"She mustn't go on being ill in London," said Mrs. Leighton. "We can't stand the anxiety."
"Let me go up for a week or two, and see her started," pleaded Mabel. "I've been there, you know, and know a little about it, and she would have time to feel at home. If I find her really ill, I could send for you. Jean wouldn't feel an idiot about it if I went up just to see her started."
Then Mabel fired her last shot.
"It would be good for me, mummy. I've been so stuck lately. Won't you let me go?"
Something in Mabel's voice touched her mother very much.
"Won't Robin miss you?" she asked in a teasing, but anxious way. "You don't tell us, Mabel, whether you want Robin to miss you or not. And that's one of the main things, isn't it?"
Mabel started, and her eyes grew wide with a fear of what they might say next.
"It's all right, Mabs! Don't you worry if you don't want to talk about it," said her father cheerily. There was a reserve in all of them except Jean which kept them from expressing easily what they were not always willing to hide.
"Oh," said Mabel, "I think I did want to, but n-never could. I don't think I want to be c-coupled with Robin any more. It was fun when I was rather s-silly and young, but it's different now."
She looked at her father quite sedately and quietly.