“Janet”—she held out a hand—“I don’t know how we’re going to manage, darling, but I’ve overtired my spine, and it means rest to get it right. It’s nothing serious; it’s called Tire . . . something, but it means rest and medicines for six months. How are we going to get along?”

Janet sat on the floor.

“You funny old woman, do you know you look better already!”

Maggie flushed as if caught out in a crime.

“As a matter of fact, I was worrying a little; so stupid of me, but you kept saying I was getting thin, and I didn’t see how I could manage a real illness.”

Janet held one of her mother’s hands.

“Old silly, aren’t you! You talk of being ill as if it were a fur coat that you either could or couldn’t afford.”

“Well, so it is when you’ve little money and do your own work. But this isn’t a real illness, this just means being careful.”

“I’ll find out how careful; if it means taking care for six months and then a cure, it’s worth taking a lot of trouble about. I can manage. I’ll bring Iris along here in the morning while I get the house done, and we’ll have our main meal in the evening after I’m home, or I might find a Mrs. Honeywell like they have at the farm.”

Maggie was watching Janet’s face.

“You were late back, what have you been doing?”

“Went into the town shopping with Mr. Sheldon. I walked back from the village.”

Janet’s voice was so deliberately off-hand that Maggie, pretending not to, studied her even more carefully.

“Have tea in the town?”

Janet did not want to talk about the afternoon. She got up.

“No. I’ll go and see to supper; I take it Sheila isn’t doing anything about it?”

Janet went up the stairs singing. Sheila’s bedroom door was open; she was sitting at her dressing-table doing her hair.

“You sound cheerful.”

Janet came in and sat on the bed.

“I am. Mother’s been ordered to rest, and she’s going to.”

“I shouldn’t have thought that was anything to sing about.”

“I think it is. It’s stood out a mile she needed a rest, and now, thank goodness, she’s going to take it. If you’d ever looked at her you’d have seen how thin she’s been getting.”

“We’ve neither of us been very strong. I’d have liked to have done more to help, only I thought I ought to get my strength back.”

Janet laughed.

“Don’t try putting that stuff over me! How did you get on at the Labour Exchange?”

“I think I’m going to join N.A.A.F.I.”