With heightened colour he came forward and took her outstretched hand. He was quite unable to conceal his emotion at this unexpected meeting.
"I didn't hear you come in, Gerald," said his wife in surprise.
At the sound of her voice some of his self-possession returned to him.
"No, I stole a march on you—unawares—got awfully sick of the office, so I chucked it for to-day."
Miriam looked at him uneasily. This sort of thing was continually happening. She was thankful at least he was himself in other ways.
"Well, Mrs. Dundas, I must certainly congratulate you—I don't know when I've seen you look so well."
"Why don't you call her Hilda?" put in the convivial Dicky. "I hate Mrs. Dundas."
"Do you? Well, you see, there are certain difficulties in the way, Dicky. In the first place we are all very much 'grown-up' now; indeed, I don't know that strictly speaking we oughtn't to call you 'Mr. Darrow.' Besides, if I were to call Mrs. Dundas by her Christian name, she might reprimand me severely."
"What nonsense you talk, Gerald," put in that young lady; "there, you see, I take the wind out of your sails at once—I am sure Mrs. Arkel doesn't mind. Do you?" she turned to Miriam with the sweetest of smiles.
"I—indeed no. Surely you are old enough friends for that. Well, we're relations too, now, in a sort of way, aren't we, Hilda?"