He gave a laugh with a triumphant note in it.
“Well, my ship is in and a very large one it is at that.”
‘It is like old times,’ Thalia thought, to have her father boasting of his triumphs, elated by some success and seeming to make everything he said an excitement in itself.
He bent and kissed his wife again before he said,
“Get your cloak and your bonnet, my beloved. We are leaving at once and, if we hurry, we will be home in time for a late dinner.”
“But, Denzil, there are no servants.”
“That is where you will get a surprise,” her husband said. “I went home first expecting to find you there. Then I heard what had happened and I told nearly everyone in the village to come and look after us, until we have things organised. They will do it, you can be sure of that.”
“Oh, Denzil, it d
