'Nothing,' he answered not looking at her.
'Oh yes there is. I can tell,' she returned. 'Besides you said just now you was worried over me.'
'Oh honey,' he broke out sudden, 'I do love you so.'
'Of course,' she replied bright.
'Give us a kiss dear please.'
'What here?' she asked. 'Where someone will come in any minute?'
'I didn't realize I could love anyone the way I love you. I thought I'd lived too long.'
'You thought you'd lived too long?' and she laughed in her throat.
'I can't property see myself these days,' Raunce went on looking sideways past her at the red eye of a deer's stuffed head. 'Why I'm altogether changed,' he said. 'But look love, no man's younger than his age. There's more'n twenty years between us.'
'I like a man that's a man and not a lad,' she murmured.
'Yes but the years fly fast,' he answered. To think of Albert old enough to enlist.'
'He's upset you your lad has isn't that right?'
'Yes Edie,' Raunce said wondering. 'It did give me a turn I must confess.'
'Why?' she asked grim.
'Well it looks like we're out of it over in Eire as we are or whatever they call this country of savages. D'you get me? I can't seem able to express myself but there you are. Away from it somehow.'
'That's what we want to be surely?'
'Yes dear.'
'I mean you're too old. They'd never take you could they?'
'They'd never take me over here. Not if de Valera keeps 'em out.'
'Well we're not crossin' over to the other side are we?' She looked sharp at him. He seemed dreamy.
'No,' he answered, 'we're not. Not so long as we can find that ring,' he said. 'And keep the house from bein' burned down over our heads. Or Mrs Jack from running off with the Captain so Mrs Tennant goes over for good to England.'
'Why Charley,' she objected soft, 'there's other places.'
'Not without we find that ring,' he said.
'But I thought you was bringing your mother across,' she said and seemed bitter. She was about to go on when Kate stuck her head in at the door.
'Ho,' this girl announced, 'so you're still 'ere. An' what about the work?" she asked Edith. T'm not carryin' on alone let me tell you.'
'I won't be a minute,' Edith answered.
'I know your minutes. I've 'ad some,' Kate remarked.
'And there's the children,' Edith said remembering. They'll want their walk.'
'Then I fancy I'll lay me down on my bed. I feel faint,' Kate suggested in Agatha's voice.
'What?' Raunce asked as though confused. 'And with Mrs Ten-nant returning the day after to-morrow?'
'Oh go drown yourself,' Kate said and slammed the door.
'Holy smoke look what we're coming to,' Raunce muttered under his breath.
But Edith laughed. 'Come on slow coach,' she invited giving him a light kiss on his forehead as she got up. 'Here wait a tick,' he cried as if waking. 'Come to father beautiful,' he called. Only by the time he was on his feet she was gone.
He began to clear away the dinner things for his lad Albert. He surprised himself doing it.
When later that afternoon Edith came into Raunce's room to find him unconscious with his feet on the other chair, he awoke with a start. 'Why me love here I am,' he remarked as if to say you see I don't come out of a good sleep bad-tempered.
'It's me that's worried now all right,' she announced.
'How's that?' he asked.
'They won't tell where they've hid the ring.'
He was wide awake at once.
'You're certain they've got it?'
'I know that for sure,' she answered, 'Miss Moira wouldn't lie to me.'
'You give me just five minutes alone with young Albert.'
'No dear,' she said, 'we don't want more trouble with Mrs Welch.'
'Just five minutes. That's all I need.'
'It won't do dear. If only I had more time. But she'll be back Monday.'
'Mrs Tennant you mean?' he asked. 'Well all I can say is if 'er own grandchildren have took it the little thieves I don't see what she can say to us.'
'Then what were you on about when you came out at dinnertime that if we couldn't discover the ring we'd never get another place in Ireland?'
'Did I say that?'
'You did dear,' she told him. 'An' you went on that they'd clap you in the Army soon as ever you stepped off the boat over in Britain.'