There was sponge-cake and shortbread, a dish of fruit, and delicious bread-and-butter.

The beautiful teacups were Malcolm's own property, and had been picked up by him at a fabulous price in Wardour Street, and the little melon-shaped teapot had been a present from his mother.

Verity always washed up these teacups herself.

She said it was just for the pleasure of handling such lovely things, but in reality she knew Hepsy's clumsy fingers were not to be trusted.
Anna had only taken her place at the tea-tray, and was manipulating the curiously-shaped sugar-tongs rather carefully, when Malcolm looked at her a little searchingly.

"Hurry up," he said severely; "how long do you suppose I am going to wait for your opinion of the Keston family ?" Then Anna, who had been vaguely alarmed by his judicial tone, filled up the teacups with a reassured air and in a leisurely manner.