waste of time.

She was just going to hang up the receiver when all at once the
expression of her face altered. From being good-humoured, if slightly
impatient, it became watchful, and her eyes narrowed as was their way
when Janet Tosswill was "upset" about anything. She had suddenly heard,
with startling clearness, the words:--"Is that Old Place, Beechfield? If
so, Mr. Godfrey Radmore would like to speak to Mrs. Tosswill."

She was so surprised, so taken aback that for a moment she said nothing.
At last she answered very quietly:--"Tell Mr. Radmore that Mrs. Tosswill
is here waiting on the 'phone."

There was another longish pause, and then, before anything else happened,
Janet Tosswill experienced an odd sensation; it was as if she felt the
masterful, to her not over-attractive, presence of Godfrey Radmore
approaching the other end of the line. A moment later, she knew he was
there, within earshot, but silent.

"Is that you, Godfrey? We thought you were in Australia. Have you been
home long?"

The answer came at once, in the deep, resonant, once familiar voice--the
voice no one had heard in Old Place for nine years--nine years with the
war having happened in between.

"Indeed no, Janet! I've only been back a very short time." (She noticed
he did not say how long.) "And I want to know when I may come down and
see you all? I hope you and Mr. Tosswill will believe me when I say it
wasn't my fault that I didn't come to Beechfield last year. I hadn't a