"All right," I said. "We'll pretend I'm a little girl, and you're my mummy, and you've just put me to bed.... Good-night, mummy dear."
"Oh, but I must cover you up." She fetched a tablecloth, and a pram-cover, and The Times, and a handkerchief, and the cat, and a doll's what-I-mustn't-say-downstairs, and a cushion; and she covered me up and tucked me in.
"'Ere, 'ere, now go to sleep, my darling," she said, and kissed me lovingly.
"Oh, Margie, you dear," I whispered.
"You called me 'Margie'!" she cried in horror.
"I meant 'Mummy.' Good-night."
One, two, three seconds passed rapidly.
"It's morning," said a bright voice in my ear. "Get up."
"I'm very ill," I pleaded; "I want to stay in bed all day."
"But your dear uncle," said Margery, inventing hastily, "came last night after you were in bed, and stayed 'e night. Do you see? And he wants you to sit on his chest in bed and talk to him."