Page:Delight - de la Roche - 1926.djvu/133

 "Be'er naow?"

Yes, she was better. She felt quite courageous as she clung to Charley's great barrel of a body, descending the backstairs. What ages since Bill had run up with her! Charley went cautiously, feeling for every step. Queenie shuffled after, carrying a pillow.

She created a sensation in the kitchen.

"Here's a sight for sore eyes," said old Davy who felt that in some way he was responsible for Mrs. Bye's sudden attack.

"Well, you do look like two sheets and a shadow," Mrs. Jessop declared.

Delight came running with the rocking-chair from the scullery; Annie with a bowl of broth; Pearl with a branch of pussy-willow to which downy grey catkins were clinging. Queenie was convulsed with joy to see her mother propped up in the kitchen. She snatched the willow wand and holding it erect began to march up and down, singing:

Mr. Hodgins was a nervous little man who knew nothing whatever about the hotel business. He had taken a mortgage on The Duke of York to help a friend in difficulties and the hotel had eventually come into his hands. He had already lost money by it and he was afraid he would lose more. He dreaded his occasional visits to Brancepeth to look into things, for Bastien and Mrs. Jessop intimidated him by their complete knowledge of