"Where have you been?" she said, a slow wonder in her round eyes.
"I've been hunting and hunting for you."

"What for?" said Meg shortly.

"Oh, Dr. Gormeston and Mrs. Gormeston and two Miss Gormestons are in
the drawing-room, and I think they'll stay for ever and ever."

"Well?" said Meg.

"And the General is ill again, and Esther says she won't leave him
for a second, not if Gog and Magog were down there dying to see
her."

"Well?" said Meg again.

"And Father is as mad as he can be, and is having to keep them
all amused himself. He's sung 'My sweetheart when a boy' and
'Mona,' and he's told them all about his horses, and now I s'pose
he doesn't know what to do."

"Well, I can't help it," Meg said wearily, and as if the subject
had no interest for her.

"But you'll just have to!" Nell cried sharply, "I've done my
best: he sent out and said we were to go in, and you weren't
anywhere, so there was only Baby and me."

"And what did you do?" Meg asked, curious in spite of herself.