The purchase of that meerschaum had been a joy to Milo.

Its coloring had been a long and careful process.
And now, this bungler had smashed it into nothingness! Down on hands and knees went the big man, fumbling at the fragments.

Claire, knowing how her brother valued the pipe, ran to his side in eager sympathy.
Gavin Brice came to a sliding standstill against a heavy hall-table.

On this he leaned heavily for a moment or so above the tobacco jar he had so luckily salvaged from the wreckage.

His back to the preoccupied couple he flashed his sensitive fingers into the jar, collecting and thrusting into his pockets the watch and the thick roll of bills and as much of the small change as his fast-groping fingertips could locate.
By the time Milo looked up in impotent wrath from his inspection of the ruined meerschaum.