“How do you spell ‘harassed’?” questioned Tommy! “two r’s or one.”
“One r,” Peter informed her, “two s’s.”
“I thought so.” The trouble passed from Tommy’s face.
“You don’t ask when he’s going, you don’t ask where he’s going,” complained Peter. “You don’t seem to be interested in the least.”
“I was going to ask, so soon as I had finished correcting this sheet,” explained Tommy. “What reason does he give?”
Peter had crossed over and was standing where he could see her face illumined by the lamplight.
“It doesn’t upset you—the thought of his going away, of your never seeing him again?”
“Why should it?” Tommy answered his searching gaze with a slightly puzzled look. “Of course, I’m sorry. He was becoming useful. But we couldn’t expect him to stop with us always, could we?”
Peter, rubbing his hands, broke into a chuckle. “I told him ’twas all fiddlesticks. Clodd, he would have it you were growing to care for the fellow.”
“For Dick Danvers?” Tommy laughed. “Whatever put that into his head?”