She found a large party gathered in the hall at tea on her return. A
laugh she knew fell on her ears as she entered, and an instant later she
was aware of Charlie springing to meet her, his brown face aglow with
the smile of welcome.

"How awfully good to meet you here, Molly!" he said, with that audacious
use of her Christian name against which no protest of hers seemed to
take any effect.

She shook hands with him and she tried to do it coldly, but his warm
grasp was close and lingering. She realised with something of a shock
that he really was as glad as he professed to be to see her again.

She went forward to the group around the fire and shook hands with all
she knew.

Captain Fisher was the last to receive this attention. He was standing
in the background. He moved forward half a pace to greet her. In his own
peculiar, dumb fashion he also seemed pleased to meet her there.

He had an untasted cup of tea in his hand which he hastened to pass on
to her.

"I shouldn't accept it if I were you," laughed Mrs. Langdale. "I saw ten
lumps of sugar go into it just now."

Fisher raised his eyebrows, but made no verbal protest. He never spoke
if a gesture would do as well.

Molly accepted the cup of tea with a gracious smile, and Fisher found