"I can't keep that boy out of the larder," she said plaintively.

Gabriel laughed and fetched the teapot, also a jug and two paper
bags. I thought I had better help, too. I discovered some knives in
the drawer of the table, and set them out.

"Tea or cocoa?" asked Richard Norton, pointing his finger at tea-pot
and jug in turn. I chose cocoa, I can't think why.

"That's lucky," sighed Gabriel; "there's no tea in the bag."

He made the cocoa, Jane Norton cut the bread; at last we sat down. I
don't think I ever enjoyed a meal so much in my life. They ate
voraciously, and we talked meanwhile in the silliest fashion, about
nothing at all, laughing until the tears rolled down our cheeks.

My friend is very funny, but his fun is of the kind that cannot bear
repeating; taken away from himself, separated from his personality,
it would sound merely foolish. You know what I mean. I sat next Miss
Norton during tea. When we had done, Gabriel stood up, chair and
all, and came beside me.

"What do you think of us?" he asked. "Aren't we rather nice?"

"Yes, indeed," I replied; "and the funny part of it is that I feel
as though I'd known you all my life."

"That's just how I feel with you," said Gabriel, and Richard Norton
added,--