The affected surprise at the sight of him, but not at his eagerly whispered announcement:
“I’ve got it!”
“Good for you,” she said kindly, and refrained from asking him, teasingly, where he thought he was going. “It was lovely at the theatre,” she remarked, stepping forward.
“Dae ye no’ want to hear aboot it?” he asked, disappointed, catching up with her.
“Of course,” she said cheerfully. “Was yer uncle nice?”
“It was ma aunt,” he explained somewhat reluctantly, for he feared she might laugh. But she only nodded understandingly, and, relieved, he plunged into details.
“Ye’ve done fine,” she said when he had finished—for the time being, at anyrate. “I’m afraid it’ll be you that’ll be wantin’ a private secretary when I get that length.”
“Dinna laugh at me,” he murmured reproachfully.
“Dinna be ower serious, Mac,” she returned. “Ye’ll get on a’ the better for bein’ able to tak’ a joke whiles. I’m as pleased as Punch aboot it.”
He was more pleased, if possible. “If it hadna been for you, Christina, I wud never ha’e had the neck to try it,” he said warmly.