She was
dressed almost as inadequately as he, but she felt that she must cling
tremblingly to him and thank him for something or other.
"I don't know what you've saved us from," she panted. "We may owe our very
lives to you!"
Peter, in the background, again thoughtfully felt his face and became
conscious of a growing ache in the muscles of his arms. He retired, with a
smile, to a still more distant plane. The regular did the work and the
volunteer got the praise.
Mrs. Phillips presently gave up her drooping hold on the reluctant Cope and
called Peter forward. "Is anything missing?" she asked.
"Only part of the breakfast, I expect," said Peter, with a grin. "And maybe
some of the lunch. He surely was a hungry man!"
"Well, we sha'n't starve. See to all the doors and windows before you go
back to bed."
But going back to bed was the one thing that she herself felt unable to do.
She asked Carolyn to bring her a wrap of some kind or other, and sat down
on the settle to talk it over. Cope had modestly slipped on a coat. The
fire was dying--that was the only difference between twelve o'clock and
ten.
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