hty, silly things,
or teased anybody. It did seem too bad.

'May I run in to see her?' I asked.

Nurse would have said, 'Yes, of course, Master Jack,' in a moment, but
mother shook her head.

'Not till Dr. Marshall has been, dear,' she said; and she gave my hand a
little squeeze. I'm afraid she began to wish she had separated the
girls after all.

I could see that nurse thought mums very funny, as she went on asking
ever so many questions about Maud--above all, was she coughing?

'A little,' said nurse; 'rather a croupy, odd-sounding sort of cough.'
But she was too old for croup, of course. It was just cold.

'I must go down to prayers now,' said mother. 'I will come up
immediately after breakfast, and I will send for Dr. Marshall. I am sure
it will be best.'

Just then there came the sound of a cough from Maud's room--a queer,
croaky sort of cough--and we heard the poor little thing call out--

'Oh, mums, is that you? Do come to see me. I does feel so funny.'

'Yes, darling, I will come very soon,' said mother. It was so queer to
hear Maudie talking babyishly--she always did if she was at all ill. As
we went downstairs I was sure mums was crying a little.

Well, that was the beginning of it all. When the doctor came, of course
he looked very owly, and said he couldn't say for a day or two; and
pretended to be jolly, and told mother she wasn't to be so silly, and
all that kind of talk. But after his 'day or two'--no, indeed, before
they were over--he had to allow there was some cause for grave looks.
For by then they'd _all_ got it--all except me! Just fancy, all four of
them! The nursery was like a menagerie, for no sooner did one cough than
all the others started too, and they all coughed different ways. If it
hadn't been really horrid it would have been rather absurd--something
like the mumps, you know. It's _all_ you can do not to laugh at each
other when you've got the mumps. I'll never forget Serry's face,--never,
as long as I live, and she's the prettiest of us, I suppose. I saw my
own once in the glass, but I wouldn't look again. And yet it's awfully
horrid. It hurts--my goodness! doesn't it just?

There was no good separating _me_. I made mums see that, and I promised
her I'd do my very best not to get the whooping-cough; and I didn't!
That was something to be proud of, now, wasn't it? You mightn't think
so, but it was; for I really believe I stopped myself having it. Ever so
often, when I heard th