And Alice staunched the flow of tea with a clean, stiff serviette taken from the sideboard drawer.
_A Departure_ The family of the late Henry Leek, each with a cup in hand, experienced a certain difficulty in maintaining the interview at the pitch set by Matthew and Henry.

Mrs.Leek, their mother, frankly gave way to soft tears, while eating bread-and-butter, jam and zebra-like toast.

John took everything that Alice offered to him in gloomy and awkward silence.
"Does he mean to come back ?" Matthew demanded at length.

He had risen from the foot-stool.
"Who ?" asked Alice.
Matthew paused, and then said, savagely and deliberately: "Father." Alice smiled.

"I'm afraid not.