“If it should be true!” stammered the girl again.
She lost sight of all the complications this involved—lost sight of all the other complications which had worried her before Barnes came upstairs with this news.
“Aunty,” she determined, “I must go in at once and see him.”
But Barnes motioned her to lie down again.
“Not yet,” he advised, “let’s determine first what is best to be done. Aunt Philomela—what do you say?”
Aunt Philomela frowned.
“I say it’s all a pretty pickle,” she answered.
“What do you say?” asked Eleanor.
“This,” answered Barnes. “First of all, I must leave before he recognizes me. Secondly, we must get his real son back to him as soon as possible.”
“Yes,” agreed the girl. “But will Joe come?”