ked.

"Yes," he said, "I wanted to see you all dressed."

She went quickly and sat on the edge of the bed. "Did they serve you a
nice dinner, Graham?" she asked.

He nodded. "Very nice," he answered.

"I thought you'd be asleep long ago," she said. "Otherwise I should have
looked in on you."

"I couldn't sleep," he answered. Then impulsively: "Mother, I know you
have to go downstairs again soon, but I've been thinking so much of
grandmother. Wouldn't it be possible to have her come to live here with
us? We've got such a big house, and she must be very lonely."

She drew herself a little away from him. "Perhaps I haven't explained to
you, Graham," she said, "that your grandmother is given to periods of
hallucinations. That is, she has peculiar fancies, one of them being
that she thinks herself a queen."

"Well, does it hurt if she does think she's a queen?" asked the boy.

"In this way it does. It's not pleasant to have in close proximity one
who isn't what is called just normal. I think she is much better cared
for as she is and in her own home. You'll admit it would be very
unpleasant if she lived here, and appeared before guests in one of her
unnatural moods."

"But she is lonely," persisted the boy, sticking to the one line of
thought that had remained with him all afternoon, and had aroused his
mind to dwell insistently upon his grandmother. "You don't mind, mother,
do you, then since she can't come here, if I go to see her often?" He
hesitated before continuing: "Father told me he wished I would, as he
hasn't the time to do so."

"Of course, you may go to see her, Graham, if you like. I didn't know
you cared so much."

She rose from the bed and walked away to the window, looking through its
leaded panes to where she knew lay the broad road leading out into the
country with farm houses and plowed fields. After a moment she turned to
gaze at the little lad who still sat up in his bed; who still regarded
her with wide eyes very much like her own, but holding a depth and a
promise that hers did not seem to hold.

"Perhaps it's not the proper time to tell you now, Graham," she said,
"but I think I might as well do so. I'm making arrangements to leave for
Italy some time soon."

"To be gone long, mother?" asked the boy.

"Well, for three months anyway. I met some interesting people there on
my last trip and they have invited me to pay them a prolonged visit,"
she said.

Graham did not answer at first.