ed and dry; in her heart an agony of dread for
the Mother, away at her party in London. Then she went outside to
wait for her father.

He came quickly, accompanied by Miss de Lisle and Harry Trevor.

"I telephoned for the doctor directly I got your message," he said.
"He'll be up in a few minutes."

"Thank goodness!" said Norah. "Of course it may not be the fever.
But it's something queer."

"The little chap wasn't all right down at the river," Harry said.
"Only he kept going; he's such a plucky kid. But he sat jolly quiet
on me coming home."

"I knew he was quiet; I just thought he was a bit tired," Norah said.
"I say, Daddy, what about the other children?"

"What about you?" he asked. His voice was hard with anxiety.

"Me?" said Norah, staring. "Why, of course I must stay with him, Dad.
He's in my charge."

"Yes, I suppose you must," said David Linton heavily. "We'll find out
from the doctor what precautions can be taken."

"Oh, I'll be all right," Norah said. "But Alison and Michael mustn't
stay here."

"No, of course not. Well, they must only come to us."

"But the Tired People?" Norah asked.

Miss de Lisle interposed.

"There are hardly any now--and two of the boys go away to-morrow," she
said. "The south wing could be kept entirely for the children,
couldn't it, Mr. Linton? Katty could look after them there--they are
fond of her."

"That's excellent," said Mr. Linton. "I really think the risk to the
house wouldn't be much. Any of the Tired People who were worried
would simply have to go away. But the children would not come near
any of them; and, please goodness, they won't develop fever at all."

"Then I'll go back and have a room prepared," Miss de Lisle said; "and
then I'll get you, Mr. Harry, to help me bundle them up and carry them
over. We mustn't leave them in this place a minute longer than we can
help. That lovely fat Michael!" murmured Miss de Lisle incoherently.
She hurried away.

There was a hum of an approaching motor presently, and the doctor's
car came up the drive. Dr. Hall, a middle-aged and over-worked man,
looked over Geoffrey quickly, and nodded to himself, as he tucked his
thermometer under the boy's arm. Geoffrey scarcely stirred in his
heavy sleep.

"Fever of course," said the doctor presently, out in the hall. "No, I
can't say yet whether he'll be bad or not, Miss Norah. We'll do our
best not to let him be bad. Mrs. Hunt away, is she? Well, I'll s