How glad she was that he had at last allowed her to try this without ridiculing or scolding her. How beautiful this theory was, but it seemed too good to be true. She would not be carried away with it until she had demonstrated beyond doubt, until she could see the reason and understand it.
The clock struck nine. Why, it was time to rise, and she really felt hungry, so hungry that dry toast and hot water had no attractions for her. She wondered if there would be anything on the table she dared not eat; it would be hard to resist if there were. Thus musing she dressed with more alacrity and energy than she had displayed for many months.
Her husband stood in the doorway as she left her room, and remarked as they went down stairs:
"You must have had a good sleep last night, you are so bright and spry this morning."
"Yes, indeed, I can scarcely remember when the night has passed so quickly and the morning seemed so exhilarating; please help me down this turn, won't you? It is always so hard to get down stairs."
The cane was brought into requisition, and with Mr. Hayden's help the stairs were descended, but the refractory limb was forgotten again in the interest with which she viewed the breakfast table.
"Mamma, we've waited and waited till we thought we'd have to eat something, so we each took a doughnut to save time," was the explanatory greeting of Fred, who acted as spokesman for the three hungry culprits, who had this time, at least, disobeyed the imperative injunction not to eat cake the first thing in the morning.
"Why, children, don't you remember how Dr. Jackson—"
"Well, mamma, I heard that lady 'at was here, say 'twouldn't hurt us to eat if you wasn't so 'fraid 'bout our stomachs; an' she's a doctor, too, an' ladies know 's much 's men, 'cos you said so," interrupted the irrepressible, as usual, with unanswerable argument.
"Well, we'll see this time, but you must be more careful to remember what mamma wishes you to do," said Mrs. Hayden more mildly than usual, while her eyes smiled a little.