For a moment I gazed at her....

Then I kissed the red, red lips.

So we comforted one another.

* * * * *

The unexpected arrival of the laundry van at five minutes to eight, with, amongst other things, a month’s table-linen, had pardonably dislocated the service of dinner.

Whilst the table was being relaid we spent the time in the library, gathered about the violet-tongued comfort of a chestnut-root fire.

“You know,” said Jonah, looking up from an armchair, “if we don’t——­Good Heavens!” His exclamation was so violent that we all jumped.  “Why,” he cried, staring at Adele, “you’ve found them!”

A common cry of amazement broke from Daphne, Berry and Jill, and our guest started guiltily and put a hand to her throat.

“O-o-oh, I “—­she shot an appealing glance at me—­“we quite forgot.  Boy found them in the garden, whilst he was combing Nobby.”

Berry looked round.

“You hear?” he said.  “They quite forgot....  They stumble upon jewels worth a month of strike pay—­baubles whose loss has stupefied the County, and forget to mention it.  And I spent two hours this afternoon in a gas-mask studying the plan of the drains and calculating whether, if the second manhole was opened and a gorgonzola put down to draw the fire, Jonah could reach the grease-trap before he became unconscious.”  He raised his eyes to heaven and groaned.  “The only possible excuse,” he added, “is that you’re both in....”

His voice tailed off, as he met Adele’s look, and he got suddenly upon his feet.

Jonah stood up, too.

Daphne took Adele’s hands in hers and turned to me a face radiant with expectation.

Jill caught at my sleeve and began to tremble.  I put my arm about her and looked round.

“We plead that excuse,” I said.

For a moment nobody moved.

Then Jonah limped to my dear and put her hand to his lips.  Adele stooped and kissed him.

“You beautiful darling,” breathed my sister.  “Sargent shall paint you, and you shall hang at the foot of the stairs.”

The two kissed one another tenderly.

Then Adele stretched out her white arms to grey-eyed Jill.  My little cousin just clung to her.

“Oh, Adele,” she whispered, “I’m so glad.  B-but you won’t go away?  He and you’ll stay with us, won’t you?”

“If you want me, darling.”

Berry cleared his throat.

“Of course,” he said, “as the head of the family—­the overlord—­I should have come first.  However, I shall kiss her ‘Good night’ instead.  Possibly I shall ker-rush her to me.”  He turned to me.  “This will be the second time within my memory that a Pleydell has married above him.”

“Very true,” said I.  “When was the first?”

“When I married your sister.”

I nodded dreamily.

“I think,” I said, “I think I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth.”