"It--it was a liberty." Tommy's guffaw sounded from the verandah.

It went into a greeting of Monck who came up unexpectedly at the moment and sat down on a wicker-chair to examine a handful of papers.

Stella, working within the room, looked up swiftly at his coming, but if he had so much as glanced in her direction he was fully engrossed with the matter in hand ere she had time to observe it.

He had been out since early morning and she had not seen him for several hours.
Tessa, who possessed at times an almost uncanny shrewdness, left her and went to stand on one leg in the doorway.

"Most people," she observed, "say 'Hullo!' to their wives when they come in." "Very intelligent of 'em," said Tommy.