Some one tapped at the door.
“May I come in?” asked Miss de Lisle’s voice. She entered, bearing a little tray.
“You!” said Norah. “But you shouldn’t.”
“Bride and Katty have gone to church, so I thought I’d bring you some tea and wish you a merry Christmas,” said Miss de Lisle. “But I didn’t expect to find the Captain here.” She did not wait for their greetings, but vanished with the elephantine swiftness peculiar to her; returning in a few moments with a second tray.
“And toast!” said Jim. “But where’s your own, Miss de Lisle?”
“Never mind mine—I’ll have it in the kitchen,” said the cook-lady.
“Indeed, you will not. Sit down.” He marched off, unheeding her protests. When he returned, he bore a large kitchen tray, with the teapot.
“It seemed simpler,” he said. “And I couldn’t find anything smaller. This cup is large, Miss de Lisle, but then you won’t want it filled so often. Have some of my toast—I couldn’t possibly eat all this.”
“Well, it’s very pleasant here,” said the cook-lady, yielding meekly. “I took some to Mr. Wally, but he merely said, ‘Get out, Judkins; I’m not on duty!’ and rolled over. So I concluded, in Katty’s words, that ‘his resht was more to him,’ and came away.”
“He’ll wake up presently and be very pleased to find it; it won’t matter to him at all if it’s stone-cold,” said Jim. “Queer chap, Wal. I prefer tea with the chill off it, myself. Judkins has hard times getting him up in time for early parade. Luckily Judkins is an old regular soldier, and has a stern, calm way with a young officer.”