What Mr. Welwyn remembered will never be known, for at that moment the door opened, slowly but inexorably, and Grandma Banks appeared. She advanced into the room with a few uncertain and tottering steps, peered round her, and nodded her head with great vigour.
"I thought so," she observed triumphantly. "Company! No wonder I were sent to bed."
There was a paralysed silence. Mr. Welwyn was the first to recover his presence of mind. He advanced upon his infirm but irrepressible relative shaking a playful finger.
"This is very, very naughty," he announced reproachfully. "What will the doctor say?"
"THIS IS VERY NAUGHTY," HE ANNOUNCED REPROACHFULLY
"Eh?" enquired Grandma.
"You were told to stay in bed, you know, dear," said Mrs. Welwyn, coming to her husband's assistance.
"I were n't never told no such thing by nobody," replied the old lady explicitly.
Tilly, avoiding Sylvia's eye, decided to make the best of the situation.