"That 'often' means 'never,' when no day is fixed."
"I am to go to tennis to-morrow."
"Well, did anybody else come?"
"Yes; Mr. and Mrs. Atherton, the vicar of St. Luke's."
"Oh, they are certain to be slow. We didn't want them."
Salome had escaped by this time, and was in her room re-arranging her papers. Why had she been so cross to Kate? why should she be offended with her? "I will work at it whenever I get the chance," she thought. "A little at a time is better than nothing;" and taking the sheet that lay upper-most to a large box in the window, pressed the spring of a little leather ink-stand, and kneeling to catch the western light, was soon engrossed in her tale. She forgot cold, and vexation, and Raymond's conceit and selfishness, and wrote on with a smooth-nibbed "J" pen for a quarter of an hour.
Then Carl bounced in.
"Ruth Pryor has sent us in some lovely hot cakes for tea; isn't that kind?"
"Go away, dear," Salome said.
"What are you doing, Salome? Do come and read to us the life-boat story. Do."