“Gone! But how?”
Norah told him the story, and he listened with joyful ejaculations.
“Well, she was always the black spot in the house,” he remarked. “It gave one the creeps to look at her sour face, and I’m certain she was more bother to you than she was worth.”
“Oh, I feel twenty years younger since she went!” Norah said. “And it’s going to be great fun to housekeep with Miss de Lisle. I shall learn ever so much.”
“So will she, I imagine,” said Jim, laughing. “Put her up to all the Australian ways, and see if we can’t make a good emigrant of her when we go back.”
“I might,” Norah said. “But she would be a shock to Brownie if she suggested putting her soul into a pudding!”
“Rather!” said Jim, twinkling. “I say, tell me about Hardress. Do you like him?”
“Oh, yes, ever so much.” She told him of her morning’s work—indeed, by the time the gong boomed out its summons from the hall, there was very little in the daily life of Homewood that Jim had not managed to hear.
“We’re always wondering how you are getting on,” he said. “It’s jolly over there—the work is quite interesting, and there’s a very nice lot of fellows: but I’d like to look in at you two and see how this show was running.” He hesitated. “It won’t be long before we go out, Nor, old chap.”
“Won’t it, Jimmy?” She put up a hand and caught his. “Do you know how long?”