"It is very good of her," said Caroline, and her voice was not very steady; "but she has to test me yet. She really knows so little about me."
Haverford sat down to the table, and began to help her.
They had to untie some of his packages to see which were the presents for the respective children.
"I think some of these things will have to disappear after to-morrow," said Caroline; "already these little people have enough toys to stock a shop."
It amused her to watch Rupert Haverford pack up and tie and direct as she commanded. He was so deliberate in all he did. Camilla would have lost her patience very quickly, but Caroline liked his slow ways. His parcels were so neat.
Every now and then he stole into the bedroom to see if Baby was still sleeping.
"I was rather anxious about her," she said to Haverford, "for Dennis has told me that she gets very heavy colds at times, and she seemed really rather feverish to-night."
As he remembered the interview with his mother the day before, he found himself looking every now and then with real interest at Caroline.
"I can't think why you want to bother about Caroline Graniger. I gave her a fair trial," Mrs. Baynhurst had said fretfully; "but she is a fool, and I hate fools. Give me a knave any day in preference to a fool!"
There seemed to be nothing foolish, or weak, or hesitating about Caroline as he saw her, but in the hours that had followed on his visit to his mother, he had been able to fill in the empty spaces that she had left, and he seemed to understand all at once why it was that Octavia Baynhurst had set herself so resolutely against Caroline, both as a little child and a growing girl.