It was intimated that the Rossiter
Thursday afternoons of long ago would not be resumed until after the
peace. Linda therefore derived much consolation and satisfaction for
past injuries to her pride when Lady Vera--or Victoria--Freebooter
called one day just before Christmas and said "Oh--er--mother's let
our house till February and thinks we'd better--I mean the Marrybone
Guild of war-workers--meet at _your_ house instead"; and she,
Linda, had the opportunity of replying: "Oh, I'm sorry, _but_ It's
QUITE impossible. The Professor--I mean, Colonel Rossiter--and I are
so _very_ busy ... we are seeing _no_ one just now. Indeed we've
enlisted all the servants to help the Colonel in his work, so I
can't even offer you a cup of tea.... I must _rush_ back at once....
You'll excuse me?"
"That Rossiter woman is quite off her head with grandeur," said Lady
Vera to Lady Helen. "I expect Uncle Algy has let out that her
husband is in the New Year's honours."
And so he was. But Uncle Algy, though he might have babbled to his
nieces, had not written a word to the Rossiters. So they just
enjoyed Christmas--too much, they thought, more than any Christmas
before--in the simple satisfaction of being Colonel and Mrs.
Rossiter, all in all to each other, but rendered additionally happy
by making those about them happy. The little Adamses staggered under
their presents and had a Christmas Tree to which they were allowed
to ask their two grannies--Mrs.
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