"Oh, well," said David, "I'm coming home to-morrow, and I'll get it."
"Would you like to come home?" she could not help saying.
"I'd just as lieves," said David.
"Run back," Dr. Lavendar commanded, "and tell the children I'm coming
in a minute. Tell Theophilus Bell not to play Indian under the table.
Now, Mrs. Richie, what shall we do? Do you mind coming in and hearing
them say their Collect? Or would you rather wait in the study? We
shall be through in three-quarters of an hour. David shall bring you
some jumbles and apples. I suppose you are going to carry him off?"
Dr. Lavendar said, ruefully.
"Oh," she faltered in a sudden panic, "I will come some other time,"
but somehow or other, before she knew it, she was in the dining-room;
very likely it was because she would not loosen the clasp of David's
little warm careless hand, and so her reluctant feet followed him in
his hurry to admonish Theophilus. When she entered, instant silence
fell upon the children. Lydia Wright, stumbling through the catechism
to Ellen Dale [Illustration: "Dr. Lavendar," said Helena, "in regard
to David."] who held the prayer-book and prompted, let her voice trail
off and her mouth remain open at the sight of a visitor; Theophilus
Bell rubbed his sleeve over some chalk-marks on the blackboard;--"I am
drawing a woman with an umbrella," he had announced, condescendingly;
"I saw her coming up the path,"--but when he saw her sitting down by
Dr.
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