The entrance of the captain seemed to put them both at their ease. He came a little way into the room and stood there, with his hands behind him, looking with a pleased smile at Comethup and at the face of the girl glancing up at him from the flowers. She nodded brightly to him and ran across and took him by the lapels of his coat and kissed him.
“So you stole a march on me, eh?” said the captain, glancing from one to the other. “While the old boy is asleep you two youngsters have been getting the benefit of the morning air, eh? Well, you look as bright and fresh as the morning, both of you.—What do you think of her, Comethup?”
Comethup laughed and blushed, shifted from one foot to the other, and weakly hazarded the opinion that she had grown.
“Grown!” exclaimed the captain. “I should think so. Time stands still with the old ones, but, Lord! what a change a year or two makes! Why, I remember the time when I had to stoop and bend my old back for her to stand on tiptoe to kiss me; and now—well, look at her, boy; I can keep as straight as a lance, and still the rogue’s lips can reach me. So you didn’t lose time about finding your old playmate, Comethup.”
“Well, sir,” said Comethup, “I found her in the garden here, only a few minutes ago.”
“Yes,” broke in ’Linda, “but he says that he’d been to look for me, and couldn’t find me.”
“And yet found you after all, eh? Trust him for that. Now let’s have some breakfast.”
’Linda, after a little protest, took off her hat and sat down with them. She kept very near to the captain, and seldom looked at Comethup, save now and then shyly, after he had found his tongue, and was relating in boyish fashion some of his school adventures. The captain threw in interjectional remarks for ’Linda’s benefit, such as “There’s a boy for you!” or “What do you think of that now?” and others to the like effect. After breakfast, the girl, in seeming haste, put on her hat and hurriedly kissed the captain, shyly touched Comethup’s hand, and prepared to depart. Comethup found his courage then and said blushingly:
“You know I’m only stopping with the captain for a week, ’Linda. I suppose—I hope I shall see you—very often?”