"Delmege makes me sick, the way she goes on! As though nobody else knew anything about Miss Vivian, and she was a sort of connecting-link between her and us. Didn't you hear her tonight? 'I think I can answer for Miss Vivian,'" mimicked Tony in an exaggerated falsetto. "I should jolly well like Miss Vivian to hear her one of these days. She'd appreciate being answered for like that by her secretary--I don't think!" "I say, Marshy, can you keep a secret?" "Rather!" "Well, swear not to tell, and, mind, I'm speaking absolutely unofficially. I've no business to know it officially at all, because I only saw it on a telegram I sent for the Billeting Department. Miss Delmege is going to get her nose put out of joint with Miss V. Another secretary is coming." "She's not! D'you mean Delmege has got the sack?" "Oh, Lord, no! It's only somebody coming to help her, because there is so much work for one secretary. She's coming from Wales, and her name is Jones." "I seem to have heard that name before." They both giggled explosively; then made a simultaneous dash at the hall-door as Miss Plumtree, in hat and coat, came slowly out of the sitting-room. "No, you don't, Plumtree! You're going straight up to bed, and I'll tell Miss Vivian you were ill. It'll be all right." "You are a brick, Marsh." "Nonsense! You'll do as much for me some day. Goodnight, dear." Miss Marsh hurried out, and Miss Plumtree thankfully took the felt uniform hat off her aching head. "Get into bed," directed Tony, "and take an aspirin." "Haven't got one left, worse luck." "I'll see if any one else has any. I believe Mrs. Potter has." Tony hurried into the sitting-room. Mrs. Potter had no aspirin, but she hoisted herself out of her arm-chair and said she would go round to the chemist and get some. She went out into the rain. Tony borrowed a rubber hot-water bottle from Miss Henderson, and a kettle from somebody else, and went upstairs to boil some water, forgetting that she was tired and had meant to go to bed after supper. Presently little Mrs. Bullivant came upstairs with a cup of tea and the aspirin, both of which she administered to the patient. "You'll go to sleep after that, I expect," she said consolingly. "I'll tell the girls to get into bed quietly," Tony whispered. Miss Plumtree shared a room with Miss Delmege and Miss Henderson. "I never do make any noise in the room that I am aware of," said Miss Delmege coldly; but she and her room-mate both crept upstairs soon after nine o'clock, lest their entrance later should awaken the sufferer, and they undressed with the gas turned as low as it would go, and in silence. Padding softly in dressing-slippers to the bathroom later on, for the lukewarm water which was all that they could hope to get until the solitary gas-ring should have served the turn of numerous waiting kettles, they heard Miss Marsh returning from telephone duty, bolting the hall-door, and putting up the chain.