At last there came the sound of footsteps, quick and firm, running downstairs.
“There he is,” said Leigh, and he ran to the door which he opened and stood there listening. But strange to say the footsteps crossed the hall towards the front door, instead of turning down the passage to the study. Leigh could scarcely believe his ears—surely it could not be the doctor?
Yes it was—he heard his voice speaking to the butler in the hall. And then—before Leigh had time to run out and call to him, there came the sound of Mr Wiseman’s dogcart driving away as fast as it had come.
Leigh felt faint with disappointment. He came back into the room again, looking so white that Mary and Artie started up.
“He’s gone,” said Leigh, “gone without coming in to tell us.”
“Can it be that Dolly’s so ill he doesn’t like to tell us?” said Artie.
“P’raps he’s gone to get another doctor,” said Mary. “Peoples has two doctors when they’re very ill, nurse said. Oh Leigh, dear Leigh, I’m afraid I’m going to cry.”
Leigh did not speak. If he had, he would have burst out crying himself, I’m afraid. But just then—just when they were feeling as if they could not bear it any more, there came again the sound of some one hastening downstairs, a lighter tread than Mr Wiseman’s this time. And the footsteps did not cross the hall. They came quick and eager, one after the other, down the passages to the study. Then the door opened—and—some one stood there, looking in.
“My poor dears,” said a loving voice with a little tremble in it. And in another second somebody’s arms were round them all—it is wonderful how many children can creep into one pair of arms sometimes!—and they all seemed to be kissing mamma, for of course it was mamma—and each other at once. And somehow—Mary could not remember how mamma told it them—they knew that there were good news. Baby Dolly was not going to be very ill!
It had nothing to do with the fall—but, till the doctor came, it was thought the little sister had got scarlet fever or measles, and that was why the children had been kept out of the nursery all the morning and not allowed to see the baby, or mamma or nurse who had been with her. For those illnesses are very easily caught.