It was all he could do to prevent himself from taking her in his arms.
"Bill?
That _is_ you, isn't it ?" she asked in a low whisper.

"I'm so frightened--so frightened! I should have come down long ago--but I thought some of the others were still there.

Oh! I wish I'd come down! I've been waiting up here so long--and oh, Bill, I'm very cold!" She was pressing up close to him, and he put his arm round her--in a protecting, impersonal way.
"I wish we could go and sit down somewhere," she went on plaintively.
"It's horrible talking out here, on the landing.

I suppose it wouldn't do, Bill, for you to come into my room ?" "No, that wouldn't do at all," he said simply.

"But look here, Bubbles--would you like to go downstairs again, into the hall?
It's quite warm there,"-- he felt that she was really shivering.
"I'm cold--I'm cold!" "Put on something warmer," he said--or rather ordered.