“Not very. It’s explainable by natural means, of course. Probably we’ll never know who it was, but it was no phantom, be sure of that.”
“Oh, well, it doesn’t matter, except that it has upset mother so dreadfully. But she’ll get over it—if nothing happens.”
“Nothing will happen—if by that you mean a death in the family. More likely a marriage will take place!”
“Not ours, Jeff. I think that bugler sounded the death-knell of our hopes.”
“Maida! What is the matter with you? Why are you talking like that? I know you’ve something on your mind that you haven’t told me yet. Something pretty serious, for it makes you say the strangest things! Tell me, darling, won’t you?”
“I can’t, Jeff. I mean, there isn’t anything. Wait till those people come back again. You’ll be here, won’t you? They’re coming to-morrow.”
“You bet I will! I’ll see what I can do with old curmudgeon. You know I’m argumentative.”
“That won’t do any good with Appleby. What he wants is help from dad. If he doesn’t get that, he’ll punish us all.”
“And he can’t get that, for your dad won’t give it. So it looks as if we must all take our punishment. Well, we’re prepared.”
“You wouldn’t speak so lightly if you knew everything!”