.

"I hope you won't catch cold," Fred said to Nina.

"Thanks, I think I shall be all right now," she answered.

"It is the terrible nervous shock which may be disastrous," Mrs.
Faulkner remarked.

"Won't you have some tea?" I asked, and it seemed to me that I was
always asking Mrs. Faulkner to have tea when I didn't know what to do
with her.

"We should miss the train, it goes in twelve minutes," she replied.

We stood on the platform for an interminable time trying to talk, but
neither Mrs. Faulkner nor Nina seemed to take any interest in Fred and
me, and I must say that Jack looked terribly uncomfortable at all the
things which were said to him. Just before the train was due, however,
Nina took my arm and drew me away from the others, and I hoped that she
was going to tell me something pleasant, but her first words banished
that idea.

"I want you to ask Mr. Ward to stay with us in July," she said.

"I shall do nothing of the kind," I answered.

"He jumped into the river to save me."

"You can swim all right."

"But he didn't know that."

"Mrs. Faulkner makes me ill. I think you might stop her making such a
fuss; she has made Jack feel uncomfortable, and Fred never says a word.
I think you are treating Fred jolly badly," I said.

"I suppose he will be down in July," she replied, rather disagreeably.

"Of course he will."

"And you won't ask Mr. Ward?"

"For goodness' sake, Nina, don't be stupid," I answered, "and let me
ask what friends I like."

"I shall get mother to ask him if you don't."

Before I had time to reply the train came into the station, and Fred,
Jack and I had to work hard to get a compartment to suit Mrs. Faulkner.
It took some time to get her properly settled, and after she had
thanked Jack once more and wished us all good-bye, Nina came to the
carriage-window and said that I was not to forget what she told me.

"Are those papers for us?" she called out as the train started.

I took off my hat and pretended not to hear, for I had completely
forgotten to change them, but before I could stop him Jack had taken
the bundle out of my hand, and by means of running much faster than I
thought possible he got the whole lot into the carriage.

"I felt such a fool on that platform that I never remembered anything,"
he said, when he came back.

"I wish you had forgotten how to run," I replied, and when Fred told
him why I had kept my bundle to myself we managed to talk about the wa