There we found everybody very much excited. The study door stood open,
and from the hall I could see papa lying on the lounge, with his eyes
closed, and looking very white. Nurse was rubbing his feet, Nannie his
hands, and Miss Marston stood by his head fanning him.
[Illustration: "I COULD SEE PAPA LYING ON THE LOUNGE."]
Felix and Phil were not around, but I tell you the younger children
were; nurse and Miss Marston not being there to keep them upstairs, they
had all collected in the hall, and refused flatly to go to the nursery.
For fear of the noise they might raise, Nora couldn't very well make
them obey; but after the doctor came, she and Betty half coaxed, half
drove them into the drawing-room, and tried to keep them there. It was
hard work to do this, though, for every now and then Paul or Alan, or
even Kathie--_she_ ought to have known better--would sneak out "to see
what was going on." Then Betty'd fly out too, and as quietly as possible
catch and haul back the runaway. I think both Nora and Betty would like
to have had me come in there too,--Nora said as much,--but I pretended I
didn't hear; _I_ didn't want to be shut up, and anyway, as I thought,
somebody ought to be on hand to run errands in case anything was needed.
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