nurses and Fraulein, and literally ran downstairs, followed of
course by the big Thomas. At the foot of the stairs I ran into
the arms of Mr. Dudley.

His exclamation of "Aunt Woggles" was involuntary, I felt sure,
and he had every right to visit a sad, tall Mr. Thomas. But I
thought Diana ought to have told me that I was likely to meet him
at -- Well, a stranger's house; so how could she? The only thing
that consoled me was that in all probability Mr. Dudley would
explain my profession in life, and that I had a screw loose. Yes,
that would exactly explain the position. Otherwise I didn't
exactly know how he could describe me.

Well, Zerlina of course said I was mad. She didn't agree with me
that the screw could not possibly have been sent back in an
envelope with a few words of explanation. She said she would have
bought a nice toy for the child. What's the good of a toy to a
child when he has lost a screw which he found his very own self,
any more than a squeaking rabbit is to a child who has a "lubbly
blush"? That was a lesson I had lately learned.

I didn't say all that to Zerlina, because, you see, she is a
mother, and I couldn't understand these things. She was very much
surprised at being late for the party, so surprised. She was full
of apologies.

It was so good of me to help her! Had the darling children
enjoyed themselves?

I said, yes, they had, and the adorable mothers, and the delicious