Without waiting to knock, Delia hurried in at the door of Number 4, which led straight into the sitting-room. The Professor was leaning back in his easy-chair, his boots white with dust, and an expression of fatigue and dejection over his whole person.
“Oh, Professor,” was her first remark, as she threw down her violin-case, “you do look tired! Have you had your tea?”
“I believe, my dear,” he replied, rather faintly, “Mrs Cooper has not come in yet.”
Mrs Cooper was a charwoman, who came in at uncertain intervals to cook the Professor’s meals and clean his rooms: as he was not exacting, the claims of her other employers were always satisfied first, and if she were at all busier than usual, he often got scanty attention.
Without waiting to hear more, Delia made her way to the little kitchen, and set about her preparations in a very business-like manner. She was evidently well acquainted with the resources of the household, for she bustled about, opening cupboards, and setting tea-things on a tray, as though she were quite at home. In a wonderfully short time she had prepared a tempting meal, and carried it into the sitting-room, so that, when the Professor came back from changing his boots, he found everything quite ready. His little round table, cleared of the litter of manuscripts and music-books, was drawn up to the open window, and covered with a white cloth. On it there was some steaming coffee, eggs, and bread and butter, a bunch of roses in the middle, and his arm-chair placed before it invitingly.
He sank into it with a sigh of comfort and relief.
“How very good your coffee smells, Delia!” he said; “quite different from Mrs Cooper’s.”
“I daresay, if the truth were known,” said Delia, carefully pouring it out, “that you had no dinner to speak of before you walked up to Pynes and back again.”
“I had a sandwich,” answered Mr Goodwin, meekly, for Delia was bending a searching and severe look upon him.
“Then Mrs Cooper didn’t come!” she exclaimed. “Really we ought to look out for some one else: I believe she does it on purpose.”