GREGORY VIGIL PROPOSES About three o'clock that afternoon a tall man walked up the avenue at Worsted Skeynes, in one hand carrying his hat, in the other a small brown bag.

He stopped now and then, and took deep breaths, expanding the nostrils of his straight nose.

He had a fine head, with wings of grizzled hair.

His clothes were loose, his stride was springy.

Standing in the middle of the drive, taking those long breaths, with his moist blue eyes upon the sky, he excited the attention of a robin, who ran out of a rhododendron to see, and when he had passed began to whistle.
Gregory Vigil turned, and screwed up his humorous lips, and, except that he was completely lacking in embonpoint, he had a certain resemblance to this bird, which is supposed to be peculiarly British.
He asked for Mrs.Pendyce in a high, light voice, very pleasant to the ear, and was at once shown to the white morning-room.
She greeted him affectionately, like many women who have grown used to hearing from their husbands the formula "Oh! your people!"-- she had a strong feeling for her kith and kin.
"You know, Grig," she said, when her cousin was seated, "your letter was rather disturbing.