"No chance of an expedition to-day!" I said, rather drearily, as I stood at the window gazing out, but Moore seemed inclined to take things philosophically.
"I'm afraid not," he said, as he joined me, his hands in his pockets, a somewhat superior air about him. "Not for you at least, Reggie. It may clear up by late afternoon, enough for me to get out a bit, but the roads will be terrible, it's coming down so heavily."
"I don't see why I shouldn't go out as well as you if it clears at all," I said. "You forget that I am less sensitive to cold than you, since you were ill!"
If I had thought a moment I would not have said this, knowing what boy nature is as to any precautionary measures for health. I was surprised that my not very tactful speech did not seem to annoy my brother.
"I don't know about that," was all he said in reply. "I'm ever so much tougher than I was, and at worst, I have the advantage over you of having no flapping skirts to soak up the wet."
No more was said just then. We got through the day comfortably enough. I amused myself, as one can always do on a wet day when away from one's people, by writing a long letter home; Moore entertaining himself, so far as I saw him during the morning, with a wonderful "find" in the shape of a collection of old bound volumes of _Punch_--dating back years before their present reader had honoured the world by his presence. I overheard him chuckling quietly to himself now and then, as he sat in his corner, and the sound was pleasant to my ears for more reasons than one. I was glad that he was not feeling bored, and I was relieved to think that the suppressed excitement which I had begun to suspect his manner had no existence except in my fancy.
"I don't believe," I said to myself with satisfaction, "I don't _think_ there can be anything brewing in his brain," and in this comfortable state of mind I passed the greater part of the day, reassuring myself now and then by taking a peep at the boy whenever I lost sight of him for many minutes at a time.
We had tea together, of course, very comfortably in the library, which we had chosen in preference to the drawing-room during our _tete-a-tete_ days, and Moore did full justice to the cakes which Isabel before she left home had taken care to order in profusion for his, or our, delectation.