.

"So you couldn't be satisfied until you had dragged the whole family
after you, to the ends of the earth! There's no pleasing some people.
This is my reward for being such a fool as to think you could take care
of yourself!"

"Ducky Doodles!" murmured Margot fondly. As of yore, she manifested not
the faintest alarm at his pretence of severity, but twitched his ear
with complacent composure, and once more Mr Vane blinked and swallowed
a lump in his throat. There had been hours during those last days when
he had feared that he might never again hear himself called "Ducky
Doodles," and what a sad grey world that would have meant!

Then came Ron, a little embarrassed, as was natural in a lad of his
years, but truly loving and tender all the same, and Margot's brown
_eyes_ searched his face with wistful questioning.

There was so much that she wanted to ask and to hear, and concerning
which no one had as yet vouchsafed information. Ron could tell her all
that was to be told, which it was impossible to pass another night
without knowing, yet there he sat, sublimely unconscious that she wanted
to be assured of anything but his own safety. With the energy of
despair, Margot forced herself to put a question.

"How are all--the others?"

"The Elgoods? They are all right. Awfully worried about you, you know,
and that sort of thing. Afraid the governor might think they were to
blame. The idea of your going down with pneumonia, and frightening us
all into fits! I thought you were too healthy to be bowled over so
soon, but a London life doesn't fit one for exposure. The governor was
furious with me for bringing you to the North."

But for once Margot was not interested in her father's feelings. She
turned her head on the pillow and put yet another question.

"They did not catch colds, too?"

"Oh, colds!" Ron laughed lightly. "Of course, we all had colds; what
else could you expect? We were lucky to get off so easily. The Elgoods
put off leaving until you were safely round the corner, but they are off
first thing to-morrow."

At this there was a quick rustle of the bedclothes.

"Going? _Where_?" asked a startled voice, in which sounded an
uncontrollable quiver of apprehension. "Not away for altogether?"

"Yes! Their time was up three days ago. It is awfully decent of them
to have stayed on for so long. We shall meet in town, I suppose; but
your Editor man is no use to me, Margot. That little sche