He related several well worth hearing.

She had evidently a sense of humour and unexpected perceptions.
"One detail of the story of old Doby's meerschaum," Westholt said, "pleased me enormously.

She managed to convey to him--without hurting his aged feelings or overwhelming him with embarrassment--that if he preferred a clean churchwarden or his old briarwood, he need not feel obliged to smoke the new pipe.

He could regard it as a trophy.

Now, how did she do that without filling him with fright and confusion, lest she might think him not sufficiently grateful for her present?
But they tell me she did it, and that old Doby is rapturously happy and takes the meerschaum to bed with him, but only smokes it on Sundays--sitting at his window blowing great clouds when his neighbours are coming from church.