And meanwhile he knocks at Mrs. Byng's door, and is quickly bidden enter by a cheerful English voice, the welcoming alacrity of whose tones shames his own want of pleasure in the meeting. But he is too unfortunately honest to express a joy he does not experience, and only says, with a slight accent of reproach as he takes her ready hand, heartily held out:
"You should not spring these surprises upon us."
She laughs a little guiltily.
"It—it was a sudden thought; you see I—I had never seen Perugia."
He laughs too. "Poor Perugia! I think it would have blushed unseen for a good many more years if you had not begun to doubt the efficiency of my chaperonage. Confess! you have come to look after the precious baby-boy, have not you?"
His tone is, as he himself feels, not quite a pleasant one; but the mother is scarcely more prone to take offence than the son; and she answers with an amiably hasty disclaimer:
"It was not that I felt the least want of confidence in you—you must not think that; but—but I had one of my presentiments! you know that I am always a little superstitious; and three nights running an owl came and hooted quite close under my window!"
"As long as I have known your wood, it has had owls; and as long as I have known them, they have hooted."
"In the wood, yes, of course, and I like to hear them; but this one was close under my window."
Jim's only answer is to lift his hands and shoulders in protest against his friend's weak-mindedness.