‘I’m going to stay up until it comes, no matter what any one says or thinks, so you needn’t bother any more, Lucy,’ broke out Vivian so fiercely that both Lucy and Ronald looked at him in surprise.
At last a tiny red speck appeared under the yellow lamp, andbegan to move slowly up the road. | |
| V. L. | [Page 162]. |
To Ronald, in the face of the trouble that was hanging over them, any outburst of temper seemed almost irreverent; but Lucy understood better, and with rare tact took no notice of the angry words. Instead of remonstrating with Vivian, as she might have done, or threatening him with his father’s displeasure, she went quietly into the cloakroom and took down two greatcoats.
‘Put this on, Master Ronald,’ she said; ‘and here is yours, Master Vivian; ’tis a hard frost to-night, and this hall is as cold as can be.
‘There now,’ as the boys silently obeyed her, and buttoned up the coats, ‘you won’t get cold with these on; and if you would like a good hot drink of cocoa before you go to bed come into the nursery. Miss Dorothy is sleeping so soundly you won’t wake her, and I’ll have the kettle boiling.’
Then she left them to wait in the darkness.
At last, just as the clock was chiming the half-hour, a tiny red speck appeared under the yellow lamp, and began to move slowly up the road. It was old Giles’s lantern, and both boys drew a shuddering breath of suspense. What would the news be—life or death?
They had not long to wait. Dr Armitage’s listening ears had already caught the sound of the old postman’s limp as he came up the frosty road, and he laid down his newspaper hastily; and, crossing the hall without noticing the two little figures behind the curtain, he opened the front door, letting in a gust of clear cold air as he did so, and went down the drive to meet him.