He talked as usual to Mark Rivers and John about horses, crops and the weather, while Mrs.Ann listened to the flow of disconnected trifles in some wonder as to how James Penhallow would endure it.

Grey for the time kept off the danger line of politics, having had of late such variously contributed knowledge as made him careful.
When to Mrs.Ann's relief dinner was over, the rector said his sermon for to-morrow must excuse him and went home.

John decided that his role of host was over and retired to his algebra and to questions more easy to solve than of how to entertain Mr.George Grey.

It was not difficult, as Mrs.Penhallow saw, to make Grey feel at home; all he required was whisky, cigars, and some mild appearance of interest in his talk.

She had long anticipated his visit with pleasure, thinking that James Penhallow would be pleased and the better for some rational male society.