Mummy reasoned, papa reasoned, and nurse, who had by this time recovered her Institutional serenity, spoke soothingly: but all to no avail. Teddy continued to scream, to lose his breath, and then roar with renewed vigour when he had got it again. He really made a great to-do. Finally papa and mummy departed in despair. Nurse went on packing, and Girzie, who had been listening at the end of the passage with her hand against her heart, came in and took the tired, miserable little figure into her kind strong arms and sat down on a chair. "Eh, Master Teddy, and what’ll the soldiers be thinkin’ this night, to hear such an awfu’ stramash in this respectable house ... an’ both the windows open? They’ll be fair affrontet to think the young gentleman they thought such a heap on could cry like a randy wife. They puir soldiers won’t know what to make of it at all, at all." And Girzie shook her head as though overcome with care. Teddy sat up and stared at her, and though his breath still came in sobs he made no noise. "Will they mind, Girzie?" he asked anxiously. "Will they ’eally mind?" "Mind!" Girzie repeated. "Mind! They’ll just be that upset—and you almost like one o’ them." "Colin Dougal’s broken his leg." "Well, he’ll get over that. My brother broke his leg at the football, and look at him now!" "But we’re going away, Girzie, ... and I haven’t said good-bye to nobody, not to your Colin Dougal nor no one." "Never fear but he’ll see ye to say good-bye—but not if you cry—an’ you going to be a grand officer gentleman some day. Soldiers don’t cry, laddie. It would be the very last thing they’d think of doing." "Not if they’re hurted in their hearts?—nor never?" "Not that any other person could see or hear them, you may depend on that. And you mustn’t cry either, any way not so loud that folk could hear ye right across the Esplanade. Listen, laddie, we’ll no forget you. My brother’s just fair taken up wi’ you, and he’s sent you this—for a bit keepsake. It’s one o’ his buttons made into a safety-pin, and when you’re a wee thing bigger you’ll wear it to hold down your tie ... if nurse’ll let you," she added hastily, with an anxious glance at nurse, who continued to pack in absorbed silence. Eagerly Teddy untied the little packet, and there was a real soldier’s button mounted as a safety-pin. "When can I have a tie?" he asked eagerly. Nurse came over to them and stood looking down at the little pin. Her face softened. "I’ve got one rather like that, myself," she said. "You can fasten it in your blouse whether you have a tie or not. No one would notice." "Can I wear it always?" he asked. "Yes, if you like," nurse said graciously, "and perhaps it will help you to remember not to cry when you fall down." Girzie said nothing, but she fastened the brooch so that the button shone resplendent just above the ribbons that tied Teddy’s sailor blouse. "I will remember," he said solemnly.