g from her lovely head what looked like a length of red
flannel. He noticed, too, simultaneously, that she was suffering
from a heavy cold. A majestic footman behind her closed the door and
disappeared.

"Are you Lady Woldo?" Edward Henry asked.

"Yes," she said. "What's this about my baby?"

"I've just seen him in Hyde Park," said Edward Henry. "And I observed
that a rash had broken out all over his face."

"I know that," she replied. "It began this morning, all of a sudden
like. But what of it? I was rather alarmed myself, as it's the first
rash he's had and he's the first baby I've had--and he'll be the last
too. But everybody said it was nothing. He's never been out without
me before, but I had such a cold. Now you don't mean to tell me that
you've come down specially from Hyde Park to inform me about that
rash. I'm not such a simpleton as all that." She spoke in one long
breath.

"I'm sure you're not," said he. "But we've had a good deal of rash in
our family, and it just happens that I've got a remedy--a good sound
north-country remedy--and it struck me you might like to know of it.
So if you like I'll telegraph to my missis for the recipe. Here's my
card."

She read his name, title and address.

"Well," she said, "it's very kind of you, I'm sure, Mr. Machin. I
knew you must come from up there the moment ye spoke. It does one
good above a bit to hear a plain north-country voice after all this
fal-lalling."

She blew her lovely nose.

"Doesn't it!" Edward Henry agreed. "That was just what I thought when
I heard you say 'Bless us!' Do you know, I've been in London only a
two-three days, and I assure you I was beginning to feel lonely for a
bit of the Midland accent!"

"Yes," she said, "London's lonely!" And sighed.

"My eldest was bitten by a dog the other day," he went on, in the vein
of gossip.

"Oh, don't!" she protested.

"Yes. Gave us a lot of anxiety. All right now! You might like to
know that cyanide gauze is a good thing to put on a wound--supposing
anything should happen to yours--"

"Oh, don't!" she protested. "I do hope and pray Robert will never be
bitten by a dog. Was it a big dog?"

"Fair," said Edward Henry. "So his name's Robert! So's my eldest's!"

"Really now! They wanted him to be called Robert Philip Stephen
Darrand Patrick. But I wouldn't have it. He's just Robert. I did have
my own way _there_! You know he was born six months after his father's
death."

"And I suppose h