Mr. Bale looked at him sharply. Carrie's letters were long and chatty; and it may be that Mr. Bale had gleaned, from them, some notion of an idea that Carrie and Mrs. Harcourt had in their heads.
Three years later Mr. Bale remarked, as they were driving home:
"By the way, Bob, I was glad to see, in the paper today, that the 58th is ordered home."
"Is it, sir?" Bob asked, eagerly. "I have not looked at the paper today. I am glad to hear that. I thought it wouldn't be long. But there is never any saying--they might have been sent somewhere else, instead of being sent home."
"I hope they will be quartered somewhere within reach," Mr. Bale said. "If they are stationed at Cork, or some outlandish place in Ireland, they might almost as well be at Gibraltar, for anything we shall see of them."
"Oh, we can manage to run over to Cork, uncle."
"There will be no occasion to do that, Bob. Captain O'Halloran will be getting leave, soon after he comes over, and then he can bring Carrie here."
And he smiled slily to himself.
"He mayn't be able to get leave for some time," Bob said. "I think, uncle, I shall run over, directly they arrive."
"Perhaps the firm won't be able to spare you," Mr. Bale remarked.