She went with him into the drawing-room, where tea awaited them.

“I’m not wet through,” she declared, “and I’m not going to let you take off my boots.  You may, if you are very anxious, give me some tea.”

Bertie pulled up a chair to the fire and put her into it; then turned aside and began to make the tea.

Dot lay back with her feet in the fender and watched him.  She was looking very tired, and now that the smile had faded from her face this was the more apparent.

When he brought her her tea she reached up, caught his hand, and held it for a moment against her cheek.

“One’s own fireside is so much nicer than anyone else’s,” she said.  “We’ll have a nice cosy talk presently.  How is Luke to-day?”

“Not quite so flourishing.  A brute of a dog howled in the night and woke him up.  He didn’t get his proper sleep afterwards.”

“Poor old Luke!  What a shame!”

“Yes, it made a difference.  He has been having neuralgia down his spine nearly all day.  I believe he’s worrying too.  I’m going back after dinner to see if I can do anything.  I manage to read him to sleep sometimes, you know.”

“Shall I come too?” said Dot.

“No.”  Bertie spoke with decision.  “You had better go to bed yourself.”

She made a face at him.  “I shall do nothing of the sort.  I shall sit up and do the Clothing Club accounts.”

Bertie frowned abruptly.  “Not to-night, Dot.”

“Yes, to-night.  They have got to be done, and I can think better at night.”

“You are not to do them to-night,” Bertie said, with determination.  “I will do them myself if they must be done.”

“My dear boy, you!  You would never understand my book-keeping.  Just imagine the muddle you would make!  No, I must get through them myself, and since I must spend the time somehow till you come home, why shouldn’t I do them to-night?”

“Because I forbid it,” said Bertie unexpectedly.

He was standing on the rug, cup in hand.  He looked straight down at her with the words, meeting her surprised eyes with most unwonted sternness.

Dot raised her eyebrows as high as they would go, kept them so for several seconds, then very deliberately lowered them and began to stir her tea.

“You understand me, don’t you?” he said.

She shook her head.  “Not in the least.  I don’t think I have ever met you before, have I?”

He set his cup upon the mantelpiece and went suddenly down on his knees by her side.  “I haven’t been taking proper care of you,” he said.  “But I’m going to begin right now.  Do you know when you came in just now you gave me an absolute shock?”

She laughed faintly, her eyes fixed upon her cup “I didn’t know I was looking such a fright.”

“You can never look anything but sweet to me,” he said.  “But it’s a fact you’re not looking well.  I’m sure you are doing too much.”