Then their voices died away. He was back in the old familiar room with the Counterpane Fairy perched upon his knees, and a bunch of snowdrops in the vase beside the bed. The door opened and his mother stood holding the knob in her hand and speaking to Hannah outside, and in that moment the Counterpane Fairy was gone.
CHAPTER SIXTH.
THE RUBY RING
The next day, in spite of the doctor’s promises, Teddy was not allowed to sit up.
It was a raw, blustering day, and every feeling of spring seemed gone from the air; the wind rattled at the windows, and Hannah built up the fire until it roared.
Teddy did not feel much disappointed at not being allowed to sit up, for Harriett came over with her paint-box, and they began coloring the pictures in some old magazines that mamma gave them; the bed was littered with the pages.
After a while mamma left them and went down into the kitchen to bake a cake.
“I wish I had brought my best apron over,” said Harriett, “for then I could have stayed for dinner if you wanted me to.”
“Why can’t you stay anyhow?” asked Teddy.