"I hope you are very well." And she held out her hand.
Mrs.Bennett had only been shocked at her own apparent inattention to duty.

She was not really frightened and her nutcracker face illuminated itself with delighted smiles.
"I don't hear very well at the best of times," she said.

"And I've got a bit of a cold.

Just worry, Miss, just worry it is--along of this 'ere war and my grandsons going marching off every few days seems like.

Dick, that's the youngest as was always my pet, he's the last and he'll be off any minute--and these is his socks." Robin actually picked up a sock and patted it softly--with a childish quiver of her chin.