“Of course not. I’ve not been sleeping well, and then yesterday was awful, Mrs. Honeywell went to the wedding. So inconsiderate of people getting married on a Monday.”

Sheila did not trouble to answer. She could not conceive why Monday should be an inconvenient day, they were all alike to her. Instead she thought of herself.

“When he gets leave will he come straight here?”

Gladys finished her coffee and got up to get on with her cooking.

“I should think so, as he’s no office left, and as he’s been ill”

“How will he come?”

“I don’t know. Train, I suppose.”

Sheila’s face was full of calculation.

“You’ll have to find out, everything. I can’t. If it’s a train I shall go and meet him somewhere down the line, and get in the same carriage with him.” It struck her that if she wanted Gladys’ most vivid help she must take a little interest in her affairs. “Have you thought how you’re working Saturday?”

Gladys could not slide into shifty schemes with Sheila’s casualness. She could not, as Sheila did, see herself as though taking part in a film, in which any method was fair. She flushed.

“Well, after Iris is in bed—the sun sets so ridiculously late with this double summertime—I thought you might take Janet up to the spare room to look at the sunset . . .”

Sheila giggled.

“Janet would think that awfully queer, looking at sunsets isn’t a bit like me.”

“Well, I can’t think of anything else.”

Sheila swallowed the last of her coffee.

“Can’t it be something to do with Iris? I mean, can’t you fix the big kissing act under Iris’ window? If Janet stays to supper it would be natural for her to put Iris to bed, and I can easily go up to say good night to the kid or something; actually, I quite like her, and then I can see Janet looks out of the window.”

“But Iris might look out.”

“Well, if she did, there’s no harm in kissing. I always wonder why there’s such a fuss made about it. Anyway, if you’re going to be her stepmother she’ll have to get used to the idea.”

“Don’t you mind getting your sister to look?” Gladys asked curiously. “I mean, if she’s fond of him she’s going to mind.”

Sheila was surprised.

“Goodness, no! I never liked her awfully. I don’t see why one should like a person just because she’s one’s sister.” She got up. “Well, thanks a lot for the coffee.”

Outside in the yard she ran into Donald. He was busy, but he paused a second for a word, for she made him laugh.

“We can use you,” he teased her; “we want some extra hands for harvest.”

“Actually I shan’t be here much longer. I’m going to work for N.A.A.F.I.”

He grinned.

“That ought to popularize army life.”

Sheila was delighted.

“Everybody teases me. Is Janet being a good governess?”

He became slightly on the defensive.