"With Lancaster’s compliments. Aren’t you proud, Atom?" "They are very beautiful," but her eye was absent. Nell took them and buried her nose in them. "Denis, Dr. Everton says I was ’lirious last night." "Poor old Atom." "And—and he says when a person’s ’lirious, they want elephants and Australia and—and to go to places—" There was a pause. The Atom turned her face a little away on the pillow. "I remember—some—I—I didn’t know what I was sayin’, Denis—I—I wouldn’t—have—said—it if—" "Of course you wouldn’t. We know that. But what I said holds good, Atom. If you want me to take you home for a few days, I will!" There was silence in the room. Sheila Pat had turned her face to the pillow and buried it deep. Nell stood, the violets pressed against her cheek, waiting. "No—thank you." It came with a little catch between the two first words, but firm, decided. Denis bent his head suddenly, and whispered in her ear. She turned, stretched up her arms, and held him tight. Tears were running quietly down her face and dropping on to her nightgown, but Nell caught an ecstatically proud note in the whispered query, "Do you—really-_truly_—think I’m all that?" When he had gone, she turned to Nell. "Am I very heavy, Nell?" Nell felt suddenly what a bit of a baby Sheila Pat was: she stroked her cheek gently. "You weigh about as much as a good-sized robin. Why?" "I do feel," wistfully, "I’d like to sit on your lap a little while!" "Oh, petsums, come along." She fell asleep almost directly. That evening, wrapped in blankets, sitting in a large arm-chair, the Atom received three visitors. Stewart came first. He was very subdued, shy of this white-faced Atom in the blankets. He sat down and stared at her. "You’re to intertain me," she told him peremptorily. Stewart, just about to speak, at this awful mandate flushed and collapsed. Sheila Pat watched him relentlessly. "Sure you English _are_ queer! Mum! Mum! Mum!" "Do you feel better?" he burst out. "You know I do, else I wouldn’t be receivin’ visitors." Silence. "You’re not intertainin’ me," warned the Atom. "I don’t know how! I’ve never done it!" "I think you’re a very silly little boy, and you’re not intertainin’ me at all! You’d better go, I think." He got as far as the door. "Tommy, come back!" He stood and faced her, his thin little body stretched to its utmost limit. "I’m not a _little_ boy!" "Tommy, how’s Peter?" He came back eagerly. "I say, what d’you think he swallowed yesterday?" Ted Lancaster came next. "Mayn’t I pull your pig-tail?" he asked gently. "’Tisn’t any manners you English have got at all!" Sheila Pat retorted. "Ah, that’s all right. ’Pon my word, when I came in you looked so good, I was afraid I’d never be allowed to be rude to you again. May I hide that medicine bottle? I do hate medicine bottles. They carry me back to a sick room of my own." She asked interestedly, "Were you ’lirious?" "Rather!"