“That’s tea,” she said; “you won’t mind a nursery tea with the children, will you? Lydia and I always have it when papa’s away. The Campbell girls are here too. Harry, you know, is very much in love with Dora, and, like a good sister, I ‘m helping on the match. Aren’t you coming?”
He had intended to decline, but she put her hand on his arm in the old familiar way, and he weakly gave in.
“Aren’t you dull, all you women alone?” he asked.
“No, sir, of course not; besides, they ‘ll all be home to-morrow for Christmas.”
“They ‘ve at Kara, aren’t they?”
“Yes, that bothering old Wilson always has a muster at the most inconvenient times. They want to be home, of course, so they Ve taken every man on the place to help. Dick, at the mature age of ten, is our sole male protector.”
“They can be back to-morrow, though?”
“Oh, yes; they Ve bound to be here pretty early too. It’s Christmas Day, you know—at least—. Why, what was that?”
She paused on the doorstep and listened.
“Some one coming into the yard,” said Hollis. “They must have got away earlier than they expected.”