He whistled cheerily to himself as he wended his leisurely way through the dripping lane that made the shortest cut to his home.  It would be nice to have the little girl home again.  Lydia was all very well—­a good wife, as wives went—­but there was no doubt about it that Dinah’s presence made a considerable difference to his comfort.  The child was quick to forestall his wants; he sometimes thought that she was even more useful to him than a valet would have been.  He had missed her more than he would have dreamed possible.

Lydia had missed her too; he was sure of that.  She had been peculiarly short of temper lately.  Not that he ever took much notice; he was too used to her tantrums for that.  But it certainly was more comfortable when Dinah was at home to bear the brunt of them.  Yes, on the whole he was quite pleased that the little girl was coming back.  It would make a difference to him in many ways.

He wondered what time she would arrive.  He had known, but he had forgotten.  He believed it was to be some time in the evening.  Her grand friends had arranged to stay at Great Mallowes, three miles, away for the night, and one of them—­the maid probably—­was to bring Dinah home.  He had smiled over this arrangement, and Lydia had openly scoffed at it.  As if a girl of Dinah’s age were not capable of travelling alone!  But then of course she had been ill, very ill according to all accounts; and it was quite decent of them to bestow so much care upon her.

He fell to wondering if the child had got spoilt at all during her long absence from home and the harsh discipline thereof.  If so, there was a hard time before her; for Lydia was never one to stand any nonsense.  She had always been hard on her first-born, unreasonably hard, he sometimes thought; though it was not his business to interfere.  The task of chastising the daughter of the family was surely the mother’s exclusive prerogative; and certainly Lydia had carried it out very thoroughly.  And if at times he thought her over-severe, he could not deny that the result achieved was eminently satisfactory.  Dinah was always docile and active in his service—­altogether a very good child; and this was presumably due to her mother’s training.  No, on the whole he had not much fault to find with either of them.  Doubtless Lydia understood her own sex best.

He was nearing the end of the long lane; it terminated close to his home.  Rupert quickened his pace.  They were both splashed with mud from shoulder to heel.  They had both had more than enough of the wet and the slush.

“That’s right, Rupert, my boy!” the man murmured.  “Finish in style!”

They came out from beneath the over-arching trees, emerging upon the high road that led from Great Mallowes to Perrythorpe.  The hoot of a motor-horn caused Rupert to prick his ears, and his master reined him back as two great, shining head-lights appeared round a curve.  They drew swiftly near, flashed past, and were gone meteor-like into the gloom.