How often she had wondered whether he knew or not, feeling sure that he
MUST have heard the news at some of the many ports he had put
into since it had become a matter of public knowledge, and why he
allowed days and weeks, even months, to pass without making a sign.
There had always been the cables, anyway. She put it down to his
delicacy, his sense of the awkwardness of the situation, his
consideration for her.

"We will have tea first," she said, touching the bell-button. "Then we
shall not be disturbed any more. We can talk till dinner-time. Oh, how
I wish you could stay for dinner, and a long, long evening! But it is
better not to do things of that sort yet, don't you think? Better not
to run risks of making scandal now that there's no longer any need for
it."

"Much better," said Captain Carey firmly.

"And, after all, there are lots of ways that we can meet without doing
anything improper. I have thought of heaps. I can go to Sydney--I can
go home, for that matter; I am a perfectly free agent. And we have now
less than three-quarters of a year. Guthrie, I want you to let me have
the twelve months good. It is a long wait, I know, but we should feel
the benefit of it afterwards--"

"Hush-sh!"

She glanced down the room in alarm, and saw the door open to admit the
servant she had summoned. He brought teapot and kettle, hot cakes and
muffins, and arranged them with unnecessary carefulness on the little
table by the fireside. Hostess and guest watched his slow manoeuvres