About half an hour before dinner the happy party on the lawn saw the two boys coming slowly along the road. "They look tired enough," remarked nurse; "they should have taken my advice, and not have gone on such a day; and footsore too, I do declare! I'm sure Evan is limping." Lucia ran to meet them. "My dear boys!" she exclaimed. "You have been a long time; what has kept you so long?" "What have you been doing?" asked Ivor, gazing across the lawn at the rest. "Nothing particular," answered Lucia, still lingering by Evan. "Have you hurt your foot?" "Yes, a little; I've sprained it, I think. I slipped over—It's nothing, only my head aches." "Come indoors," said Lucia, "and I will see to your foot." "Oh dear no, it's nothing. I'll go indoors and get ready for dinner." He went, Ivor following as soon as he could get away from his sisters' questions. And they saw no more of them till dinner was on the table. "Let us hear all you have done," said Lucia, when she had carved round, and could think of anything else. "Where did you go, and what did you do?" But very little could be got out of them, except that they had been up the Round Tower, and that Evan had slipped on the stairs coming down. What they had bought did not transpire, though Barbara pumped them sufficiently to elicit that they had spent some of their money "on something." "I 'spect it's sweets," said Queenie, shaking her curls; "that's what made Evan sick." For Evan tried to eat his dinner, but failed, and had to condescend to lie down, and be made comfortable by nurse. "It's the sun, I expect," she said to Lucia. "I wish we hadn't let them go, Miss Lucia; you're too easy with them!" Evan's headache, however, did not pass away. And by evening Lucia began to fear that something serious was the matter. They decided to send for the doctor, and when he came, their fears were by no means allayed. Ivor walked about with misery written on his face. And when at the end of the second day Evan was no better, his distress knew no bounds. Barbara, passing from the nursery to her room, heard him sobbing in his bed. She ran in, and began to comfort him in her sweet, motherly little way; but Ivor could not be comforted, and besought her that he might just go in and speak to Evan for one moment. "We must not; indeed, we must not!" she exclaimed. "The doctor is downstairs, and he says it is a crisis; and if we were to wake him now—" "But I can't bear it," urged Ivor. "I promised Evan, and I am going to break my promise. I must go and ask Evan first." "What do you mean?" asked Barbara, drawing back. "Supposing Evan were to die! I never thought of that! We both promised each other we wouldn't tell; but we never thought of this!" "Is it something you ought to tell?" asked Barbara, putting her arm round his shoulders. Ivor nodded. "Then let's go down and tell Lucia now."