Laura laughed.
“What nonsense! Why, you’re only just back! And I found a corncrake’s nest yesterday. Bother the old ring!”
His face cleared. He liked Laura.
“Well—if you wouldn’t mind waiting till Tuesday, we might both go up. A corncrake? Which field? Any good for a photograph? The Museum’s shut on Mondays. And then we could choose it together. After all, there’s no hurry, is there?”
“Of course not,” said Laura.
Mrs. Cloud could have shaken her.
They went up together on Tuesday, and, according to both of them, had a ripping time. But when Mrs. Cloud, alone with Laura the next day, took the girl’s two hands in her own, and openly and gravely looked at them, she found the left hand as bare as the right.
“Laura!” Mrs. Cloud’s voice implied that she was not at all pleased with Laura.
Laura twinkled.
“Mrs. Cloud, we were too busy. We had such a glorious day. We hadn’t time, simply.”