She did not wholly withdraw his privilege of taking counsel with her, and he continued to go away freshened and calmed, leaving her to toss little sad reflections into the fire, and tremulously wonder whether the jewel of her love had flashed ever so little behind the eyes. They both saw it a conspicuous thing that as those three weeks went on, neither he nor she alluded even remotely to Mrs. Innes, but the fact remained, and they allowed it to remain.
Nevertheless, Madeline knew precisely when that lady was expected, and as she sauntered in the bazaar one morning, and heard Innes’s steps and voice behind her, her mind became one acute surmise as to whether he could possibly postpone the announcement any longer. But he immediately made it plain that this was his business in stopping to speak to her. ‘Good morning,’ he said, and then, ‘My wife comes tomorrow.’ He had not told her a bit of personal news, he had made her an official communication, as briefly as it could be done, and he would have raised his hat and gone on without more words if Madeline had not thwarted him. ‘What a stupidity for him to be haunted by afterward!’ was the essence of the thought that visited her; and she put out a detaining hand.
‘Really! By the Bombay mail, I suppose--no, an hour or so later; private tongas are always as much as that behind the mail.’
‘About eleven, I fancy. You--you are not inclined for a canter round Summer Hill before breakfast?’
‘I am terrified of Summer Hill. The Turk always misbehaves there. Yesterday he got one leg well over the khud--I WAS thankful he had four. Tell me, are you ready for Mrs. Innes--everything in the house? Is there anything I can do?
‘Oh, thanks very much! I don’t think so. The house isn’t ready, as a matter of fact, but two or three people have offered to put us up for a day or so until it is. I’ve left it open till my wife comes, as I dare say she has already arranged to go to somebody. What are you buying? Country tobacco, upon my word! For your men? That’s subversive of all discipline!’
The lines on his face relaxed; he looked at her with fond recognition of another delightful thing in her.
‘You give sugar-cane to your horses,’ she declared; ‘why shouldn’t I give tobacco to mine? Goodbye; I hope Mrs. Innes will like “Two Gables”. There are roses waiting for her in the garden, at all events.’