"Another night, then," she said.

He felt he was winning. No girl withstood him long.

"No, to-night. Another thing--I want to know you better. This
arrangement is all new to me. There was a nurse here in your place
when I went. I've hardly spoken to you. Have you ever been abroad?"

"No."

"Well, I'll tell you--and the kids--some of my adventures while you're
tubbing 'em. Lead on."

She was at the night-nursery door. Evidently this man would not see
her conventional reason for not wishing him at the tubbing. Angela had
grown a biggish girl since he went away.

She said, "Please not to-night."

"I'm jolly well coming," he chuckled.

The lesson of dependence was wilfully forgotten. Mary agreed with
Angela and David: she hated this Bob.

"No," she said sharply, "you are not."

He had thrown his cigar into the grate; taken out another; stooped to
the hearth to scratch a match. His back was to her; to him all her
tone conveyed was that a "rag" was on hand.