Her eyes were filled with light, but she veiled them quickly, and Bobby
wandered over to us. Old Goodwin had sat him down on the bank, and Tidda
had put into his hands some more clams dripping mud, and was asking his
advice, her elbows on his knees; and he listened soberly and with
interest.
Eve told Bobby of the meeting of our company for the next week and the
party.
He turned to me. "Doesn't that notice have to be in writing?" he asked.
I shook my head. "You'd better accept it. The whole company will turn
out. It's to be a party for Ogilvie--birthday party."
And Olivia pricked up her ears at that, and listened shamelessly while
Eve told Bobby about it.
"That's very good of you, Eve," he said, when she had finished. "I'll
tell Jimmy, and I'll get word to Ogilvie. We can come unless something
turns up. Something may turn up, you know, at any minute. We never
know. If a fleet of submarines should get over here, and should start
getting caught in our traps we'd have to go."
"Traps all set, Bobby?" I asked.
"Set but not baited," he replied. "I'm looking for bait now,
likely-looking little pigs, Adam, and for somebody to feed 'em, and keep
'em squealing. It would be interesting work, and a pleasant sail every
day. If you were really patriotic you'd be glad to do that much for your
country. But you won't. I see it in your eye. I'll have to do it
myself."
And he heaved a prodigious sigh, and turned to Elizabeth and Olivia, and
he began to talk lightly with them; and Olivia's face was all eagerness
and light and gentleness. She was beautiful so. Bobby noticed it, and
smiled at her, and talked to her for a minute or so, and she listened
in a sort of silent rapture, which Elizabeth observed. And Bobby,
glancing at Elizabeth, saw the changing light in those two deep pools,
and saw her half-smile of amusement, and forgot what he was saying to
Olivia, and stopped.
"You know, Miss Radnor," he said, forgetting the rest of us, "I have to
go in half an hour." It was a sort of challenge.