“He didn’t say much about himself. I gathered that he had been a long while in hospital. But I’m sorry for him, Norah; he seems very down on his luck.”
“Jim said so,” remarked Norah. “Well, we must try to buck him up. I suppose Allenby will look after him, Dad, if he needs anything?”
“I told him to,” said Mr. Linton, with a grin. “He looked at me coldly, and said, ‘I ’ope, sir, I know my duty to a wounded officer.’ I believe I found myself apologizing. There are times when Allenby quite fails to hide his opinion of a mere civilian: I see myself sinking lower and lower in his eyes as we fill this place up with khaki: Good-night, Norah.”
CHAPTER IX
HOMEWOOD GETS BUSY
“Good morning, Captain Hardress.”
Hardress turned. He was standing in the porch, looking out over the park towards the yellowing woods.
“Good morning, Miss Linton. I hope you’ll forgive me for being so lazy as to stay in bed for breakfast. You’ll have to blame your butler: he simply didn’t call me. The first thing I knew was an enormous tray with enough breakfast for six men—and Allenby grinning behind it.”
“You stay in bed to breakfast here, or get up, just as you feel inclined,” Norah said. “There aren’t any rules except two.”
“Isn’t that a bit Irish?”
“Not exactly, because Jim says even those two may be broken. But I don’t agree to that—at least, not for Rule 2.”