And so ended their first love scene. That Tom's behaviour will appear tepid, in these vigorous days, is to be feared. His own contemporaries, of both sexes, will almost certainly be the first to point out that had they been in his place nothing would have kept them from proceeding from the tame seizure of Nancy's hand to some bolder action. Tom, however, helping Nancy along over the rocks and sticks was happily oblivious of his unconventionality. The beauteous evening did, in very truth, seem calm and free to him, though the party on the rock was making a little too much noise to have the holy time quiet as a nun, breathless with adoration. His mind turned to the scrap of Wordsworth he had lately memorized, and though he was a trifle annoyed to find that he couldn't, even now, perhaps when he most wanted it, remember all, the phrase "comfort and command" stayed with him and did nicely for the whole. XIII Tom telephoned to Mrs. Norris the next day to make certain that he might see her. He felt that she was an ally in the matter of Nancy, and it was important to get her advice. He found her knitting by the yellow lamp in the library. "Well, Tommy dear," she said, looking at him with a quizzical smile, "was the picnic a success?" "Mrs. Norris, you are wonderful. When I think how much I owe to your generation. After all, I think a woman is loveliest at fifty." "Oh, flatterer!" "But you know you cannot get that fine _savoir vivre_ before." "Oh dear me, how much more _savoir vivre_ I'll have when I'm eighty. What an old charmer I'll be then! Will you come to see me when I'm eighty, Tommy?" "What a question!" "Well, I hope you won't take me off on any old wishing carpet and put me down in a damp, horrid place and give me tonsilitis." "Who has tonsilitis?" "Nancy, of course, and you gave it to her, you bad thing." Tonsilitis! He remembered now the damp rug and also certain sniffles that had required, from time to time on the homeward trip, the administration of a diminutive handkerchief with a pretty "N" embroidered, he knew, in the corner. So that is the way he would look after her! "What can I do about it?" It was true that Mrs. Norris was taking it very calmly. "Do? Why, you can't do anything but wait until she gets over it. You might go and see her when she begins to pick up." "I caught cold myself." He had at least been true to that extent. "Are you doing anything for it? Remind me when you go, and I'll give you some Squim. It's something new, and it did wonders for Mary." "Don't you think it might be nice for me to send Nancy some?" asked Tom, laughing. Tonsilitis was seldom fatal, after all; and what an excellent excuse to visit her it would be when she was getting better! "Tommy, dear, haven't you something to tell me?" "No, not really." "Not anything?"