“Well, well,” said Archie, “it’s time for lunch.  We have had a riotous morning.  Let’s all take it easy this afternoon.”

III.—­UNEXPECTED GUESTS

Sometimes I do a little work in the morning.  Doctors are agreed now that an occasional spell of work in the morning doesn’t do me any harm.  My announcement at breakfast that this was one of the mornings was greeted with a surprised enthusiasm which was most flattering.  Archie offered me his own room where he does his thinking; Simpson offered me a nib; and Dahlia promised me a quiet time till lunch.  I thanked them all and settled down to work.

But Dahlia didn’t keep her promise.  My first hour was peaceful, but after that I had inquiries by every post.  Blair looked in to know where Myra was; Archie asked if I’d seen Dahlia anywhere; and when finally Thomas’s head appeared in the doorway I decided that I had had enough of it.

“Oh, I say,” began Thomas, “will you come and—­but I suppose you’re busy.”

“Not too busy,” I said, “to spare a word or two for an old friend,” and I picked up the dictionary to throw at him.  But he was gone before I could take aim.

“This is the end,” I said to myself, and after five minutes more decided to give up work and seek refreshment and congenial conversation.  To my surprise I found neither.  Every room seemed to be empty, the tennis lawn was deserted, and Archie’s cricket-bag and Simpson’s golf-clubs rested peacefully in the hall.  Something was going on.  I went back to my work and decided to have the secret out at lunch.

“Now then,” I said, when that blessed hour arrived, “tell me about it.  You’ve deserted me all morning, but I’m not going to be left out.”

“It’s your fault for shutting yourself up.”

“Duty,” I said, slapping my chest—­“duty,” and I knocked my glass over with an elbow.  “Oh, Dahlia, I’m horribly sorry.  May I go and stand in the corner?”

“Let’s talk very fast and pretend we didn’t notice it,” said Myra, helping me to mop.  “Go on, Archie.”

“Well, it’s like this,” said Archie.  “A little while ago the Vicar called here.”

“I don’t see that that’s any reason for keeping me in the background.  I have met clergymen before and I know what to say to them.”

“When I say a little while ago I mean about three weeks.  We’d have asked you down for the night if we’d known you were so keen on clergymen.  Well, as the result of that unfortunate visit, the school treat takes place here this afternoon, and lorblessme if I hadn’t forgotten all about it till this morning.”

“You’ll have to help, please,” said Dahlia.

“Only don’t spill anything,” said Thomas.

They have a poor sense of humour in the Admiralty.

. . . . . . .

I took a baby in each hand and wandered off to look for bees.  Their idea, not mine.