“An’ please,” said William firmly, “I’d like to take it home now.”
“But, where is it? Did he say where it would be?”
“No, he didn’t,” said William and added hopefully, “but I s’peck it’s somewhere about.”
“Well, we’ll try to find it for you,” said the dark-haired girl doubtfully, “but—don’t lend him anything else, will you?”
“No,” said William fervently.
Making a complete and rapid recovery from his recent attack of vertigo, William arose from his couch and joined in the search. They looked round drawing-room, dining-room and library without finding the whistle.
“Well, we’ll remind him the very first time we see him,” said the red-haired girl obligingly.
“Thanks,” said William without enthusiasm.
“And now you feel well enough to go home, don’t you? This gentleman who is a doctor—well, almost a doctor, will drive you home in the car and explain to your mother exactly what’s wrong with you.”
But William and Freddie seemed equally anxious to avoid this anti-climax so they finally yielded to William’s assertion that he felt quite all right now and would much rather walk home, and to Freddie’s assertion that probably the family already had a doctor, and it would be against medical etiquette for him to go butting into someone else’s patient and it would do the kid good to walk—get the circulation going again after the vertigo. So Freddie returned to the library and the three girls walked down to the gate with William and watched him depart down the road.