to all right. But it did seem mean of her not to
tell me.

So Alice went out by the side door while Eliza was setting tea, and she
was a long time gone; she was not in to tea. When Eliza asked Oswald
where she was he said he did not know, but perhaps she was tidying
her corner drawer. Girls often do this, and it takes a long time. Noel
coughed a good bit after tea, and asked for Alice.

Oswald told him she was doing something and it was a secret. Oswald did
not tell any lies even to save his sister. When Alice came back she was
very quiet, but she whispered to Oswald that it was all right. When
it was rather late Eliza said she was going out to post a letter. This
always takes her an hour, because she _will_ go to the post-office
across the Heath instead of the pillar-box, because once a boy dropped
fusees in our pillar-box and burnt the letters. It was not any of us;
Eliza told us about it. And when there was a knock at the door a long
time after we thought it was Eliza come back, and that she had forgotten
the back-door key. We made H. O. go down to open the door, because it
is his place to run about: his legs are younger than ours. And we heard
boots on the stairs besides H. O.'s, and we listened spellbound till the
door opened, and it was Albert's uncle. He looked very tired.

'I am glad you've come,' Oswald said. 'Alice began to think Noel--'

Alice stopped me, and her face was very red, her nose was shiny too,
with having cried so much before tea.

She said, 'I only said I thought Noel ought to have the doctor. Don't
you think he ought?' She got hold of Albert's uncle and held on to him.

'Let's have a look at you, young man,' said Albert's uncle, and he sat
down on the edge of the bed. It is a rather shaky bed, the bar that
keeps it steady underneath got broken when we were playing burglars last
winter. It was our crowbar. He began to feel Noel's pulse, and went on
talking.

'It was revealed to the Arab physician as he made merry in his tents on
the wild plains of Hastings that the Presence had a cold in its head. So
he immediately seated himself on the magic carpet, and bade it bear him
hither, only pausing in the flight to purchase a few sweetmeats in the
bazaar.'

He pulled out a jolly lot of chocolate and some butterscotch, and grapes
for Noel. When we had all said thank you, he went on.

'The physician's are the words of wisdom: it's high time this kid was
asleep. I have spoken. Ye have my leave to