“John is awake now, George Vine,” said Mrs Van Heldre, re-entering the room. “Will you go up?”
“Yes, I’ll go up,” said George Vine quietly.
“Well, aren’t I to be asked to see him?” grumbled Uncle Luke.
“Oh, what a strange man you are!” said Mrs Van Heldre; “you know I wanted you to go up.”
“No, I don’t; I know you asked me to go up. Different thing altogether.”
“I did want you to go. I felt that it would cheer up poor John.”
“Well, don’t be cross about it, woman. Ask me again.”
Mrs Van Heldre turned with a smile to George Vine, as much as to say, “Did you ever hear such an unreasonable being?”
“Rum one, aren’t I, John’s wife, eh?” said Uncle Luke grimly. “Good little woman, after all.”
“After all!” ejaculated Mrs Van Heldre, as she followed them into the room, and then stopped back. “Too many of us at once can’t be good, so I must stay down,” she added, with a sigh.