We all of us laughed, for never had she looked more pink and white and golden, more full of vitality and less like a fainting lady. Both Ethel, whose bruise was still in evidence, and Janet looked pallid and worn by comparison.
As we were finishing breakfast a note came by hand for the doctor. Ralph had just said, apropos of the accident to cook, that the house seemed fated, and that, without meaning to be rude, he would be very glad to be back at work. The Tundish looked up from his note with a smile, as happy a smile as you could wish to see.
“Well, you’ll be able to gratify your wish. This is from the inspector. The inquest is fixed for eleven o’clock and we are all to be there. He is sending cars to fetch us. Moreover, our little pocket Hercules will be with us at four, and so you see, Ralph, you will be able to leave this evening, but whether I shall be here to see you off is, I imagine, more uncertain.”
He got up to leave the room as he spoke, but turned with his hand on the door-knob. “By the way, Ethel, what have you done with the bird bath from the rose garden? I’ll fill it up before I go.”
“The bird bath?”
“Yes, haven’t you had it? It’s missing from the table.”
“No, I filled it up yesterday morning and I’m afraid I haven’t touched it since.” Ethel looked round the table to see if we could give her information, but we none of us spoke, and The Tundish left the room.
When he had gone Margaret offered to take out another bowl of water, saying, “The poor little things will be parched,” and there was a discussion as to household duties, during which the two boys went off to the garden and I out into the hall where I pretended to be brushing my clothes. I wanted to waylay Janet.
She came out at last and I persuaded her to join me in the garden as soon as she could get away, and after an interminable half-hour she came to me there. “Just for two minutes,” she said uncompromisingly, but with the smile I had grown to look for and to love so much. “What do you want?”
“I want to know what you make of it all,” I asked her. “Wasn’t it just a little odd that the doctor should have come to look for the bird bath then?”