I think I should have known you; your visit made a
great impression upon us, though I can remember now how disappointed
we were when you first arrived that you hadn't a red coat and a
sword, as we had expected."
"Well, we may as well be off at once, Isobel; it is only five
minutes' walk to the bungalow. My man will see to your luggage being
brought up. Come along, Doctor. Of course you will put up with me
until you can look round and fix upon quarters. I told Rumzan to
bring your things round with my niece's. You have had a very pleasant
voyage out, I hope, Isobel?" he went on, as they started.
"Very pleasant, uncle, though I got rather tired of it at last."
"That is generally the way--everyone is pleasant and agreeable
at first, but before they get to the end they take to quarreling
like cats and dogs."
"We were not quite as bad as that," the girl laughed, "but we
certainly weren't as amiable the last month or so as we were during
the first part of the voyage. Still, it was very pleasant all along,
and nobody quarreled with me."
"Present company are always excepted," the Doctor said. "I stood
in loco parentis, Major, and the result has been that I shall feel
in future more charitable towards mothers of marriageable daughters.
Still, I am bound to say that Miss Hannay has given me as little
trouble as could be expected."
"You frighten me, Doctor; if you found her so onerous only for a
voyage, what have I to look forward to?"
"Well, you can't say that I didn't warn you, Major; when you wrote
home and asked me to take charge of your niece on the way out, I
told you frankly that my opinion of your good sense was shaken.
Pages:
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47