "Corrie!" "I tell you, I don't know; and if I did know, I couldn't tell.

Listen, Alice; I will tell you as much as I am permitted to let out." The boy became extremely solemn at this point, took the little girl's hand, and gazed into her face as he spoke.
"You must know," he began, "that Henry and his mother and I go away to-night--" "To-night ?" cried Alice, quickly.
"To-night," repeated the boy.

"Bumpus and Jakolu go with us.