Suddenly she felt a touch upon her hand.
"You'll look after him if anything does happen, won't you ?" The woman's eyes were pleading with her.

They seemed to have grown larger.

"You know what I mean, dear, don't you ?" she continued.

"It will be such a comfort to me to know that it's all right." In answer the tears sprang to Joan's eyes.

She knelt down and put her arms about the woman.
"Don't be so silly," she cried.