At last he saw a very brightly coloured plate, with two dancing figures painted upon it. He got this for sixpence and carried it home triumphantly.
"Mums will be able to eat her tea on it. I know she'll like it."
When he got home he found Chris and Diana talking over decorations, which they meant to put up in honour of their mother's birthday. They spent all that afternoon in the nursery painting great letters in red paint, which they pasted on some brown paper. Chris composed the sentence and was very proud of it:
"Happy health, boundless wealth, and a very long life
to our Mother!"
Then Diana ran out into the garden and let Noel help her pick some green leaves, which she sewed round the paper as a frame.
After this they got the long steps, and nailed it up at the top of the front porch, so that it should meet their mother's eyes as soon as she came in.
"But," said Diana as she read it aloud to Noel, "we haven't mentioned her birthday, Chris."
"No, of course not. We can't do that before her birthday comes. This is just for her coming home."
The days seemed to pass slowly. But another letter arrived saying that Mrs. Inglefield would be home on Friday evening, and Nurse arrived on Friday afternoon. Chris heaved a sigh of relief when he saw her. He felt his charge was over, and except for the boudoir carpet no harm had been done. On the whole, things had gone on quietly.
Mrs. Inglefield did not get to the station till six o'clock in the evening. She had ordered the car, and all three children were in it waiting for her.