usly. "I must warn him."

"Pheasants wouldn't matter so much," the Kitten said leniently, "I
asked Willets; but turkeys is orful."

"Not at all sporting to shoot turkeys," Ger agreed, "though they are so
cross and gobbly."

In the middle of February Mrs Ffolliot fell a victim to influenza, and
she was really very ill.

At first she would not allow anyone to tell her husband about it, but
when she became too weak to write herself, Mary took it upon her to
inform her father of her mother's state. The doctor insisted on
sending a nurse, as three of the servants had also collapsed, and Mrs
Grantly came down from Woolwich to see to things generally; though when
she came, she acknowledged that Mary had done everything that could be
done.

Mr Ffolliot curtailed his holiday by a week, and returned at the end of
February, to find his wife convalescent, but thin and pale and weak as
he had never before seen her during their married life.

He decided that he would take her for a fortnight to Bournemouth.

But Mrs Grantly had other views.

She, Mary, and Mr Ffolliot were sitting at breakfast the day after his
return, when he suggested the Bournemouth plan with what Willets would
have called his most "Emp'rish air."

Mrs Grantly looked across at Mary and the light of battle burned in her
bright brown eyes.

"I don't think Bournemouth would be one bit of good for Margie," she
said briskly, "you can't be sure of sunshine--it may be mild, but it's
morally certain to rain half the time, and Margie needs cheerful
surroundings--sunshine--and the doctor says . . . a complete change of
scene and people."

"Where would you propose that I should take her?" Mr Ffolliot asked,
fixing his monocle and staring steadily at his mother-in-law.

"To tell you the truth, Hilary, I don't propose that _you_ should take
her anywhere. What I propose is that her father and I should take her
to Cannes with us a week to-day."

"To Cannes," Mr Ffolliot gasped, "in a week. I don't believe she could
stand the journey."

"Oh yes, she could. Her father will see that she does it as
comfortably as possible, and I shall take Adele, who can look after
both of us. We'll stay a night in Paris, and at Avignon if Margie
shows signs of being very tired. You must understand that Margie will
go as our guest."

Mr Ffolliot dropped his monocle and leant back in his chair. "It is
most kind of you and the General," he said politely, "but I doubt very