Here he opened his eyes again, and sent a barbed glance at Avery’s unresponsive face.

“Friendship is a beautiful thing, is it not?” he said.

“It is,” said Avery, deftly cutting her fifth slice.

The Reverend Stephen proceeded with clerical fervour to embellish his subject, for no especial reason save the pleasure of listening to his own eloquence—­a pleasure which never palled.  “It partakes of that divine quality of charity so sadly lacking in many of us, and sheds golden beams of sunshine in the humblest earthly home.  It has been aptly called the true earnest of eternity.”

“Really!” said Avery.

“An exquisite thought, is it not?” said the Vicar.  “Grace, my child, for the one-and-twentieth time I must beg of you not to swing your legs when sitting at table.”

“I wasn’t,” said Gracie.

Her father’s brows were elevated in surprise.  His eyes as a consequence were opened rather wider than usual, revealing an unmistakably malignant gleam.

“That is not the way in which a Christian child should receive admonition,” he said.  “If you were not swinging your legs, you were fidgeting in a fashion which you very well know to be unmannerly.  Do not let me have to complain of your behaviour again!”

Gracie’s cheeks were crimson, her violet eyes blazing with resentment; and Avery, dreading an outburst, laid a gentle restraining hand upon her shoulder for an instant.

The action was well-meant, but its results were unfortunate.  Gracie impulsively seized and kissed the hand with enthusiasm.  “All right, Avery dear,” she said with pointed docility.

Mr. Lorimer’s brows rose a little higher, but being momentarily at a loss for a suitable comment he contented himself with a return to Avery’s correspondence.

“The other letter,” he said, “bears the well-known crest of the Evesham family.  Ah, Mrs. Denys!” he shook his head at her.  “Now, what does that portend?”

“What is the crest?” asked Avery, briskly cutting another slice.

“The devil,” said Gracie.

“My dear!” remonstrated Mrs. Lorimer, with a nervous glance towards her husband.

The Reverend Stephen was smiling, but in a fashion she did not quite like.  He addressed Avery.

“The Evesham crest, Mrs. Denys, is a gentleman with horns and hoofs and under him the one expressive word, ’Cave.’ Excellent advice, is it not?  I think we should do well to follow it.”  He turned the envelope over, and studied the address.  “What a curious style of writing the young man has, unrestrained to a degree!  This looks as if it had been written in a desperate mood.  Mrs. Denys, Mrs. Denys, what have you been doing?”

He began to laugh, but stopped abruptly as Julian, who was seated near him, with a sudden, clumsy movement, upset a stream of cocoa across the breakfast-table.  This created an instant diversion.  Mr. Lorimer turned upon him vindictively, and soundly smacked his head, Mrs. Lorimer covered her face and wept, and Avery, with Gracie close behind, hurried to remedy the disaster.