"To what?" we all asked, looking up at Jack.
"Never you mind; I know what I know, and I'm not going to tell anybody."
But, unfortunately, he did tell somebody, and that was Harold, who was the very last person who should have been told.
A few days afterwards Jack was not well—it was merely a passing indisposition, headache and cold; but as there was so much difficulty in keeping him quiet when he was up, mother thought it best to make him stay in bed. My parents were both going to spend the afternoon and evening at a friend's house, and so my cousins were told that they need not keep only to their den; they might have the run of the house, if they would promise to do nothing which they knew was wrong, and not to go outside at all, in case they might be tempted to mischief.
"We promise," said Rupert, gravely, and father knew he could trust him.
They carried me into Jack's room directly we were left alone, and there a certain mysterious operation went on, which had occupied us for half an hour twice a day during the last few weeks. A little reading, a good deal of talking, and then Jack said his head was worse; so we all retreated into the dining-room, and wondered what we should play at.
"I know," said Kathleen. "We have permission to go anywhere; let's have a game of hide-and-seek. I believe you'd take half an hour to find me, there are so many ins and outs, and ups and downs."
Of course, I could not join in that game, so I begged them to carry me back into Jack's room, where I lay reading, sometimes aloud, sometimes to myself, till, to my great delight, I saw him fall asleep.
From time to time I could hear a merry peal of laughter in the distance, or the quiet footsteps of someone running past the door in search of a hiding-place. The sounds pleased me, and then I began to wonder whether I should ever be able to join in such a game. Four weeks ago I should have laughed at the bare idea of such a thing; but now, things had changed. My cousins had brought fresh vigour to my mind; and if all were true that they told me, there seemed a hope that they might be the means of bringing new strength to my body.
I lay building castles in the air after a fashion quite new to me. I had got as far as walking to church with mother on my arm when I was a young man, when suddenly the door was pushed gently open, and Rupert whispered, "Have you seen Harold?"