"He was prevented at the last moment; we must tell you about it," said Mrs. Arundel.
"What a pity," exclaimed Ada.
"He was so sorry, and so was I. He sent you a message, which I must give you presently."
Mrs. Arundel turned to superintend the lifting out of her invalid; but Arthur and Walter were accustomed to moving him, and now did it very cleverly, so that without a shake, he was laid on the drawing room sofa.
"We got here ever so long before you," said Isabel, bounding in through the French window; "what made you so long?"
Mrs. Arundel explained all about it to a very interested audience, and then gave Dr. Arundel's message to Christina, who looked very grave for a moment when she heard the age of the baby.
"Do you think I could?" she asked Mrs. Arundel.
"I do not see any insuperable objection as you have Margaret Fenton, but if you had not, it would be another thing. It will, however, fill her hands and yours in a wonderful way; you will begin work in earnest then."
"Just what I should delight in," said Nellie; "but, oh, we are forgetting the poor young mother!"
The sad story rather sobered the happy party, and it was some little time before they could turn their thoughts away from it.