Captain Jim

yed, and Sarah was going about with a face of wooden agony that gave Norah a chilly feeling whenever she encountered her. Allenby alone retained any cheerfulness; and much

ar activities, but says they'll b

I like," said N

y O'Gorman; doesn't that bring Killard an

emanded his fam

Sir John died, and he bid me tell you he'd be proud to drive a car for you, and to be with ye all. And if he have only one leg itself he's as handy as any one with two or more. Sir John had him with him at Ho

lated. "We couldn't ha

Con," said his father. "A ni

Norah. "When will

her. "I'll tell them to send me a telegram when they start." He rose

, and hurts my feelings by always doing it over again, if possible. At the same time, she looks so unhappy about working at all, and sig

up," said her father

come as a guest and s

d I can easily finis

reat deal to do," Nora

ikes to have everythin

le c

and write letters." He watched them from the terrace a little later, racing across the lawn, and

he had discharged in getting her a good place; beyond that, Sarah frankly bored him, and he saw no reason to let her regard him as anything else than a butler. "Bad for discipline, too!" he reflected. Therefore Allenby was lonely. He read the Daily Mail in the seclusion of his pantry, and then, strolling thro

is well-trained nerves. Norah, enveloped in a huge apron, was energetically polishing the kitchen tins; the boys, in their shirt-sleeves, were equally busy, Wally

world coming to, I wonder!" He hesitated a m

e in, plea

d, a little confused. "We're busy

-I could 'ave got a woman from the vil

te enough to d

that damsel's uncle. "I don't like to see you

y cheerfully. "Look at this sink, now, A

e threw off his black coat suddenly, and advanced up

llenby, but I'm getting used to it now." He laughed

Allenby, wretchedly. "It's not right: think of the

Norah, taking pity on his distressed face

he butler anxiously. "It 'ud undermine me position. There's that Miss de Lisle, no

sh. "Now I'm off to do the dining-room grate. If you're deadly anxi

"I'll leave this place all right-just shut the d

he cleaning party moved towards the dining-room.

t-not that I can remember seeing a sergeant wash a floor, either. But he seemed anxious to help,

that floor-polish, Nor? These boards

"When I grow up I think I'll be an architect, and then I'

's that?"

any corners in the rooms. Brownie and I used to talk about it. All the cupboards will be built in, so's no dust can get under them, and the wind

ps?" quer

ainly

t th

here will be heaps of cupboard-room and heaps of shelf-room-only all the

o you mean?

ou know they get behin

o on, Nor, you t

oom for their corpses on my shelves. And I'll have some arrangement for supplying ho

all sorts of electric dodges; plugs in all the rooms to fix to vacuum cleaners you can work with one hand-most of 'em want two men and a boy; and

istening to you," said a

n her skimpy red overall-rather more flus

es-and I didn't think any one lived here. I knoc

Jim and Norah; they never get any work done." A blacklead brush hurt

said the cook-lady, in bewildermen

Lisle listened with interest, n

you know: it's such a-a warm occupation," she added vaguely. "When I'm cooking something that requires particular care I always find myself crooning a love song!" At which Wally collapsed

al. Perhaps it's just as well; nobody would want a cook with golden hair and languishing

. "Thanks ever so, Miss de Lisle

I know I did say my province was cooking, and nothing else. But if you knew the places

ers. They sat down on the f

I don't think the footman ever chucked any one under the chin again. I settled him!" There

ou behave like a human being you get that sort of thing, and if you don't you're a pig, and treated accordingly." She looked at

rotested the unhappy

please don't-" as Norah began to protest. "Dear me, if you only knew how nice it is to speak to some one again!" She swooped upon Wally's tin of floor-polish, scooped half of its contents into the l

ver!" said

y. "I say, I think

t who'd have

l. But after our first day I wouldn't have dared to make a

d Wally. "But she's really quite h

h's pay to have seen the footman chuck her under the

dy, punctuated by the dull pounding on the floor. Miss de Lisle,

for the heart

, with a rapt expression. "Any one

," grinned Jim.

e's too hap

-a-sk for is a

ca-a-a-rest to

not a

Bang!

's happened!"

ever-widening pool of water that came from an overturned bucket lying a yard away. The family rushed to the resc

dea in me 'ead there was any one there, least of all you

le, are you hurt?"

aughter, and the others, who had, indeed, been choking with repressed feeling, followed suit. Allenby, after a gallant attempt to preserve the correct dem

hed!" said Jim, when ever

ed at her stained a

blouse and grey skirt which suited her very much better than the roseate garment. "But my floor! And I ha

a pretty mess of it," sa

, indeed,

d you 'ere a-polishin'," sai

crubbing!" retorted Miss de Lisle; at which Allenby'

promptly. "We're all in it, and no

s, I hope, sir,

for Sarah, she's ou

hed, a reli

't it? And polish it after. I can easy slip down 'ere for

re's lunch to think about." She looked at them in friendly fashion. "Thank yo

g-room, leaving Allenby to grapp

lean house!" said Wally happily. "I wouldn

y a surprise-packet! I say, Nor, do you think you'd find a human side

not," sa

ally wisely. "Mrs. Atkins is only a walking

evertheless, the butler, listening from his pantry to the shouts of laughter from the mor

see, I thought Miss de Lisle wasn't human, but I was al

between her and Mrs. Atkins. It doesn't matter if Miss de Lisle's pedigree is full of dukes and bishops-Mrs.

Norah, nodding. "I'

ious matters in her little sitting-room: an easy-chair, a flowering pot-plant, a pile of books that bore Norah's name-or Jim's; but she made no sign of having received them except that Norah found on her table at night a twisted note in a masculine hand that said "Thank you.-C. de L." As for Mrs. Atkins, she made her silen

ns, it was plain, did not like the scheme. She mentioned that it would make a great deal of work, and h

e didn't mean to have a houseful of people. What would we do with you all?" At which Mrs. Atkins sniffed, an

here we should still be living in London, in a flat. And if the servants won't do their work, we shall just have to get others who will." W

Well, I don't know what the world's coming to." But Norah, feeling unequal to more, fled, and, being discovered by Wally and Jim with her head in

a hard parting as others they had known since for the present there was no anxiety: but from the days when Jim used to leave Billabong for his Melbourne boarding-s

said Wally, his keen face looking as though it never could grow weary

ave a special beef-tea diet for you, and bat

be sorry you were so disresp

ah's bump of respect isn't highly developed, even for me. You'll write

the house wear off all her curls over the acc

said his father. "Now, bo

door upon them, and stood back at attention, as they drove off. From an upper win

all stamped about the platf

d Jim. "We'll be home in n

me all your socks when they wa

ips before the final bell rings. Then the train came in sight, the elderly porter, expectant of a tip, bustled mightily with suit-cases

father looked

e. "Now I suppose we ha

st as they were getting in, the a

le come by that tr

sad Irish eyes, was limping out of th

s Con!" N

ffeur. "And the gerrls I hav

't write," Mr

the way with Patsy he'll likely think it'll do in a day or two as well as any time." And as a matter of fact, the telegram duly arrived th