He had, however, somehow grown deaf during his absence, and merely said,—
'Good-evening, Margaret. See to the luggage, will you, Brown,' and walked upstairs, followed by all the dogs.
'Has anything happened, Sam?' I asked.
'Not in London, miss,' and he handed me the evening paper.
Obviously a storm was brewing, so I decided that it was worth while to dress. I put on my best and latest frock. At dinner I was sparkling, and told my brother all about the hospital in my most vivid style. Somehow he didn't think any of it the least amusing. I asked him then if he wasn't sorry to miss Toby, and he informed me that he had had lunch with him at the club in London.
Ross was, however, quite polite and civil, more so than he'd been for years, but as to rowing me as I had thought, oh, dear, no; he quite obviously was not interested in me at all, the whole subject of the hospital bored him stiff.
I thought I'd see if the date would warm the atmosphere.
'Ross, we've had such an excitement while you were away. We've found the date in the roof, and it's 1570.'
'Oh, really,' he drawled.
After that I gave it up. If 1570 wouldn't melt an iceberg, nothing would, so we adjourned to the hall for coffee, and now there sits on one side of the fire, surrounded by ice and snow fields, something which was once my twin, while I sit on the other writing my novel, trying to get thawed, pretending I don't mind a bit.