Her gathering ill-
temper disappeared with the promptitude of a flash. It was a muddy
night; the Major had not carefully wiped his boots, and the footmarks
were all over the floor. She saw them, but they were nothing.
"My dear Mrs. Coleman, how are you? What a blessing to be here again
in your comfortable quarters."
"Really, Major Maitland, it is very good of you to say so. I am very
glad to see you again. Where have you been? I thought we had lost
you for ever."
Caillaud and his daughter had followed. They bowed to her formally,
and she begged them to be seated.
"Then, my dear madam," continued the Major, laughing, "you must have
thought me dead. You might have known that if I had not been dead I
must have come back."
She coloured just a trifle, but made no reply further than to invite
all the company to have supper.
Zachariah was somewhat surprised. He did not know what sort of a
supper it could be; but he was silent. She asked Pauline to take off
her bonnet, and then proceeded to lay the cloth. For five minutes,
or perhaps ten minutes, she disappeared, and then there came, not
only bread and cheese, but cold ham, a plentiful supply of beer, and,
more wonderful still, a small cold beefsteak pie.
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