“It’s early,” I said dubiously, “but I see you must consider the servants. We might think about these rooms.”
“I’m afraid you must make up your minds about them soon. I have several people after them. Rooms are scarce now.”
“I vote we take them,” said Himself. “You’ll have them properly cleaned up for us?”
“Of course,” smiled Mrs. Slaney. “I am always most particular about cleanliness. You’ll want them in a few days, I suppose? I can set Mrs. O’Grady to work to-morrow, and I’ll have the curtains taken down and the windows cleaned. You could come in the day after.”
Himself tried the door.
“The locks are out of order,” he said.
“They are,” Mrs. Slaney agreed; “but no one bothers about locks here. We’re all friends. I’ve always tried to keep that atmosphere in the house. We need no locks. Until this trouble began, there was not a more crimeless country than Ireland. The front door has never been locked at night since I came into the house.”
“I should like these doors to lock,” I said sharply. “After all, I understand that the Black-and-Tans raid frequently. It’s not nice to feel that they can walk in without warning.”
“We can find you keys, of course.” She soothed me like a child. “You’ll come, then, the day after to-morrow?”
“I’ll look in to-morrow, probably, to see what I shall want in the way of odds and ends, and perhaps some of the luggage could come. The heavy stuff has been at the station all this time.”