like a baby."
Mrs Fortescue seemed far from pleased.
"Jasper's being cross about _anything_," she said coldly, "certainlypoints to his being ill. I cannot understand neither of you speaking ofit to me."
And it was just then that Roland came in. Mr Fortescue had alreadyleft--unusually early that morning, as there was a pressure of work athis office.
"He's coming--I just caught him," said Roland, as he drew in his chair.
"You have been quick, dear," said his mother. "It is a great relief.How soon do you think he will come?"
Leila and Chrissie turned to their aunt.
"Where has Roland been?" they asked. "What is he talking about?"
"He has been to Dr Wilkins," Miss Fortescue replied quietly.
"What a fuss!" Chrissie muttered. It was only meant for Leila, but heraunt, who was by no means deaf, caught the words.
"Mother," Roland went on, "you don't think it can be anything worse thana cold? I told the doctor you thought it was a bad chill, but hequestioned me a good bit when he heard Japs was sleeping close besideme--and he _was_ queer in the night. Talking nonsense, you know. DrWilkins asked if he went to school, or had been near any infection. Hesaid there had been a lot of scarlet fever near here--in a street calledPeter's Place. It had been brought in a curious way, and they had somedifficulty in tracing where it came from--that was how he had heard ofit. It's over now, but if Japs _had_ been near there, you see?"
"No," his mother replied, "that is impossible. We knew of the illnessthere some time ago, and your father warned us. No--I cannot see thathe has been exposed to any infection."
But she was feeling very anxious--so much so that she did not notice thestrange look that had come over the faces of both her little daughtersas they heard what Roland said. _She_ did not see that Leila grew whiteand Christabel red, but Aunt Margaret's eyes were keen.
"Can it be only nervousness--dread of serious illness?" she said toherself. "No, they are far from cowardly. I fear, I fear, it issomething worse."
But then, for the time being, her mind and thoughts, as well as theirmother's, were too entirely taken up by the sudden new trouble that hadcome upon the household, for her to be able to let them dwell on theincreased misgiving that something was wrong, something "on thechildren's minds."
Breakfast was cleared away quickly and the two girls told to remainwhere they were in the dining-room. Then Dr Wilkins' brougham drove upand he came in. It was still standing at the door when, at ten o'clock,Miss Greenall punctually made her appearance.
"Is that a doctor's carriage here?" she asked with some anxiety, andthen, glancing at her pupils, she saw that they seemed unusually subduedand quiet.
"Yes," replied Chrissie. "It's our own doctor. He's come to see Japs,who's got a cold."
Miss Greenall started.
"I hope you told your mother what I said," and she turned to Leila, whoanswered vaguely--
"Yes--I told her, but not last night. He seemed all right againyesterday afternoon. He didn't cry or anything."
Miss Greenall only sighed. But before the regular time for her to leavehad come, Mrs Fortescue looked in at the door.
"Miss Greenall," she said, "will you please leave off lessons now, andwhen you have put on your hat, I would like to speak to you in thedrawing-room. I am going to ask you to do me a favour."
"I will come directly, dear Madam," was the reply.
Then books were closed, slates and pencils, and ink and pens, put away,and with a rather cold "good-morning" to the children the littlegoverness left them to themselves.
To themselves--yes--and to their thoughts!
"What does it mean--what's all the fuss about?" at last said Chrissieirritably.
Leila made no reply. She stood looking out of the window for a minuteor two. Then she went to the door and opened it a little.
"What are you doing that for?" asked her sister.
"I want to hear when she goes," said Leila in a low voice, "and thenI'll ask Mummy what's the matter."
Then came the sound of the drawing-room door opening and Miss Greenallon her way out.
"I'm sure it can be arranged," the children heard her say. "Motheralways keeps the rooms so nice."
"I am very, very much obliged to you. It is most good of you to give upyour own," was Mrs Fortescue's reply.
Leila and Chrissie looked at each other in perplexity. What did itmean? But they were not long left in doubt. Their mother came into thedining-room.
"Children," she said, "I have to tell you some bad news. Stand overthere by the window," she went on, and then they noticed that sheherself remained at the door. "Dr Wilkins has seen Jasper, and--and--"she seemed to catch her breath, "there is no doubt that it is scarletfever. We must hope for the best, but it may be a bad attack. A nurseis coming at once. It is not very infectious at the beginning, so thereis no reason to be afraid about you two and Roland, so far. Dr Wilkinshas very kindly offered to have Roley in his own house, so that hislessons will not be interrupted, and he is packing his things now, to goat once."
She stopped for a moment. The children did not speak.
"We have arranged," she went on, "for you and Aunt Margaret to go torooms in Mrs Greenall's. She lets two, and luckily they are vacant,and Miss Greenall is most kindly giving up her own. It is near here andwe can hear of each other every day," she sighed. "How the dear childhas caught it, we cannot imagine," she added, "but he is never as strongas the rest of you, and therefore perhaps more sensitive. Now, you mustgo upstairs and do your best in the way of packing all you will need.You will find Aunt Margaret and Harriet in your room, and they will helpyou. I must not see you again, as I shall have to stay with Jasper tillthe nurse comes. But, oh, my dear children, I may trust you, surely?You _will_ try to be good and obedient and unselfish in this time oftrouble?"
They both looked down. Then Leila murmured something that sounded like"we'd far rather stay here."
"Yes," echoed Chrissie, and even this seemed to cheer their mother."I'm not afraid of the fever," said Leila, in a strange voice.
"But it would add to all our distress if you did get it," said MrsFortescue, smiling, though sadly enough.
"The unselfish thing is to go, _and_ to be very, very good andthoughtful."
She turned to leave the room.
"Mumsey," cried Chrissie, and she made a sort of dart forward, but hervoice was husky, and her mother did not hear or see her, and she stoppedshort.
"What were you going to say to her?" questioned Leila gloomily.
"_You_ know," was the reply.
"What good would it do?" said Leila. "It can't be undone--and perhapshe didn't get it that day. It's so long ago."
"It's always like that," said Chrissie. "I remember about Miss Earle.She had to stay away once for three weeks to see if she didn't get it,after her sister had had it. Leila," she went on, "you said you weren'tafraid of it. _I_ am--awfully."
Leila looked at her in surprise.
"Yes," said Christabel, "I wouldn't dare to be very ill--and p'r'aps--you know--not get better, after being so wicked. Yes, wicked. Worsethan you, I know. You needn't think I don't know that."
"I wasn't thinking about it," said Leila. "_I_ thought if they let mehelp to nurse Japs, it would be a sort of make-up, and if I did get it,that would do for a punishment, and would put it all straight, you see."
"No, I don't see. It would make it all worse," said Chrissie irritably.Deep down in her heart, she knew well what would be the first step totake towards "putting it straight" but the impulse to confession hadfaded again, leaving only enough uneasiness to make her cross andquarrelsome.
Just then Harriet appeared.
"If you please," she said timidly, "Miss Fortescue says aren't youcoming up to help about your things?"
They turned to go.
"What's going to happen to _you_, Harriet?" asked Chrissie recklessly."Are you going to be turned out too?"
Harr
iet smiled in calm superiority.
"I've had it, Miss," she said, "and of course your Mamma couldn't nohowdo without me. I'd never dare look Aunt--that's Nurse, you know, Miss--in the face again if I didn't do my best."
"She's much better than we are," thought Christabel.
That very morning--no, for they did not go till after the early dinner--saw the two girls and Miss Fortescue established in Mrs
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