"Thank God for this war that is coming!" he said to himself. "There will be my chance of getting out of the tangle and leaving the field clear to them."
So no wonder our poor old Jim was feeling in the dumps, and was quite unable to keep them out of his face.
"Hillo? What's brought yo' home?" asked old Mrs. Lee, as they came into her kitchen.
"Business," said Jack curtly, and she was surprised at the dourness of them all.
But Jack was saying to himself--"That old witch may be my grandmother."
And Jim--"She is most likely my grandmother."
And Eager--"If the old wretch would only speak she could tell us all we want to know."
Under which conditions a certain lack of cordiality was really not very surprising.
"Well, well! How much is it?" asked Sir Denzil, eyeing them quizzically over his arrested pinch of snuff as they came into his room. "And how did you manage to get here at this time of day?"
"We slept at the Pig and Whistle, sir," said Jack. "We got to Wyvveloe too late last night to come on here."