And when they were clean, though still damp--because it takes such a long time to dry your hands properly, and they were very impatient to see the grandfather--they filed into the dining-room.
Mother was sitting in the window-seat, and in the leather-covered armchair that Father always used to sit in at the other house sat-- THEIR OWN OLD GENTLEMAN! "Well, I never did," said Peter, even before he said, "How do you do ?" He was, as he explained afterwards, too surprised even to remember that there was such a thing as politeness--much less to practise it.
"It's our own old gentleman!" said Phyllis.
"Oh, it's you!" said Bobbie.

And then they remembered themselves and their manners and said, "How do you do ?" very nicely.
"This is Jim's grandfather, Mr .-- --" said Mother, naming the old gentleman's name.
"How splendid!" said Peter; "that's just exactly like a book, isn't it, Mother ?" "It is, rather," said Mother, smiling; "things do happen in real life that are rather like books, sometimes." "I am so awfully glad it IS you," said Phyllis; "when you think of the tons of old gentlemen there are in the world--it might have been almost anyone." "I say, though," said Peter, "you're not going to take Jim away, though, are you ?" "Not at present," said the old gentleman.

"Your Mother has most kindly consented to let him stay here.

I thought of sending a nurse, but your Mother is good enough to say that she will nurse him herself." "But what about her writing ?" said Peter, before anyone could stop him.
"There won't be anything for him to eat if Mother doesn't write." "That's all right," said Mother, hastily.
The old gentleman looked very kindly at Mother.
"I see," he said, "you trust your children, and confide in them." "Of course," said Mother.
"Then I may tell them of our little arrangement," he said.

"Your Mother, my dears, has consented to give up writing for a little while and to become a Matron of my Hospital." "Oh!" said Phyllis, blankly; "and shall we have to go away from Three Chimneys and the Railway and everything ?" "No, no, darling," said Mother, hurriedly.
"The Hospital is called Three Chimneys Hospital," said the old gentleman, "and my unlucky Jim's the only patient, and I hope he'll continue to be so.