Cherry too had been busy, and with Mrs. Seymour's direction had made him two brown holland pinafores which covered patches with clean neatness.
"Oh, Dickie!" exclaimed his sister, kissing him impulsively, "I never did see you look so nice since before mother was ill."
"That he does," said Meg, smiling. "Now brush his hair, dear, and then he can sit on your lap till I am ready."
It was a mild, sunshiny day in April when Meg first walked into her sitting-room.
Cherry had been busy making everything as cosy as she could devise, and Meg looked round with satisfaction.
"You have been clever, Cherry," she said.
"Mrs. Seymour says I shall be very useful if I take pains," answered Cherry, "and I have been trying very hard to, mother-Meg, because I do eat so much."
Cherry said this with compunction, and Meg laughed a little.
"Never mind that, dear. While I have been lying still I've been thinking of a lot of things you might do to get a little living."
"Have you?" asked Cherry, sitting down by the fire with Dickie on her knee.