Sir Philip Heredith and his sister followed their King's example of abstaining from wine during the duration of war, but it was not in accordance with Sir Philip's idea of hospitality to enforce abstinence on their guests, and the men, at all events, sipped the rare old products of the Heredith cellars with unqualified approval, enhanced by painful recollections of the thin war claret and sugared ports of London clubs.

Such wine, they felt, was not to be passed by.

Of the young men, Phil Heredith alone drank water, not for the same reason as his father, but because he had always been a water drinker.
Under the influence of the good wine the guests brightened up considerably as the meal proceeded.

Sir Philip, in his old-fashioned way, raised his glass of aerated water to one and another of the young men.

He was an ideal host, and his unfailing polished courtesy hid the fact that he was looking forward to the break up of the party with a relief akin to that felt by the majority of his guests.