They all walked back to the house again. Mr. and Mrs. Jackson and Miss Ashton sat down before the fireplace; for the air was growing chilly, and they had spent some time in the garden. The young people went into the living room on the opposite side of the hall, and turned on the radio. The band music which immediately filled the room was an excellent cover for private conversation.
Mr. Pierce and Martha drifted to a big davenport in an alcove formed by four small windows built out at one side of the room. Griff persuaded Jeanette to occupy the radio bench with him; for he loved to operate it, and could talk nonsense just as well while his fingers were busy with the dial. Jim coaxed Nancy into the sun parlor, which opened from the end of the room.
“Well, Nan?” he asked, smiling at her as they sat down in big willow chairs facing the garden.
“Oh Jim, your mother and father are lovely. I’m going to like them a lot, I know. Your mother and I had such a nice talk, and she was very, very nice to me.”
Jim looked pleased.
“I’m glad,” he said simply. “They like you too. I could tell by the way they acted. But who could help it?” he added.
“I hope they will,” replied Nancy seriously, ignoring his last remark. “I certainly want them to like me.”
“And you have a lovely home, Jim,” she added after a few minutes’ silence.
“I like the old place, and I hope you will like it too. Dad said right away, when I told them about you, that this house was plenty big enough to add one small girl to it.”
“That was nice of him——”