'Why isn't the gas lighted?' said Maud. 'It looks so dull,' and she ran out of the room and down the passage to nurse's own room, calling out, 'Nurse, nurse, where are you? We've come in.'
Maud was very fond of nurse, and of course being the youngest she was nurse's pet. She's married now—our old nurse, I mean. She left us last Christmas, and we've got a schoolroom-maid instead, who doesn't pet Maud at all of course, but I don't think Maud minds.
'Nurse, where are you?' she called out.
Nurse was in her room; she had a fire, and she was ironing some things.
'Come in here, dearie,' she answered. 'I didn't think it was so late. I'll have done in a moment, and then I'll light the gas and see about tea.'
So Maud went in to nurse's room and began telling her about the dancing. And thus Anne and Serena were left by themselves in the half-dark nursery.
Anne stood staring in the fire for a minute without speaking. All this, you understand, they told us afterwards.
'Won't you come and take your things off, Anne?' said Serry.
But, instead of answering, Anne asked her another question.
'Do you know the number of the Barrys' house in Rodney Square?' it was.