"I am hungry, dear," she called over the banisters, "and so are you,
only you don't know it! Crawl out of your long grass, and make yourself
presentable before the gong sounds; or I shall send bananas for one, to
your study!"

"All right!" he shouted; gave Helen's message to the butler; then went
through the billiard-room, whistling gaily.

"Why, she is as keen as I am," he said to himself, as he turned on the
hot and cold water taps. "And she is perfectly right about not coming
with me. Of course it's jolly hard to leave her; but I believe I shall
do better work alone."

His mind went back to Helen's bright face in the doorway. He realised
her mastery, for his sake, of her own dread of the parting.

"What a brick she is!" he said. "Always so perfectly plucky. I don't
believe any other fellow in the world has such a wife as Helen!"




CHAPTER III

HELEN TAKES THE INITIATIVE


Having once made up her mind that it was right and wise to let Ronnie
go, Helen did not falter. She immediately took control of all necessary