head. "Now look, miss," he said. "You just leave them
women to me; I'll fix them. And don't you worry."

"Oh, thank you, Allenby," said Norah gratefully. She followed in her
father's wake, leaving the butler to advance upon the wrathful figure
that yet blocked the side doorway.

In the billiard-room all her men-folk were gathered, looking guilty.

"It's awful to see you all huddling together here out of the storm!"
said Norah, laughing. "Isn't it all terrible! Do you think we'll
ever settle down, Daddy?"

"Indeed, I wouldn't be too certain," responded Mr. Linton gloomily.
"How did you get on, Norah? Was she anything like Miss de Lisle?
That's an appalling woman! She ought to stand for Parliament!"

"She's not like Miss de Lisle, but I'm not sure that she's any nicer,"
said Norah. "She's very skinny and vinegarish. I say, Daddy, aren't
we going to have a wild time!"

"Well, if she and the cook-lady get going the encounter should be
worth seeing," remarked Jim. "Talk about the Kilkenny cats!"

"I only hope it will come off before we go," said Wally gleefully.
"We haven't had much war yet, have we, Jim? I think we deserve to see
a little."

"I should much prefer it in some one else's house," said Mr. Linton
with haste. "But it's bound to come, I should think, and then I shall
be called in as referee. Well, Australia was never like this. Still,
there are compensations."

He went out, returning in a moment with a battered hat of soft grey
felt.

"Now you'll be happy!" said Norah, laughing.

"I am," responded her father. He put on the hat with tender care. "I
haven't been so comfortable since I was in Ireland. It's one of the
horrors of war that David Linton of Billabong has worn a stiff bowler
hat for nearly a year!"

"Never mind, no one in Australia would believe it unless they saw it
photographed!" said Jim soothingly. "And it hasn't had to be a
top-hat, so you really haven't had to bear the worst."

"That is certainly something," said his father. "In the dim future I
suppose you and Norah may get married; but I warn you here and now
that you needn't expect me to appear in a top-hat. However, there's
no need to face these problems yet, thank goodness. Suppose we leave
the kitchen to fight it out alone, and go and inspect the cottage?"

It nestled at the far side of a belt of shrubbery: a cheery, thatched
place, with wide casement windows that looked out on a trim stretch of
grass.