“I see you do not need an introduction,” said May’s voice, with a mischievous ring in it; and then the four began pacing back slowly towards the house, falling naturally into two and two.
“You have seen my aunt?” asked Ronald.
“Yes; but she did not say that you had come too.”
“No, I asked her not. I wanted to give you a surprise. I hope it has not been a very disagreeable one.”
Sheila’s old clear laugh rang out through the wood.
“If you are fishing for compliments, sir, you won’t get any out of me!”
“And I am so fond of them,” said Ronald pathetically. “Don’t you think you might be nice and kind, and say how much you have missed me since we parted?”
“Oof!” cried Sheila, “what next am I to say?”
“Well, if you won’t say the pretty thing, I must. Do you know, Miss Cholmondeley, that after the sudden departure of a certain nameless person from Madeira, everything got so stale and unprofitable to me that I seriously threatened to come home alone; and I should have done so if they hadn’t moved on elsewhere.”
Sheila’s face was glowing, but she answered by a gay laugh; and the laugh was not forced, for was she not very, very happy?