anyone else," he added confidentially. "You see it
upsets Mum, and makes the others cross, if I say things like that. But
still, I just thought I'd tell _you_."

Radmore was impressed, disagreeably so, in spite of himself; but: "Look
here, Timmy," he said chaffingly. "The Greeks have a proverb about the
bearer of ill-tidings; don't let yourself ever become that, old man!
Have you ever heard, by the by, about 'the long arm of coincidence'?"

Timmy nodded.

"Don't you think it possible that your having dreamt about Dr. O'Farrell
just before Dolly was taken ill may have been that long arm of
coincidence--and nothing more? I can't help thinking that probably your
mother said something about sending for Dr. O'Farrell--for people don't
get measles in a minute, you know; they are seedy for some days
beforehand--and that made you dream of him. Eh?"

But Timmy answered obliquely, as was rather his way when brought to book
by some older person than himself. "I think this time it's going to be an
accident," he said thoughtfully.

And an accident it was! Old Nanna, who, in spite of her age, had become
the corner-stone of the household as regarded its material well-being,
slipped on the back staircase, and sprained her leg, and of course it was
Radmore who went off in his car to fetch and bring back Dr. O'Farrell.

A slight alleviation to their troubles was brought about by Miss
Pendarth, who was going off on a visit the very day the accident
happened, and who practically compelled Janet to accept the temporary
service of her own excellent servant. It was her readiness to give that
sort of quick, kindly, decisive help which made so many of those who had
the privilege of her acquaintance regard Miss Pendarth with the solid
liking which is founded on gratitude.

But the help, offered and accepted in the same spirit, could not go on
for long, for Miss Pendarth came home after a four days' absence; and,
for the first time in many months, Janet Tosswill made time to pay a
formal call at Rose Cottage in order that she might thank her old friend.
She intended to stay only the time that strict civility enjoined, and she
would have been surprised indeed had she been able to foresee what a
pregnant and, to her, personally, painful train of events were to follow
as a result of the quarter of an hour she spent in Miss Pendarth's
old-fashioned upstairs sitting-room where only privileged visitors were
ever made welcome.

"Will you come