No questions as to being at home, disengaged, or follies of that sort, were asked; the horses were solemnly outspanned and allowed to roam; the family party had come to spend the day.

Seated gravely in the dining-room, they were refreshed by coffee and cold meat.

Mrs.Keeley remarked to me privately that the best thing to do was to put quantities of food before them and then leave them; and, beyond a few passing words as she went in and out of the room, I did not make out that they went in for entertaining each other.
So they sat for hours, saying nothing, doing nothing.

When Mrs.Keeley wanted me to have lunch, she asked them to remove to the stoep, and in this request they seemed to find nothing strange.

Finally, about five o'clock they went away, much to the relief of their hostess; not, however, before the latter had shrewdly guessed the real object of their visit, which was to find out about myself.