"Of course I do, there's nothing the matter with me."
He sprang out of bed, and rushed off to his dressing-room, hastily put on his clothes, and then went out. As he ran quickly downstairs Margaret detected an almost forgotten quality in his steps.
"Why, he is awake again," she cried. "How strange that this trouble about the child should have power to give him back his old vigorous health!"
Rumsey quickly obeyed Awdrey's summons, and before eight o'clock that morning he was bending over the sick child's cot.
It needed but a keen glance and an application of the stethoscope to tell the doctor that there was grave mischief at work.
"It is a pity I was not sent for last night," he said. Then he moved away from the cot, where the bright eyes of the sick baby were fixing him with a too penetrating stare.
He walked across the large nursery. Awdrey followed him.
"The child is very ill," said the doctor.
"What do you mean?" replied Awdrey. "Very ill—do you infer that the child is in danger?"
"Yes, Awdrey, he is undoubtedly in danger. Double pneumonia has set in. Such a complaint at his tender age cannot but mean very grave danger. I only hope we may pull him through."