The talk was at once brisk and general.

The admiral's voice boomed out tremendously and when he laughed the glasses jingled.

Every one was in the best of spirits and Sylvia was relieved to find that her grandfather was enjoying himself immensely.

The admiral's jokes harked back to old times, when he and Kelton were at the Naval Academy, or to their adventures in the war.

It was odd to hear Mrs.Owen and the admiral calling her grandfather "Andrew" and "Andy"; no one else had ever done that; and both men addressed Mrs.Owen as "Sally." At a moment when Sylvia had begun to feel the least bit awkward at being the only silent member of the company, the minister spoke to her.