"Siesta! That's a good one. This is my first appearance to-day, old man. I say, if you hold on a minute, I'll shake you up a side-car. I feel inclined for one myself."
"No, thanks."
"No?" and the captain yawned again. "Then cheerio!"
The door slammed behind them, they descended the steps and got into the car without speaking. Esther could not see why her companion appeared to be so much annoyed. She stole a glance at him, and saw that his mouth had taken on a grim line that made him more than ever like his father, while his eyes were bleak and steely. An Englishman might have said that this was the Lancashire coming out in him.
"Think of anyone being able to sleep like that!" she ventured, laughing a little. "Why, it's nearly five o'clock. He must have been up all night."
She had not meant to say exactly that, on account of what was in her secret thoughts, but she was glad to see her friend's severe expression relax a little.
"Ah, that's the advantage of a care-free life," he remarked lightly.
"But doesn't he ever do anything?—any work, I mean?"
"Not that I know of, but I lost track of him after the war and only ran into him again about a year ago."
"He was in the air service, wasn't he?"