Mrs. MacGill gave a loud sniff and never budged till Miss Virginia was safely inside. The old harridan—I'll teach her a lesson if she doesn't mend her manners!
CECILIA EVESHAM
Friday evening
Here I was interrupted, and now something new has happened that requires telling, so I'll skip our adventures of Thursday afternoon, and go on to Friday....
Well, this morning I came down to breakfast, almost blind with neuralgia. I struggled on till luncheon, when it became unbearable. Virginia (I call her that already) looked at me in the kindest way during the meal.
'You're ill,' she said. 'You need putting to bed.'
Mrs. MacGill looked surprised. 'Cecilia is never very ill,' she observed tepidly.
'She's ill now, no mistake,' Virginia persisted, and rose and came round to my side of the table. 'Come and let me help you upstairs and put you to bed.'
I was too ill to resist, and she led me to my room and tucked me up comfortably.