He's trying to save face, and butting in would just make Atticus even more embarrassed and down in the dumps.
Hertha got the hint and found a spot to sit down.
After comforting the other three kids, Thalassa held their hands and led them to the table, saying softly, "Don't worry, I won't scold you this time. You just wanted to find your dad and that's why you went to the Sinclair group. But you can't do this again, okay? You see, your grandma took you out for fun and you guys got lost halfway You scared the living daylights out of her Were you scared by some mean adult? You're still little and can't defend for yourselves if something happened to you, or if you were hurt by bad people, your grandma and I would be heartbroken."
After soothing the kids, Thalassa started to talk some sense into them
Her four children were pretty sensible for their age, but they were only four and still didn't quite understand the way of the world.
They needed guidance from adults