But Diana held her for a moment.
"Anthony will soon want to be going into the big house—when will you be ready, Bettina?"
"Oh, not yet," said Bettina, breathlessly, "not yet. I'd rather wait. Don't you think it will be best to wait?"
"Why?"
"Oh," her cheeks flamed, "I don't know why—only I don't want to get married—for a long time, Diana."
Diana looked at her with puzzled eyes. There was some change in the child which she could not fathom. What had happened to little Bettina in the short time since she had been away? She would ask Sophie—she would ask—Anthony.
In the adjoining room the telephone rang. Sophie, going to answer it, came back with the announcement, "It's Anthony. He wanted to know if you had returned. He needs you at the hospital. That little girl with the appendicitis is very much worse. But I told him that you had just reached home, and that you were so tired, and it was so late——"
"Sophie, how could you? Tell him I'll come. Ask him to send his car for me. Bettina, dear, hand me my slippers, and help me with my hair."
Bettina was shivering and white. "Is it the girl Anthony operated on?" she asked.
"Yes. Sophie, I'll wear the white serge. It's the easiest to get into, and my long coat——"