Captain Jim Part 25

"Why we _must_ have them," Norah said. She made a swift mental calculation. "Yes--we can manage it."

"You're sure," asked her father, evidently relieved. "I was afraid it might be too much for the house; and I would be very sorry to put them off."

"Put off Australians, even if one of them wasn't Harry!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Norah. "We couldn't do it! How will you get them, Dad?"

"I'll telephone to their hotel at once," said her father. "Shall I tell them to come to-day?"

"Oh, yes. You can arrange the train, Dad. Now I'll go and see Mrs.

Atkins."

"'Tis yourself has great courage entirely," said her father, looking at her respectfully. "I'd rather tackle a wild buffalo!"

"I'm not sure that I wouldn't," returned Norah. "However, she's all the buffalo I've got, so I may as well get it over." She turned as she reached the door. "Tell old Harry how glad we are, Dad. And don't you think you ought to let Jim know?"

"Yes--I'll ring him up too." And off went Norah, singing. Three Australians--in "dear little Surrey!" It was almost too good to be true.

But Mrs. Atkins did not think so. She was sorting linen, with a sour face, when Norah entered her sanctum and made known her news. The housekeeper remained silent for a moment.

"Well, I don't see how we're to manage, miss," she said at length.

"The house is pretty full as it is."

"There is the big room with two single beds," Norah said. "We can put a third bed in. They won't mind being together."

Mrs. Atkins sniffed.

"It isn't usual to crowd people like that, miss."

"It won't matter in this case," said Norah.

"Did you say Australians, miss?" asked the housekeeper. "Officers?"

"One is an officer."

"And the others, miss?"

"I don't know--privates, very possibly," said Norah. "It doesn't matter."

"Not matter! Well, upon my word!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Mrs. Atkins. "Well, all I can say, miss, is that it's very funny. And how do you think the maids are going to do all that extra work?"

Norah began to experience a curious feeling of tingling.

"I am quite sure the maids can manage it," she said, commanding her voice with an effort. "For one thing, I can easily help more than I do now."

"We're not accustomed in this country to young ladies doing that sort of thing," said Mrs. Atkins. Her evil temper mastered her. "And your pet cook, the fine lady who's too grand to sit with me----"

Norah found her voice suddenly calm.

"You mustn't speak to me like that, Mrs. Atkins," she said, marvelling at her own courage. "You will have to go away if you can't behave properly."

Mrs. Atkins choked.

"Go away!" she said thickly. "Yes, I'll go away. I'm not going to stay in a house like this, that's no more and no less than a boarding-house! You and your friend the cook can----"

"Be quiet, woman!" said a voice of thunder. Norah, who had shrunk back before the angry housekeeper, felt a throb of relief as Allenby strode into the room. At the moment there was nothing of the butler about him--he was Sergeant Allenby, and Mrs. Atkins was simply a refractory private.

"I won't be quiet!" screamed the housekeeper. "I----"

"You will do as you're told," said Allenby, dropping a heavy hand on her shoulder. "That's enough, now: not another word. Now go to your room. Out of 'ere, or I'll send for the police."

Something in the hard, quiet voice filled Mrs. Atkins with terror.

She cast a bitter look at Norah, and then slunk out of the room.

Allenby closed the door behind her.

"I'm very sorry, miss," he said--butler once more. "I hope she didn't frighten you."

"Oh, no--only she was rather horrible," said Norah. "Whatever is the matter with her, Allenby? I hadn't said anything to make her so idiotic."

"I've been suspecting what was the matter these last three days," said Allenby darkly. "Look 'ere, miss." He opened a cupboard, disclosing rows of empty bottles. "I found these 'ere this morning when she was in the kitchen: I'd been missing bottles from the cellar. She must have another key to the cellar-door, 'owever she managed it."

There came a tap at the door, and Mr. Linton came in--to have the situation briefly explained to him.

"I wouldn't have had it happen for something," he said angrily. "My poor little girl, I didn't think we were letting you in for this sort of thing."

"Why, you couldn't help it," Norah said. "And she didn't hurt me--she was only unpleasant. But I think we had better keep her out of Miss de Lisle's way, or she might be hard to handle."

"That's so, miss," said Allenby. "I'll go and see. 'Ard to 'andle!

I should think so!"

"See that she packs her box, Allenby," said Mr. Linton. "I'll write her cheque at once, and Con can take her to the station as soon as she is ready. She's not too bad to travel, I suppose?"

"She's not bad at all, sir. Only enough to make her nasty."

"Well, she can go and be nasty somewhere else," said Mr. Linton.

"Very well, Allenby." He turned to Norah, looking unhappy. "Whatever will you do, my girl?--and this houseful of people! I'd better telephone Harry and put his party off."

"Indeed you won't," said Norah, very cheerfully. "I'll manage, Dad.

Don't you worry. I'm going to talk to Miss de Lisle."

The cook-lady was not in the kitchen. Katty, washing vegetables diligently, referred Norah to her sitting-room, and there she was found, knitting a long khaki m.u.f.fler. She heard the story in silence.

"So I must do just the best I can, Miss de Lisle," Norah ended. "And I'm wondering if you think I must really advertise for another housekeeper. It didn't seem to me that Mrs. Atkins did much except give orders, and surely I can do that, after a little practice."

Norah flushed, and looked anxious. "Of course I don't want to make a mess of the whole thing. I know the house must be well run."

"Well," said Miss de Lisle, knitting with feverish energy, "I couldn't have said it if you hadn't asked me, but as you have, I would like to propose something. Perhaps it may sound as if I thought too much of myself, but with a cook like me you don't need a housekeeper. I have a conscience: and I know how things ought to be run. So my proposal is this, and you and your father must just do as you like about it.

Why not make me cook-housekeeper?"

"Oh, but could you?" Norah cried delightedly. "Wouldn't it be too much work?"

"I don't think so--of course I'm expecting that you're going to help in supervising things. I can teach you anything. You see, Katty is a treasure. I back down in all I ever thought about Irish maids," said the cook-lady, parenthetically. "And she makes me laugh all day, and I wouldn't be without her for anything. Give me a smart boy in the kitchen for the rough work; then Katty can do more of the plain cooking, which she'll love, and I shall have more time out of the kitchen. Now what do you say?"