ot make up her mind, when it
came to the point, to follow Richard's advice and treat him coldly. She
did, however, tell him that his help would be worth a great deal more
to her if he talked less and did not always look for an answer to what
he said. But Purdy was not to be quashed. He had taken it into his head
that she was badly treated, in being left "to slave" alone, within the
oven's radius; and he was very hard on Jinny, whom he had espied
comfortably dandling her child on the front verandah. "I'd like to
wring the bloomin' kid's neck!"

"Purdy, for shame!" cried Mary outraged. "It's easy to see you're still
a bachelor. Just wait, sir, till you have children of your own!"

Under her guidance he bore stacks of plates across the yard to the
dining-room--where the blinds were lowered to keep the room cool--and
strewed these, and corresponding knives and forks, up and down the
tables. He also carried over the heavy soup-tureen in which was the
claret-cup. But he had a man's slippery fingers, and, between these and
his limp, Mary trembled for the fate of her crockery. He made her
laugh, too, and distracted her attention; and she was glad when it was
time for him to return to barracks.

"Now come early to-night," she admonished him. "And mind you bring your
music. Miss Amelia's been practising up that duet all the week. She'll
be most disappointed if you don't ask her to sing with you."

On the threshold of the kitchen Purdy set his fingers to his nose in
the probable direction of Miss Amelia; then performed some skittish
female twists and turns about the yard. "So hoarse, love ... a bad cold
... not in voice!" Mary laughed afresh, and ordered him off.

But when he had gone she looked grave, and out of an oddly disquieting
feeling said to herself: "I do hope he'll be on his best behaviour
to-night, and not tread on Richard's toes."

As it was, she had to inform her husband of something that she knew
would displease him. John had come back in the course of the afternoon
and announced, without ceremony, that he had extended an invitation to
the Devines for the evening.

"It's quite true what's being said, dear," Mary strove to soothe
Richard, as she helped him make a hasty toilet in the bathroom. "Mr.
Devine is going to stand for Parliament; and he has promised his
support, if he gets in, to some measure John has at heart. John wants
to have a long talk with him to-night."

But Richard was exceedingly put out. "W