Nurse Mavis entered—her arms full of flowers. “Now,” said she briskly. “There’s too much talking going on. I am sure you will both overtax your strength. Besides I have a visitor for you this afternoon.”
“A visitor?” echoed both boys.
“Yes, Mr. Travers, the Mine Manager, is very anxious to see you, and he wants to return you your property.”
“What property?”
“Some packages you had when you—came—in Walla Balla.”
The boys looked at each other blankly. They had entirely forgotten the papyrus and censer and jewels they had brought from the Tomb of Korah. They had been worrying about their financial position, and now, if the jewels proved to be real, they could raise enough money and to spare for their expenses and their fares back to England.
“Mr. Travers will be here in about half an hour,” went on the nurse. “Do you feel well enough to be wheeled out in chairs to the garden?”
“Please,” said Desmond. “I’m sick of this room.” But they felt very weak as they walked across the corridor to where the bath chairs were awaiting them with many comfortable cushions and rugs.
One of the under nurses wheeled Alan out first, and as Mavis tucked the rugs round Desmond, he whispered “Wheel me once round the garden first, Nurse.”
The hazel eyes smiled down at the blue ones, and a touch of colour came into the nurse’s pretty cheeks. Of the two strangers, Desmond was her favourite. He reminded her of her brother—in many ways he was so helpless, and she mothered him and cared for him, until love had overtaken her unawares.