"Well, I thought you never would come," cried Jasper, popping up his head from the pillows at the back of the big easy-chair, and beaming at them affectionately. "Oh, now it's good to be home, and have you, Polly. Isn't it, Ben?"
"I should say so," said Ben, in huge satisfaction, dragging up a chair for Polly.
"Oh, I'm going to sit down here," said Polly, running after a hassock, to pull it up in front of Jasper's big chair.
"So will I get another," said Ben, discarding the chair.
"That's good," said Jasper, rubbing his hands together in delight. "O dear me! I wish I could get out of this old chair. I'm going to," and he threw back the sofa-blanket from his knees.
"Oh, don't, Jasper, you mustn't," cried Polly and Ben, deserting their hassocks to run either side of the easy-chair, and lay a restraining hand on him. "You'll hurt yourself."
"And then Doctor Fisher will blame us," finished Ben.
"That's so," said Jasper, twitching the sofa-blanket up. "O dear me!" and he leaned back against the pillow. "Well, do go on and tell me something. I suppose I've just got to stay here like an old log."
"Yes, you must stay here," said Polly, tucking the blanket in with deft little pats; "but you are not an old log, Jasper."
"Yes, I am," said Jasper, guilty of contradicting, and making a very wry face, "a stiff horrible old log," and he gave a little kick that sent one end of the sofa-blanket flying out again.