Chris stuck his chest out with some bravado.
"My heart never thumps me!" he said. "I wouldn't let it!"
But when they reached the drawing-room door he hesitated.
When you have looked forward to a thing very much and talked about it every day, and many times a day, for quite a month, it is rather stupendous when it actually arrives.
And then he turned the door handle, and politely stood back and let his sister go in before him.
"Ladies first," was one of Nurse's favourite maxims. And just now Chris felt rather glad of it!
Granny was in her easy chair with her arm round a tiny fair curly-haired boy who stood leaning against her knees. Standing on the hearthrug with her back to them, warming her delicate-looking hands on which were many sparkling rings, was their mother. She was tall and slender, and wore a close-fitting green cloth gown. She had thrown off her thick fur coat, but wore a little sable toque over her sunny brown hair. And when she turned round and opened her arms exclaiming, "And here are my big boy and girl!"
Diana felt a lump rise in her throat. Inwardly she said to herself: "My beautiful mother—"
In another moment Diana and Chris were being embraced.
Little Noel regarded them with a pucker in his baby brow. He did not quite like seeing his mother kiss them as she kissed him.