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And that night they left for Silverside without him. During that week-end at Silverside Boots behaved like a school-lad run wild. With Drina's hand in his, half a dozen dogs as advanced guard, and heavily flanked by the Gerard battalion, he scoured the moorlands from Surf Point to the Hither Woods; from Wonder Head to Sky Pond.
"But I know you had rather remain at Silverside, so I won't turn around and surprise you here in Manhattan town. "And now your next question: Yes, Boots is well, and I will give him Drina's love, and I will try my best to bring him to Silverside when I come. Boots is still crazed with admiration for his house.
Voices were sounding in his ears Drina's laughter, Lansing's protest; Billy shouting to his eager pack; his sister's calm tones, admonishing the young and through it all, her voice, clear, hauntingly sweet, pronouncing his name. And he set his lean jaws tight and took a new grip on his pipe-stem, and stared, with pain-dulled eyes, at the white wall opposite.
Thinking of death, impersonally, he sat watching the flames playing above the heavy log; and as he lay there in his chair, the unlighted pipe drooping in his hands, the telephone on the desk rang, and he rose and unhooked the receiver. Drina's voice sounded afar, and: "Hello, sweetheart!" he said gaily; "is there anything I can do for your youthful highness?"
Nina had laid a cool smooth hand across her forehead, pushing back the hair a light caress, sensitive as an unasked question. But there was no response, and presently the elder woman rose and went out along the landing, and Eileen heard her laughingly greeting Boots, who had arrived post-haste on news of Drina's plight.
" Quite crazy about you," she continued, "and you're to be included in bedtime prayers, I believe No sugar? Lemon? Drina's mad about you and threatens to give you her new maltese puppy. I congratulate you on your popularity." "Did you see me in the nursery on all fours?" inquired Selwyn, recognising her bronze-red hair. Unfeigned laughter was his answer. He laughed, too, not very heartily.
It being also the children's dinner supper and bed occurring from five to six meat figured on the card, and Kit-Ki's purring increased to an ecstatic and wheezy squeal, and her rigid tail, as she stood up on Drina's lap, was constantly brushing Selwyn's features.
Then she observed something else; the child was extraordinarily truthful; whatever punishment might follow, she never told a lie. Firm, very firm, the new governess yet had the sense to see that all the firmness in the world would be useless, unless she could win her way into little Drina's heart. She did so, and there were no more difficulties.
Both Selwyn and Lansing cut in coolly, dismissing the matter with a careless word or two; and coffee was served cambric tea in Drina's case. "Come on," said Boots, slipping a bride-rose into Drina's curls; "I'm ready for confidences."
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