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Mrs Asplin turned her white face from one speaker to the other, and, when the last word was spoken, broke into a paroxysm of helpless weeping. "Something has happened! Something terrible has happened to the child! And she was left in our charge. We are responsible. Oh, if any harm has happened to Peggy, however, ever, ever, can I bear to live and send the news to her parents "
And so those five expressive words went flashing across the world at the end of a long message, and brought comfort to two hearts that had been near to breaking. So soon as Peggy was pronounced to be out of danger, Mrs Asplin went back to the vicarage, leaving her in the charge of the kind hospital nurse, though for that matter every member of the household took it in turns to wait upon her.
None of us have had too much dinner, and a little refreshment would be very welcome after all this strain," said Arthur promptly, and Mrs Asplin eagerly welcomed the suggestion. "That's what I call a really practical proposal! Ring the bell, dear, and I will order it at once. I am sure we shall all have thankful hearts while we drink it."
I should like to help Arthur's mother, but," Mrs Asplin leant her head on one side, and put on what her children described as her "Ways and Means" expression. She was saying to herself, "Clear out the box-room over the study.
I don't expect to be made well, but I want to keep going if possible, for the sake of Austin and the children. I have been intending to pay this visit for a year back, but I kept putting it off and off. I was afraid of what he might say." "Nonsense! Afraid, indeed! He'll laugh at your fears, and give you a tonic which will make you perfectly well again." Mrs Asplin smiled, and was silent.
It was good of you to come over, Rob, for I'm not myself at all without a boy in the house, and it does me good to see your dear dirty boots," cried Mrs Asplin, and blinked her eyes, trying hard to keep down the tears which would rise at the thought of Max in his far-off home, and all the train of mischievous, happy-hearted lads who had been under her care, and who were now fighting the world for themselves.
Once it had happened that mail day had arrived and brought no letter, and that had been a melancholy occasion. Mrs Asplin had looked at one envelope after another, had read the addresses twice, thrice, even four times over, before she summoned courage to tell of its absence. "There is no letter for you to-day, Peggy!"
"Who, who Oh! it is you! What do you want?" "Nothing. I saw you come out, and thought you would be cold. I brought you out my coat." "I don't want it; I am quite warm. I came here to be alone." "I know; I'm not going to bother. Mrs Asplin thinks you are in your room, and I didn't tell her that I'd seen you go out. But it's damp. If you catch cold, your mother will be sorry."
If you could suggest what to make, I could cut out the patterns and set to work at once." Mrs Asplin waved her hands towards a table on which her resurrected treasures were spread out to view, and Peggy dropped her chin with a preternaturally solemn expression, to avoid bursting into laughter.
Outside in the street an organ was grinding out a popular air, the front door opened and shut, and footsteps passed along the hall, a little heathen idol upon the mantelpiece nodded his head at her in mocking fashion. Some one was talking at the other end of the room in a quiet, level tone, as if nothing extraordinary had happened. It was surely surely not Mrs Asplin herself? "Thank you!
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