They are like the baton of an orchestra leader and tell the whole story.

Only men whose blood and lineage have earned them freedom from toil, or men whose brains throb clear to their finger-tips, have such hands.

Yes! St.George is very happy to-night, and I know why.

He has something on his mind that he means to tell us later on." Mrs.Cheston was right: she generally was--St.George did have something on his mind--something very particular on his mind--a little speech really which was a dead secret to everybody except prying Mrs.
Cheston--one which was to precede the uncorking of that wonderful old Madeira, and the final announcement of the engagement--a little speech in which he meant to refer to their two dear mothers when they were girls, recalling traits and episodes forgotten by most, but which from their very loveliness had always lingered in his heart and memory.
Before this important event took place, however, there were some matters which he intended to look after himself, one of them being the bowl of punch and its contiguous beverages in the colonel's den.

This seemed to be the storm centre to-night, and here he determined, even at the risk of offending his host, to set up danger-signals at the first puff of wind.