The meal, for the third time running, was laid in Cai's parlour, Mrs Bowldler having delicately elected to ignore the upset caused by the parrot and to treat yesterday as a dies non. 'Bias, if he noted this, made no comment.
The cloth having been removed, they drew their chairs as usual to front the fireplace. Cai arose, found a clean church-warden pipe on the mantelshelf, passed it to 'Bias, and selected one for himself.
"I sent off that letter to-day," he said carelessly.
"Right," said 'Bias; "I sent mine, too."
"Four-thirty post, mine went by."
"So did mine."
"She'll get 'em together, then, first delivery to-morrow."
"Ay."
"That puts us all square. She'll be amused, I shouldn't wonder."
"I didn' try to be amusin' in mine," said 'Bias after a pause, puffing stolidly.