om and Debby went back patiently, and picking up their offending
garments, struggled with them valiantly. But, however careful they were,
it seemed as though one sleeve would hang out, or the folds would go
crooked, simply for the purpose of aggravating two impatient little
people.

"I wish we didn't have sleeves," sighed Deborah.

"Let's cut them off," cried Tom, and in a spirit of mischief, picked up a
pair of scissors and pretended to cut the sleeve.

He was only pretending, but Audrey misunderstood, and, with a sharp slap
on the hands, sent the scissors skimming across the floor.

The unexpectedness of the blow, the pain, and the indignity, roused Tom to
real anger, and for a few moments there was an ugly scene. Debby cried,
Tom raged, and Audrey scolded. "You can fold the old thing yourself,"
cried Tom, flinging out of the room. Audrey dragged him back.

"I shall not, you shall do it yourself if you have to stay here all day.
I shall speak to father about your behaviour, and I do think you might
have tried to behave decently and not have made such a noise when Joan is
ill, and we want her to sleep. You think of no one but yourselves--you
two."

"Joan ill! You might have told us before. How were we to know? and--and
you were making more noise than anybody, and--and it was all your fault in
the beginning," cried Tom. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself Audrey,
you are the eldest, and--and you knew Joan was ill."

Debby was less angry, and more concerned. "Where is Joan?" she asked
anxiously. "Is she in bed?"

"She is in the kitchen by the fire, so don't go there making a noise too.
You had better play in the garden, and do be as quiet as you can."

"I am going to see mother first," retorted Debby, "we always do when we
are dressed. Mummy likes us to. And we don't make a noise if we _know_
we mustn't. If you had only told us Joan was ill----"

But Audrey was already half-way down the stairs, on her way to the
kitchen. "Children are such worries," she sighed. "Now I will get
mother's breakfast."

In the kitchen she found Faith sitting patiently by the fire, she was
scarlet with the heat, and very weary, but there was a look of relief in
her eyes. "She is sleeping so comfortably," she whispered. "That shows
that she is in less pain, doesn't it?"

"I should think so. You look awfully hot."

"Hot! I am roasting, I feel quite faint every now and then, but I don't
mind anything if it is doi