Captain Jim

by Mary Grant Bruce

  CHAPTER VIII

  ASSORTED GUESTS

  "I beg your pardon--is this Homewood?"

  Norah, practising long putts at a hole on the far side of the terrace,turned with a start. The questioner was in uniform, bearing acaptain's three stars. He was a short, strongly-built young man, witha square, determined face.

  "Yes, this is Homewood," she answered. "Did you--have you come to seemy father?"

  "I wrote to him last week," the officer said--"from France. It's MissLinton, isn't it? I'm in your brother's regiment. My name isGarrett."

  "Oh--I've heard Jim speak of you ever so many times," she cried. Sheput out her hand, and felt it taken in a close grasp. "But we haven'thad your letter. Dad would have told me if one had come."

  Captain Garrett frowned.

  "What a nuisance!" he ejaculated. "Letters from the front are apt totake their time, but I did think a week would have been long enough.I wrote directly I knew my leave was coming. You see--your brothertold me----" He stopped awkwardly.

  Intelligence suddenly dawned upon Norah.

  "Why, you're a Tired Person!" she exclaimed, beaming.

  "Not at all, I assure you," replied he, looking a trifle amazed.Norah laughed.

  "I don't mean quite that," she said--"at least I'll explain presently.But you _have_ come to stay, haven't you?"

  "Well--your brother was good enough to----" He paused again.

  "Yes, of course. Jim told you we wanted you to come. This is theHome for Tired People, you see; we want to get as many of you as wecan and make you fit. And you're our very first in the house, whichwill make it horribly dull for you."

  "Indeed, it won't," said Garrett gallantly.

  "Well, we'll do our best for you. I'm so very sorry you weren't met.Did you leave your luggage at the station?"

  "Yes. You're quite sure it's convenient to have me, Miss Linton? Icould easily go back to London."

  "Good gracious, no!" said Norah. "Why, you're a godsend! We weren'tjustifying our name. But you _will_ be dull to-day, because Dad hasgone to London, and there's only me." Norah's grammar was never herstrong point. "And little Geoff Hunt was coming to lunch with me.Will it bore you very much to have a small boy here?"

  "Rather not!" said Garrett. "I like them--got some young brothers ofmy own in Jamaica."

  "Well, that's all right. Now come in, and Allenby will show you yourroom. The car will bring your things up when it goes to meet Dad."

  Norah had often rehearsed in her own mind what she would do when thefirst Tired Person came. The rooms were all ready--"in assortedsizes," Allenby said. Norah had awful visions of eight or ten guestsarriving together, and in her own mind characterized the business ofallotting them to their rooms as a nasty bit of drafting. But thefirst guest had tactfully come alone, and there was no doubt that hedeserved the blue room--a delightful little corner room looking southand west, with dainty blue hangings and wall-paper, and a big couchthat beckoned temptingly to a tired man. Captain Garrett had hadfourteen months in France without a break. He had spent the previousnight in the leave-train, only pausing in London for a hasty"clean-up." The lavender-scented blue room was like a glimpse ofHeaven to him. He did not want to leave it--only that downstairs JimLinton's sister awaited him, and it appeared that the said sister wasa very jolly girl, with a smile like her brother's cheerful grin, anda mop of brown curls framing a decidedly attractive face. Bob Garrettdecided that there were better things than even the blue room, and,having thankfully accepted Allenby's offer of a hot tub, presentlyemerged from the house, much improved in appearance.

  This time Norah was not alone. A small boy was with her, who greetedthe newcomer with coolness, and then suddenly fell upon him excitedly,recognizing the badge on his collar.

  "You're in Daddy's regiment!" he exclaimed.

  "Am I?" Garrett smiled at him. "Who is Daddy?"

  "He's Major Hunt," said Geoff; and had the satisfaction of seeing thenew officer become as eager as he could have wished.

  "By Jove! Truly, Miss Linton?--does Major Hunt live here? I'd givesomething to see him."

  "He lives just round the corner of that bush," said Norah, laughing.She indicated a big rhododendron. "Is he at home, Geoff?"

  "No--he's gone to London," Geoff answered. "But he'll be back fortea."

  "Then we'll go and call on Mrs. Hunt and ask her if we may come totea," Norah said. They strolled off, Geoff capering about them.

  "I don't know Mrs. Hunt," Garrett said. "You see I only joined theregiment when war broke out--I had done a good bit of training, sothey gave me a commission among the first. I didn't see such a lot ofthe Major, for he was doing special work in Ireland for awhile; but hewas a regular brick to me. We're all awfully sick about his beingsmashed up."

  "But he's going to get better," Norah said cheerfully. "He's ever somuch better now."

  They came out in front of the cottage, and discovered Mrs. Huntplaying hide-and-seek with Alison and Michael--with Alison muchworried by Michael's complete inattention to anything in the shape ofa rule. Michael, indeed, declined to be hid, and played on a steadyline of his own, which consisted in toddling after his mother whenevershe was in sight, and catching her with shrill squeaks of joy. It wasperfectly satisfactory to him, but somewhat harassing to a sticklerfor detail.

  Mrs. Hunt greeted Garrett warmly.

  "Douglas has often talked about you--you're from Jamaica, aren't you?"she said. "He will be so delighted that you have come. Yes, ofcourse you must come to tea, Norah. I'd ask you to lunch, only I'mperfectly certain there isn't enough to eat! And Geoff would be sodisgusted at being done out of his lunch with you, which makes methink it's not really your society he wants, but the fearful joy ofAllenby behind his chair."

  "I don't see why you should try to depress me," Norah laughed. "Well,we'll all go for a ride after lunch, and get back in time for tea, ifyou'll put up with me in a splashed habit--the roads are very muddy.You ride, I suppose, Captain Garrett?"

  "Oh, yes, thanks," Garrett answered. "It's the only fun I've had inFrance since the battalion went back into billets: a benevolent gunnerused to lend me a horse--both of us devoutly hoping that I wouldn't becaught riding it."

  "Was it a nice horse?" Geoffrey demanded.

  "Well, you wouldn't call it perfect, old chap. I think it wassuffering from shell-shock: anyhow, it had nerves. It used to shakeall over when it saw a Staff-officer!" He grinned. "Or perhaps Idid. On duty, that horse was as steady as old Time: but when it wasalone, it jumped out of its skin at anything and everything. However,it was great exercise to ride it!"

  "We'll give him Killaloe this afternoon, Geoff," said Norah. "Comeon, and we'll show him the stables now."

  They bade _au revoir_ to Mrs. Hunt and sauntered towards the stables.On the way appeared a form in a print frock, with flying cap andapron-strings.

  "Did you want me, Katty?" Norah asked.

  "There's a tallygrum after coming, miss, on a bicycle. And the boy'swaiting."

  Norah knitted her brows over the sheet of flimsy paper.

  "There's no answer, Katty, tell the boy." She turned to Garrett,laughing. "You're not going to be our only guest for long. Dad sayshe's bringing two people down to-night--Colonel and Mrs. West. Isn'tit exciting! I'll have to leave you to Geoff while I go and talk tothe housekeeper. Geoff, show Captain Garrett all the horses--Jones isat the stables."

  "Right!" said Geoffrey, bursting with importance. "Come along,Captain Garrett. I'll let you pat my pony, if you like!"

  Mrs. Atkins looked depressed at Norah's information.

  "Dear me! And dinner ordered for three!" she said sourly. "It makesa difference. And of course I really had not reckoned on more thanyou and Mr. Linton."

  "I can telephone for anything you want," said Norah meekly.

  "The fish will not be sufficient," said the housekeeper. "And otherthings likewise. I must talk to the cook. It would be so much easierif one knew ea
rlier in the day. And rooms to get ready, of course?"

  "The big pink room with the dressing-room," Norah said.

  "Oh, I suppose the maids can find time. Those Irish maids have noidea of regular ways: I found Bride helping to catch a fowl thismorning when she should have been polishing the floor. Now, I mustthrow them out of routine again."

  Norah suppressed a smile. She had been a spectator of the spiritedchase after the truant hen, ending with the appearance of Mrs. Atkins,full of cold wrath; and she had heard Bride's comment afterwards. "Isit her, with her ould routheen? Yerra, that one wouldn't put a handto a hin, and it eshcapin'!"

  "Yes," said Mrs. Atkins. "Extraordinary ways. Very untrained, I mustsay."

  "But you find that they do their work, don't they?" Norah asked.

  "Oh, after a fashion," said the housekeeper, with a sniff--unwillingto admit that Bride and Katty got through more work in two hours thanSarah in a morning, were never unwilling, and accepted any and everyjob with the utmost cheerfulness. "Their ways aren't my ways. Verywell, Miss Linton. I'll speak to the cook."

  Feeling somewhat battered, Norah escaped. In the hall she met Katty,who jumped--and then broke into a smile of relief.

  "I thought 'twas the Ould Thing hersilf," she explained. "She'd atethe face off me if she found me here again--'tis only yesterday shewas explaining to me that a kitchenmaid has no business in the hall,at all. But Bridie was tellin' me ye've the grandest ould head of anIrish elk here, and I thought I'd risk her, to get a sight of it."

  "It's over there," Norah said, pointing to a mighty pair of horns onthe wall behind the girl. Katty looked at it in silence.

  "It's quare to think of the days when them great things walked theplains of Ireland," she said at length. "Thank you, miss: it done megood to see it."

  "How are you getting on, Katty?" Norah asked.

  "Yerra, the best in the world," said Katty cheerfully. "Miss deLisle's that kind to me--I'll be the great cook some day, if I kape onwatchin' her. She's not like the fine English cooks I've heard of,that 'ud no more let you see how they made so much as a pudding thanthey'd fly over the moon. 'Tis Bridie has the bad luck, to behousemaid."

  Norah knew why, and sighed. There were moments when her housekeeperseemed a burden too great to be borne.

  "But Mr. Allenby's very pleasant with her, and she says wance you findout that Sarah isn't made of wood she's not so bad. She found thatout when she let fly a pillow at her, and they bedmaking," said Katty,with a joyous twinkle. "'Tis herself had great courage to do thatsame, hadn't she, now, miss?"

  "She had, indeed," Norah said, laughing. The spectacle of the stiffSarah, overwhelmed with a sudden pillow, was indeed staggering.

  "And then, haven't we Con to cheer us up if we get lonely?" saidKatty. "And Misther Jones and the groom--they're very friendly. Andthe money we'll have to send home! But you'd be wishful for Ireland,no matter how happy you'd be."

  The telephone bell rang sharply, and Norah ran to answer it. It wasJim.

  "That you, Nor?" said his deep voice. "Good--I'm in a hurry. I say,can you take in a Tired Person to-night?"

  Norah gasped.

  "Oh, certainly!" she said, grimly. "Who is it, Jimmy? Not you orWally?"

  "No such luck," said her brother. "It's a chap I met last night; he'sjust out of a convalescent home, and a bit down on his luck." Hisvoice died away in a complicated jumble of whir and buzz, the bellrang frantically, and Norah, like thousands of other people, murmuredher opinion of the telephone and all its works.

  "Are you there?" she asked.

  "B-z-z-z-z-z!" said the telephone.

  Norah waited a little, anxiously debating whether it would be moreprudent to ring up herself and demand the last speaker, or to keepquiet and trust to Jim to regain his connexion. Finally, she decidedto ring: and was just about to put down the receiver when Jim's voicesaid, "Are you there?" in her ear sharply, and once more collapsedinto a whir. She waited again, in dead silence. At last she rang.Nothing happened, so she rang again.

  "Number, please?" said a bored voice.

  "Some one was speaking to me--you've cut me off," said Norahfrantically.

  "I've been trying to get you for the last ten minutes. You shouldn'thave rung off," said the voice coldly. "Wait, please."

  Norah swallowed her feelings and waited.

  "Hallo! Hallo! Hallo!--oh, _is_ that you, Norah?" said Jim, his tonecrisp with feeling. "Isn't this an unspeakable machine! And I'm duein three minutes--I must fly. Sure you can have Hardress? He'll getto you by the 6.45. Are you all well? Yes, we're all right. Sorry,I'll get told off horribly if I'm late. Good-bye."

  Norah hung up the receiver, and stood pondering. She wished thetelephone had not chosen to behave so abominably; only the day beforeWally had rung her up and had spent quite half an hour in talkingcheerful nonsense, without any hindrance at all. Norah wished sheknew a little more about her new "case"; if he were very weak--ifspecial food were needed. It was very provoking. Also, there wasMrs. Atkins to be faced--not a prospect to be put off, since, liketaking Gregory's Powder, the more you looked at it the worse it got.Norah stiffened her shoulders and marched off to the housekeeper'sroom.

  "Oh, Mrs. Atkins," she said pleasantly, "there's another officercoming this evening."

  Mrs. Atkins turned, cold surprise in her voice.

  "Indeed, miss. And will that be all, do you think?"

  "I really don't know," said Norah recklessly. "That depends on myfather, you see."

  "Oh. May I ask which room is to be prepared?"

  "The one next Captain Garrett's, please. I can do it, if the maidsare too busy."

  Mrs. Atkins froze yet more.

  "I should very much rather you did not, miss, thank you," she said.

  "Just as you like," said Norah. "Con can take a message for anythingyou want; he is going to the station."

  "Thank you, miss, I have already telephoned for larger supplies," saidthe housekeeper. The conversation seemed to have ended, so Norahdeparted.

  "What did she ever come for?" she asked herself desperately. "If shedidn't want to housekeep, why does she go out as a housekeeper?"Turning a corner she met the butler.

  "Oh, Allenby," she said. "We'll have quite a houseful to-night!" Shetold him of the expected arrivals, half expecting to see his facefall. Allenby, on the contrary, beamed.

  "It'll be almost like waiting in Mess!" he said. "When you're used toofficers, miss, you can't get on very well without them." He lookedin a fatherly fashion at Norah's anxious face. "All the arrangementsmade, I suppose, miss?"

  "Oh, yes, I think they're all right," said Norah, feeling anything butconfident. "Allenby--I don't know much about managing things; do youthink it's too much for the house?"

  "No, miss, it isn't," Allenby said firmly. "Just you leave it all tome, and don't worry. Nature made some people bad-tempered, and theycan't 'elp it. I'll see that things are all right; and as for dinner,all that worries Miss de Lisle, as a rule, is, that she ain't gotenough cooking to do!"

  He bent the same fatherly glance on her that evening as she came intothe hall when the hoot of the motor told that her father and hisconsignment of Tired People were arriving. Norah had managed toforget her troubles during the afternoon. A long ride had beenfollowed by a very cheerful tea at Mrs. Hunt's, from which she andGarrett had returned only in time for Norah to slip into a white frockand race downstairs to meet her guests. She hoped, vaguely, that shelooked less nervous than she felt.

  The hall door opened, letting in a breath of the cold night air.

  "Ah, Norah--this is my daughter, Mrs. West," she heard her father'svoice; and then she was greeting a stout lady and a grey-hairedofficer.

  "Dear me!" said the lady. "I expected some one grown up. How brave!Fancy you, only--what is it--a flapper! And don't you hate us allvery much? _I_ should, I'm sure!"

  Over her shoulder Norah caught a glimpse of her father's face, set ingrim
lines. She checked a sudden wild desire to laugh, and murmuredsomething civil.

  "Our hostess, Algernon," said the stout lady, and Norah shook handswith Colonel West, who was short and stout and pompous, and saidexplosively, "Haw! Delighted! Cold night, what?"--which had theeffect of making his hostess absolutely speechless. Somehow with theassistance of Allenby and Sarah, the newcomers were "drafted" to theirrooms, and Norah and her father sought cover in the morning-room.

  "You look worn, Daddy," said his daughter, regarding him critically.

  "I feel it," said David Linton. He sank into an armchair and felthurriedly for his pipe. "Haven't had a chance of a smoke for hours.They're a little trying, I think, Norah."

  "Where did you get them?" Norah asked, perching on the arm of hischair, and dropping a kiss on the top of his head.

  "From the hospital where the boys were. Colonel West has been illthere. Brain-fever, Mrs. West says, but he doesn't look like it.Anyhow, they're hard up, I believe; their home is broken up and theyhave five or six children at school, and a boy in Gallipoli. Theyseemed very glad to come."

  "Well, that's all right," said Norah practically. "We can't expect tohave every one as nice as the Hunts. But they're not the only ones,Dad: Captain Garrett is here, and Jim is sending some one calledHardress by the 6.45--unfortunately the telephone didn't allow Jim tomention what he is! I hope he isn't a brigadier."

  "I don't see Jim hob-nobbing to any extent with brigadiers," said herfather. "I say, this is rather a shock. Four in a day!"

  "Yes, business is looking up," said Norah, laughing. "Captain Garrettis a dear--and he can ride, Dad. I had him out on Killaloe. I'm alittle uneasy about the Hardress person, because he's just out of aconvalescent home, and Jim seemed worried about him. But thetelephone went mad, and Jim was in a hurry, so I didn't get anydetails."

  "Oh, well, we'll look after him. How is the household staff standingthe invasion?"

  "Every one's very happy except Mrs. Atkins, and she is plunged in woe.Even Sarah seems interested. I haven't dared to look at Miss deLisle, but Allenby says she is cheerful."

  "Has Mrs. Atkins been unpleasant?"

  "Well," said Norah, and laughed, "you wouldn't call her exactly abright spot in the house. But she has seen to things, so that is allthat counts."

  "I won't have that woman worry you," said Mr. Linton firmly.

  "I won't have _you_ worried about anything," said Norah. "Don't thinkabout Mrs. Atkins, or you won't enjoy your tea. And here's Allenby."

  "Tea!" said Mr. Linton, as the butler entered, bearing a little tray."I thought I was too late for such a luxury--but I must say I'm gladof it."

  "I sent some upstairs, sir," said Allenby, placing a little table nearhis master. "Just a little toast, sir, it being so late. And if youplease, miss, Miss de Lisle would be glad if you could spare a momentin the kitchen."

  The cook-lady, redder than ever, was mixing a mysterious compound in abowl. Katty, hugely important, darted hither and thither. A varietyof savoury smells filled the air.

  "I just wanted to tell you," said Miss de Lisle confidentially, "thatI'm making a special _souffle_ of my own, and Allenby will put it infront of you. Promise me"--she leaned forward earnestly--"to use athin spoon to help it, and slide it in edgeways as gently as--as ifyou were stroking a baby! It's just a _perfect_ thing--I wouldn'tsleep to-night if you used a heavy spoon and plunged it in as if itwas a suet-pudding!"

  "I won't forget," Norah promised her, resisting a wild desire tolaugh.

  "That's a dear," said the cook-lady, disregarding the relations ofemployer and employed, in the heat of professional enthusiasm. "Andyou'll help it as quickly as possible, won't you? It will be put onthe table after all the other sweets. Every second will be ofimportance!" She sighed. "A _souffle_ never gets a fair chance. Itought, of course, to be put on a table beside the kitchen-range, andcut within two seconds of leaving the oven. With a _hot_ spoon!" Shesighed tragically.

  "We'll do our best for it," Norah promised her. "I'm sure it will belovely. Shall I come and tell you how it looked, afterwards?"

  Miss de Lisle beamed.

  "Now, that would be very kind of you," she said. "It's so seldom thatany one realizes what these things mean to the cook. A _souffle_ likethis is an inspiration--like a sonata to a musician. But no one everdreams of the cook; and the most you can expect from a butler is, 'Oh,it cut very nice, ma'am, I'm sure. Very nice!'" She made adespairing gesture. "But some people would call Chopin 'very nice'!"

  "Miss de Lisle," said Norah earnestly, "some day when we haven't anyguests and Dad goes to London, we'll give every one else a holiday andyou and I will have lunch here together. And we'll have that_souffle_, and eat it beside the range!"

  For a moment Miss de Lisle had no words.

  "Well!" she said at length explosively. "And I was so horrible to youat first!" To Norah's amazement and dismay a large tear trickled downone cheek, and her mouth quivered like a child's. "Dear me, howfoolish I am," said the poor cook-lady, rubbing her face with heroverall, and thereby streaking it most curiously with flour. "Thankyou very much, my dear. Even if we never manage it, I won't forgetthat you said it!"

  Norah found herself patting the stalwart shoulder.

  "Indeed, we'll manage it," she said. "Now, don't you worry aboutanything but that lovely _souffle_."

  "Oh, the _souffle_ is assured now," said Miss de Lisle, beating hermixture scientifically. "Now I shall have beautiful thoughts to putinto it! You have no idea what that means. Now, if I sat heremixing, and thought of, say, Mrs. Atkins, it would probably be asheavy as lead!" She sighed. "I believe, Miss Linton, I could teachyou something of the real poetry of cooking. I'm sure you have theright sort of soul!"

  Norah looked embarrassed.

  "Jim says I've no soul beyond mustering cattle," she said, laughing."We'll prove him wrong, some day, Miss de Lisle, shall we? Now I mustgo: the motor will be back presently." She turned, suddenly consciousof a baleful glance.

  "Oh!--Mrs. Atkins!" she said feebly.

  "I came," said Mrs. Atkins stonily, "to see if any help was needed inthe kitchen. Perhaps, as you are here, miss, you would be so good asto ask the cook?"

  "Oh--nothing, thank you," said Miss de Lisle airily, over hershoulder. Mrs. Atkins sniffed, and withdrew.

  "That's done it, hasn't it?" said the cook-lady. "Well, don't worry,my dear; I'll see you through anything."

  A white-capped head peeped in.

  "'Tis yersilf has all the luck of the place, Katty O'Gorman!" saidBride enviously. "An' that Sarah won't give me so much as a look-in,above: if it was to turn down the beds, itself, it's as much as she'lldo to let me. Could I give you a hand here at all, Miss de Lisle?God help us, there's Miss Norah!"

  "If 'tis the way you'd but let her baste the turkey for a minyit,she'd go upstairs reshted in hersilf," said Katty in a loud whisper."The creature's destroyed with bein' out of all the fun."

  "Oh, come in--if you're not afraid of Mrs. Atkins," said Miss deLisle. Norah had a vision of Bride, ecstatically grasping abasting-ladle, as she made her own escape.

  Allenby was just shutting the hall-door as she turned the corner. Atall man in a big military greatcoat was shaking hands with herfather.

  "Here's Captain Hardress, Norah."

  Norah found herself looking up into a face that at the first glanceshe thought one of the ugliest she had ever seen. Then the newcomersmiled, and suddenly the ugliness seemed to vanish.

  "It's too bad to take you by storm this way. But your brotherwouldn't hear of anything else."

  "Of course not," said Mr. Linton. "My daughter was rather afraid youmight be a brigadier. She loses her nerve at the idea of pouring teafor anything above a colonel."

  "Indeed, a colonel's bad enough," said Norah ruefully. "I'maccustomed to people with one or two stars: even three are ratheralarming!" She shot a glance at his shoulder, laughing.

  "I'm sure you're not half a
s alarmed as I was at coming," said CaptainHardress. "I've been so long in hospital that I've almost forgottenhow to speak to any one except doctors and nurses." His face, thatlit up so completely when he smiled, relapsed into gloom.

  "Well, you mustn't stand here," Norah said. "Please tell me if you'dlike dinner in your room, or if you'd rather come down." She had asudden vision of Mrs. West's shrill voice, and decided that she mightbe tiring to this man with the gaunt, sad face.

  Hardress hesitated.

  "I think you'd better stay upstairs," said David Linton. "Just forto-night--till you feel rested. I'll come and smoke a pipe with youafter dinner, if I may."

  "I should like that awfully," said Hardress. "Well, if you're sure itwould not be too much trouble, Miss Linton----?"

  "It's not a scrap of trouble," she said. "Allenby will show you theway. See that Captain Hardress has a good fire, Allenby--and takesome papers and magazines up." She looked sadly after the tall figureas it limped away. He was not much older than Jim, but his face helda world of bitter experience.

  "You mustn't let the Tired People make you unhappy, mate," said herfather. He put his arm round her as they went into the drawing-roomto await their guests. "Remember, they wouldn't be here if theydidn't need help of some sort."

  "I won't be stupid," said Norah. "But he has such a sorry face, Dad,when he doesn't smile."

  "Then our job is to keep him smiling," said David Linton practically.

  There came a high-pitched voice in the hall, and Mrs. West swept in,her husband following at her heels. To Norah's inexperienced eyes,she was more gorgeous than the Queen of Sheba, in a dress of sequinsthat glittered and flashed with every movement. Sarah, who hadassisted in her toilette, reported to the kitchen that she didn't takemuch stock in a dress that was moulting its sequins for all the worldlike an old hen; but Norah saw no deficiencies, and was greatlyimpressed by her guest's magnificence. She was also rather overcomeby her eloquence, which had the effect of making her feel speechless.Not that that greatly mattered, as Mrs. West never noticed whether anyone else happened to speak or remain silent, so long as they did nothappen to drown her own voice.

  "Such a lovely room!" she twittered. "_So_ comfortable. And I feelsure there is an exquisite view. And a fire in one's bedroom--inwar-time! Dear me, I feel I ought to protest, only I haven'tsufficient moral courage; and those pine logs are _too_ delicious.Perhaps you are burning your own timber?--ah, I thought so. Thatmakes it easier for me to refrain from prodding up my moralcourage--ha, ha!"

  Norah hunted for a reply, and failed to find one.

  "And you are actually Australians!" Mrs. West ran on. "_So_interesting! I always do think that Australians are so original--soquaintly original. It must be the wild life you lead. So unlikedear, quiet little England. Bushrangers, and savage natives, andgold-mining. How I should like to see it all!"

  "Oh, you would find other attractions as well, Mrs. West," Mr. Lintontold her. "The 'wild life in savage places' phase of Australianhistory is rather a back number."

  "Oh, quite--quite," agreed his guest. "We stay-at-homes know solittle of the other side of the world. But we are not aloof--notuninterested. We recognize the fascination of it all. Theglamour--yes, the glamour. Gordon's poems bring it all before one, dothey not? Such a true Australian! You must be very proud of him."

  "We are--but he wasn't an Australian," said Mr. Linton. The ladysailed on, unheeding.

  "Yes. The voice of the native-born. And your splendid soldiers,too!--I assure you I thrill whenever I meet one of the dear fellows inthe street in London. So tall and stern under their greatslouch-hats. Outposts of Empire, that is what I say to myself.Outposts here, in the heart of our dear little Surrey! Linking theends of the earth, as it were. The strangeness of it all!"

  Garrett, who had made an unobtrusive entrance some little time before,and had been enjoying himself hugely in the background, now came up tothe group on the hearthrug and was duly introduced.

  "Lately from France, did you say?" asked Mrs. West. "Yesterday!Fancy! Like coming from one world into another, is it not, CaptainGarrett? To be only yesterday 'mid the thunder of shot and shell outyonder; and to-night in----"

  "In dear little Surrey," said Garrett innocently.

  "Quite. Such a peaceful county--war seems so remote. You must tellme some of your experiences to-morrow."

  "Oh, I never have any," said Garrett hastily.

  "Now, now!" She shook a playful forefinger at him. "I was a motherto my husband's regiment, Captain Garrett, I assure you. Quite. Iused to say to all our subalterns, 'Now, remember that this house isopen to you at any time.' I felt that they were so far from their ownhomes. 'Bring your troubles to me,' I would say, 'and let usstraighten them out together.'"

  "And did they?" Garrett asked.

  "They understood me. They knew I wanted to help them. And my husbandencouraged them to come."

  "Takes some encouragin', the subaltern of the present day, unless it'sto tennis and two-step," said Colonel West.

  "But such dear boys! I felt their mothers would have been so glad.And our regiment had quite a name for nice subalterns. There issomething so delightful about a subaltern--so care-free."

  "By Jove, yes!" said Colonel West. "Doesn't care for anything onearth--not even the adjutant!"

  "Now, Algernon----" But at that moment dinner was announced, and therest of the sentence was lost--which was an unusual fate for anyremark of Mrs. West's.

  It was Norah's first experience as hostess at her father'sdinner-table--since, in this connexion, Billabong did not seem tocount. No one could ever have been nervous at Billabong. Besides,there was no butler there: here, Allenby, gravely irreproachable, withSarah and Bride as attendant sprites, seemed to intensify thesolemnity of everything. However, no one seemed to notice anythingunusual, and conversation flowed apace. Colonel West did not want totalk: such cooking as Miss de Lisle's appeared to him to deserve thecompliment of silence, and he ate in an abstraction that left Garrettfree to talk to Norah; while Mrs. West overwhelmed Mr. Linton with asteady flow of eloquence that began with the soup and lasted untildessert. Then Norah and Mrs. West withdrew leaving the men to smoke.

  "My dear, your cook's a poem," said Mrs. West, as they returned to thedrawing-room. "_Such_ a dinner! That _souffle_--well, words failme!"

  "I'm so glad you liked it," Norah said.

  "It melted in the mouth. And I watched you help it; your face was soanxious--you insinuated the spoon with such an expression--I couldn'tdescribe it----"

  Norah burst out laughing.

  "I could," she said. "The cook was so anxious about that _souffle_,and she said to do it justice it should be helped with a hot spoon.So I told Allenby to stand the spoon in a jug of boiling water, andgive it to me at the very last moment. He was holding it in thenapkin he had for drying it, I suppose, and he didn't know that thehandle was nearly red-hot. But I did, when I took it up!"

  "My dear child!" exclaimed Mrs. West. "So your expression was due toagony!"

  "Something like it," Norah laughed. "It was just all I could do tohold it. But the _souffle was_ worth it, wasn't it? I must tell Missde Lisle."

  "Miss de Lisle? Your cook?"

  "Yes--it sounds well, doesn't it?" said Norah. "She's a dear, too."

  "She is certainly a treasure," said Mrs. West. "Since the regimentwent out I have been living in horrible boarding-houses, where theyhalf-starve you, and what they do give you to eat is so murdered inthe cooking that you can hardly swallow it. Economical for themanagement, but not very good for the guests. But one must takethings as they come, in this horrible war." She paused, the forcedsmile fading from her lips. Somehow Norah felt that she was sorry forher: she looked suddenly old, and worn and tired.

  "Come and sit in this big chair, Mrs. West," she said. "You must havehad a long day."

  "Well, quite," said Mrs. West. "You see, I went to take my husbandfrom the hospital at twe
lve o'clock, and then I found that your fatherhad made this delightful arrangement for us. It seemed too good to betrue. So I had to send Algernon to his club, and I rushed back to myboarding-house and packed my things: and then I had to do someshopping, and meet them at the station. And of course I never couldget a taxi when I wanted one. I really think I am a little tired.This seems the kind of house where it doesn't matter to admit it."

  "Of course not--isn't it a Home for Tired People?" Norah laughed.Sarah entered with coffee, and she fussed gently about her guest,settling her cushions and bringing her cup to her side with cream andsugar.

  "It's very delightful to be taken care of," said Mrs. West, with asigh. The affected, jerky manner dropped from her, and she becamemore natural. "My children are all boys: I often have been sorry thatone was not a girl. A daughter must be a great comfort. Have you anysisters, my dear?"

  "No. Just one brother--he's in Captain Garrett's regiment."

  "And you will go back to Australia after the war?"

  "Oh, yes. We couldn't possibly stay away from Australia," Norah said,wide-eyed. "You see, it's home."

  "And England has not made you care any less for it?"

  "Goodness, no!" Norah said warmly. "It's all very well in its way,but it simply can't hold a candle to Australia!"

  "But why?"

  Norah hesitated.

  "It's a bit hard to say," she answered at length. "Life is morecomfortable here, in some ways: more luxuries and conveniences ofliving, I mean. And England is beautiful, and it's full of history,and we all love it for that. But it isn't our own country. Thepeople are different--more reserved, and stiffer. But it isn't eventhat. I don't know," said Norah, getting tangled--"I think it's theair, and the space, and the freedom that we're used to, and we missthem all the time. And the jolly country life----"

  "But English country life is jolly."

  "I think we'd get tired of it," said Norah. "It seems to us all play:and in Australia, we work. Even if you go out for a ride there, mostlikely there is a job hanging to it--to bring in cattle, or countthem, or see that a fence is all right, or to bring home the mail.Every one is busy, and the life all round is interesting. I don'tthink I explain at all well; I expect the real explanation is justthat the love for one's own country is in one's bones!"

  "Quite!" said Mrs. West. "Quite!" But she said the ridiculous wordas though for once she understood, and there was a comfortable littlesilence between them for a few minutes. Then the men came in, and theevening went by quickly enough with games and music. Captain Garrettproved to be the possessor of a very fair tenor, together with a knackof vamping not unmelodious accompaniments. The cheery songs floatedout into the hall, where Bride and Katty crouched behind a screen,torn between delight and nervousness.

  "If the Ould Thing was to come she'd have the hair torn off of us,"breathed Katty. "But 'tis worth the rishk. Blessed Hour, haven't hethe lovely voice?"

  "He have--but I'd rather listen to Miss Norah," said Bride loyally."'Tisn't the big voice she do be having, but it's thathappy-sounding."

  It was after ten o'clock when Norah, having said good-night to herguests and shown Mrs. West to her room, went softly along thecorridor. A light showed under Miss de Lisle's doorway, and shetapped gently.

  The door opened, revealing the cook-lady's comfortable littlesitting-room, with a fire burning merrily in the grate. The cook-ladyherself was an extraordinarily altered being, in a pale-blue kimonowith heavy white embroidery.

  "I hoped you would come," she said. "Are you tired? Poor child, whatan evening! I wonder would you have a cup of cocoa with me here? Ihave it ready."

  She waved a large hand towards a fat brown jug standing on a trivet bythe grate. There was a tray on a little table, bearing cups andsaucers and a spongecake. Norah gave way promptly.

  "I'd love it," she said. "How good of you. I was much too excited toeat dinner. But the _souffle_ was just perfect, Miss de Lisle. Inever saw anything like it. Mrs. West raved about it after dinner."

  "I am glad," said the cook-lady, with the rapt expression of ahigh-priestess. "Allenby told me how you arranged for a hot spoon.It was beautiful of you: beautiful!"

  "Did he tell you how hot it was?" Norah inquired. They grew merryover the story, and the spongecake dwindled simultaneously with thecocoa in the jug.

  "I must go," Norah said at last. "It's been so nice: thank you everso, Miss de Lisle."

  "It's I who should thank you for staying," said the big woman, rising."Will you come again, some time?"

  "Rather! if I may. Good-night." She shut the door softly, andscurried along to her room--unconscious that another doorway was acouple of inches ajar, and that through the space Mrs. Atkins regardedher balefully.

  Her father's door was half-open, and the room was lit. Norah knocked.

  "Come in," said Mr. Linton. "You, you bad child! I thought you werein bed long ago."

  "I'm going now," Norah said. "How did things go off, Daddy?"

  "Quite well," he said. "And my daughter made a good hostess. I thinkthey all enjoyed themselves, Norah."

  "I think so," said she. "They seemed happy enough. What aboutCaptain Hardress, Dad?"

  "He seemed comfortable," Mr. Linton answered. "I found him on acouch, with a rug over him, reading. Allenby said he ate a fairdinner. He's a nice fellow, Norah; I like him."

  "Was he badly wounded, Dad?"

  "He didn't say much about himself. I gathered that he had been a longwhile in hospital. But I'm sorry for him, Norah; he seems very downon his luck."

  "Jim said so," remarked Norah. "Well, we must try to buck him up. Isuppose Allenby will look after him, Dad, if he needs anything?"

  "I told him to," said Mr. Linton, with a grin. "He looked at mecoldly, and said, 'I 'ope, sir, I know my duty to a wounded officer.'I believe I found myself apologizing. There are times when Allenbyquite fails to hide his opinion of a mere civilian: I see myselfsinking lower and lower in his eyes as we fill this place up withkhaki: Good-night, Norah."