It is a long time since we had anybody to Christmas dinner." "Well, suppose you run in after tea and ask them," replied Mrs.White, in the friendliest of tones.
"Yes, I'll go," answered Stephen, feeling as if he were a man talking in a dream.

"I have been meaning to go in ever since they came." After tea, Stephen sat counting the minutes till he should go.

To all appearances, he was buried in his newspaper, occasionally reading a paragraph aloud to his mother.

He thought it better that she should remind him of his intention to go; that the call should be purely at her suggestion.

The patience and silence with which he sat waiting for her to remember and speak of it were the very essence of deceit again,--twice in this one hour an acted lie, of which his dulled conscience took no note or heed.