The gardener was awakened next morning by the loud noise of Scottie chasing lizards across the room. Scottie was a bristly Northerner, and never became really used to the conditions of tropical life. To this day he labours under the delusion that lizards are only bald or naked mice, that have deceitfully changed their smell and their taste.
The gardener thought that he awoke perfectly light-hearted. He did not recognise the curious thing that throbbed in the back of his consciousness as his heart.
He whistled in his bath. He whistled as he came out on to the verandah for breakfast.
Courtesy had risen for early breakfast by mistake.
“Stopped brooding?” she asked. “Brave boy.”
“Two and two is such a poor formation after all,” said the gardener. “One and one is much more comfortable.”
Courtesy giggled. “There are times,” she said, “when two and two is ripping. Mr. Wise is coming up to lunch.”
“He came up to lunch yesterday. And he’s coming up to tea to-morrow.”
“Yesterday and to-morrow are not to-day,” said Courtesy, that practical girl.
The gardener had not time to ponder, for Mrs. Rust then appeared. Her complexion was even more of a contrast to her hair than usual.