“I recognised the bath-chair. It’s the one poor, dear Aunt Ferdinanda used to have, and the darling was wearing that scarf I knitted for him. Oh, but I think I’d have recognised the old man anyway. He hasn’t changed a bit; though he’s dreadfully muffled up. You know he was always so frightened of fresh air ... and he’s shrunk a bit, I think ... you know, old people do—and I’m afraid he’s as touchy as ever. He was quite huffy on the way here because I said that if he’d will to be well he would be well. That always annoyed him, but I must be true to my principles, mustn’t I?”
“Hadn’t someone better go to him? Won’t it annoy him to be left alone?”
“Oh, I don’t know. He’s not sociable, you know—and as deaf as a post and——”
“Perhaps you’d better explain to the boys, Frederica——”
“Oh, yes! It’s your great Uncle George, you know—ever so old, and we’ve not seen him for ten years, and he’s just come to live here with his male attendant, you know—taken a furnished house, and though we asked him to come to see us (he’s most eccentric, you know—simply won’t see anyone at his own house) he never even answered and we thought he must be still annoyed. I told him the last time I saw him, ten years ago, that if only he’d think he could walk, he’d be able to walk, and it annoyed him, but I must be true to my principles—anyway to my surprise I found him on his way to our house this afternoon and——”
Frederica paused for breath.
“We’d better go to him, dear. He might be feeling lonely.”
******
William was far from lonely. He was listening with mingled interest and apprehension to the conversation on the other side of the hedge and revolving in his mind the question whether they’d see him if he crawled across the lawn to the gate—or perhaps it would be better to make a dash for it, tear off the rug and muffler and run for all he was worth to the gate and down the road.
He had almost decided to do that when they all suddenly appeared through the opening in the hedge. William gave a gasp as he saw them. First came Frederica—the tall and agile lady who had captured him—next a very old lady with a Roman nose, and expression of grim determination and a pair of lorgnettes—next came a young curate—next a muscular young man in a college blazer, and last a little girl.