In the morning he made a show of shutting himself up to meditate the theme of his discourse, but his sister presently saw him straying about the garden, and as soon as her household duties left her at leisure she was called upon to gossip and laugh with him.

The Polterham Examiner furnished material for endless jesting.

In the midst of a flow of grotesque fancies, he broke off to say: "By-the-bye, I shall have to run over to Paris for a few weeks." "What to do there ?" "A private affair.

You shall hear about it afterwards." And he went on with his mirthful fantasia.

This mood had been frequent with him in earlier years, and his sister was delighted to see that he preserved so much of youth.