if they really were attached, of course one must
put the best face on it! And how lovely it would be to see another
little baby some day; and what a charming little mother Nedda would
make--if only the dear child would do her hair just a little differently!
And she perceived that Derek was asleep--and one of her own legs, from
the knee down. She would certainly have bad pins and needles if she did
not get up; but, since she would not wake him for the world, she must do
something else to cure it. And she hit upon this plan. She had only to
say, 'Nonsense, you haven't anything of the sort!' and it was sure to go
away. She said this to her leg, but, being a realist, she only made it
feel like a pin-cushion. She knew, however, that she had only to
persevere, because it would never do to give in. She persevered, and her
leg felt as if red-hot needles were being stuck in it. Then, for the
life of her, she could not help saying a little psalm. The sensation
went away and left her leg quite dead. She would have no strength in it
at all when she got up. But that would be easily cured, when she could
get to her bag, with three globules of nux vomica--and darling Derek must
not be waked up for anything! She waited thus till Nedda came back, and
then said, "Sssh!"

He woke at once, so that providentially she was able to get up, and,
having stood with her weight on one leg for five minutes, so as to be
quite sure she did not fall, she crossed back to the window, took her nux
vomica, and sat down with her tablets to note down the little affairs she
would require, while Nedda took her place beside the bed, to fan him.
Having made her list, she went to Nedda and whispered that she was going
down to see about one or two little things, and while she whispered she
arranged the dear child's hair. If only she would keep it just like
that, it would be so much more becoming! And she went down-stairs.

Accustomed to the resources of Stanley's establishment, or at least to
those of John's and Felix's, and of the hotels she stayed at, she felt
for a moment just a little nonplussed at discovering at her disposal
nothing but three dear little children playing with a dog, and one
bicycle. For a few seconds she looked at the latter hard. If only it
had been a tricycle! Then, feeling certain that she could not make it
into one, she knew that she must make the best of it, especially as, in
any case, she could not have used it, for it