When she came back, Brigit found her mother installed in the room while nurse had her tea. Lady Kingsmead was a good nurse, greatly to her daughter's surprise, and all her affectations seemed to have been left in her dressing-room with her false hair.
The three women took turns sitting up with the invalid, but he recognised none of them. It was a very long night, and only the greatest determination kept Brigit awake during her watches, for she was extremely tired after her journey.
But at last day came, and with it a short return of consciousness. "Where's Bicky?"
"Here I am, Tommy darling," she answered, taking his hand. "Are you better, love?"
"Yes, I think so. Where's my violin?"
She fetched it, and he went to sleep, his wasted hand lying across the strings.
When he next spoke it was to talk utter nonsense about a flying-machine, an account of which he had read in a newspaper.
CHAPTER TEN
Poor little Tommy's passion for knowing things showed up very clearly the next few days, his over-active brain working hard propounding to itself question on subjects that Brigit had never heard him even mention. And one of the most pathetic subjects was that of her relations with her mother. "If Brigit would only come back and live here again," he said over and over again, "like other fellows' sisters. Things are so much pleasanter when she is here."