It wanted a few minutes to sunset. Everything stood motionless bathed in bright, metallic light and from the paddocks on either side there streamed the milky scent of ripe grass. The iron gates were open. They dashed through and up the drive and round the island, stopping at the exact middle of the verandah. “Did she satisfy yer, Sir?” said Pat, getting off the box and grinning at his master. “Very well indeed, Pat,” said Stanley. Linda came out of the glass door; her voice rang in the shadowy quiet. “Hullo! Are you home again?” At the sound of her his heart beat so hard that he could hardly stop himself dashing up the steps and catching her in his arms. “Yes, I’m home again. Is everything all right?” Pat began to lead the buggy round to the side gate that opened into the courtyard. “Here, half a moment,” said Burnell. “Hand me those two parcels.” And he said to Linda, “I’ve brought you back a bottle of oysters and a pineapple,” as though he had brought her back all the harvest of the earth. They went into the hall; Linda carried the oysters in one hand and the pineapple in the other. Burnell shut the glass door, threw his hat down, put his arms round her and strained her to him, kissing the top of her head, her ears, her lips, her eyes. “Oh, dear! Oh, dear!” said she. “Wait a moment. Let me put down these silly things,” and she put the bottle of oysters and the pine on a little carved chair. “What have you got in your button-hole—cherries?” She took them out and hung them over his ear. “Don’t do that, darling. They are for you.” So she took them off his ear again. “You don’t mind if I save them. They’d spoil my appetite for dinner. Come and see your children. They are having tea.” The lamp was lighted on the nursery table. Mrs. Fairfield was cutting and spreading bread and butter. The three little girls sat up to table wearing large bibs embroidered with their names. They wiped their mouths as their father came in ready to be kissed. The windows were open; a jar of wild flowers stood on the mantelpiece, and the lamp made a big soft bubble of light on the ceiling. “You seem pretty snug, mother,” said Burnell, blinking at the light. Isabel and Lottie sat one on either side of the table, Kezia at the bottom—the place at the top was empty. “That’s where my boy ought to sit,” thought Stanley. He tightened his arm round Linda’s shoulder. By God, he was a perfect fool to feel as happy as this! “We are, Stanley. We are very snug,” said Mrs. Fairfield, cutting Kezia’s bread into fingers. “Like it better than town—eh, children?” asked Burnell. “Oh, yes,” said the three little girls, and Isabel added as an after-thought: “Thank you very much indeed, father dear.” “Come upstairs,” said Linda. “I’ll bring your slippers.” But the stairs were too narrow for them to go up arm in arm. It was quite dark in the room. He heard her ring tapping on the marble mantelpiece as she felt for the matches.