COLONEL. 'Really, nurse.' ALICE. 'It's quite true.' NURSE. 'She's an angel if you have the right way with her.' ALICE. 'Robert, if I shouldn't have the right way with her.' COLONEL. 'You.' But the woman has scored again. ALICE, willing to go on her knees, 'Nurse, what sort of a way does she like from strangers?' NURSE. 'She's not fond of a canoodlin' way.' ALICE, faintly, 'Is she not?' She departs to face her child, and the natural enemy follows her, after giving Colonel Grey a moment in which to discharge her if he dares, that is if he wishes to see his baby wither and die. One may as well say here that nurse weathered this and many another gale, and remained in the house for many years to be its comfort and its curse. Fanny, with the tea-tray, comes and goes without the Colonel's being aware of her presence. He merely knows that he has waved someone away. The fact is that the Colonel is engrossed in a rather undignified pursuit. He is listening avidly at the nursery door, and is thus discovered by another member of his family who has entered cautiously. This is Master Cosmo, who, observing the tea-tray, has the happy notion of interposing it between himself and his father's possible osculatory intentions. He lifts the tray, and thus armed introduces himself. COSMO. 'Hullo, father.' His father leaves the door and strides to him. COLONEL. 'Is it--it's Cosmo.' COSMO, with the tray well to the fore, 'I'm awfully glad to see you--it's a long way from India.' COLONEL. 'Put that down, my boy, and let me get hold of you.' COSMO, ingratiatingly, 'Have some tea, father.' COLONEL. 'Put it down.' Cosmo does so, and prepares for the worst. The Colonel takes both his