Keble came running to greet her. “Why, my dear, we weren’t looking for you so early! We planned to take the launch and fetch you.”
“Couldn’t wait.” She went to kiss Miriam. “It’s quite all right, dear. There’s not a germ left. We’ve exterminated the species. How is the campaign?”
“We’re in the throes of final preparations,” said Keble. “To-night is the big meeting in the Valley. The telephone has already been humming. Yesterday our enemies cut the wires; that shows that they dread us.”
“I’ll run off and let you work,” said Louise, “till lunch.”
“It’s to be a gala lunch,” Miriam warned. “Don’t give a single order. They’re all jubilant at your return,—so are we, dear.”
“Have they been starving you?”
“Do we look starved?”
Louise surveyed them. “No, you look jolly fit. I believe you have got along quite comfortably without me; I rather hate you for it.”
Keble kissed her. “Go see the monkey,” he suggested. “We’ll be out as soon as we get through this. Explain to Dare.”
As Louise closed the library door she combated a desire to cry, then went out not to see the monkey, but a friendly band of slaves that happened to include Katie Salter, ergo the monkey.