something about Jack being so sorry to be away; and Howard to
recover himself said: "Yes, he wrote to me to explain--we are going
to do some work together, I believe."

"Yes, it's most kind of you," said Mr. Sandys, putting his arm
within his daughter's with a pleasant air of fatherliness. "I am
afraid industry isn't Jack's strong point? Of course I am anxious
about his future--you must be used to that sort of thing! but we
will defer all this until after dinner, when Mrs. Graves will allow
us to have a good talk."

"We will see," said Mrs. Graves, rising; "Howard is here for a
holiday, you know. Howard, will you lead the way; you don't know
how my ceremonial soul enjoys having a real host to preside!"

Maud took Howard's arm, and the touch gave him a quite unreasonable
thrill of pleasure; but he felt too quite insupportably elderly.
What could he find to talk to this enchanting child about? He
wished he had learned more about her tastes and ideas. Was this the
creature of whom Jack had talked so patronisingly? He felt almost
angry with his absent pupil for not having prepared him for what he
would meet.

As soon as they were seated Mr. Sandys launched into the talk, like
an eagle dallying with the wind. He struck Howard as an extremely
good-natured, sensible, buoyant man, with a perpetual flow of
healthy interests. Nothing that he said had the slightest
distinction, and his power of expression was quite unequal to the
evident vividness of his impressions. He had a taste for
antithesis, but no grasp of synonyms. Every idea in Mr. Sandys'