Jerry, who had a great liking for everything luxurious, had taken tea once or twice at Grassy Spring with Nina St. Claire, and had been greatly impressed with the appointments of the table, prizing them more even than the dainties for her to eat.  But what she had seen there seemed as nothing compared to this round Swiss table, with its colored glass and rare china, no two pieces of which were alike.

‘Oh, it is just like a dream!’ she cried, as she watched Charles’ movement and saw that there were two places laid.

‘Am I to sit down with you?’ she said in an awe-struck voice, ’and in that lovely chair?  I am glad I wore my best gown.  It won’t dirty the chair a bit.’

But she took her pocket handkerchief and covered over the satin cushion before she dared seat herself in the chair, which had once been brought out for Gretchen, and in which she now sat down, dropping her head and shutting her eyes a moment Then, as she heard no sound, she looked up wonderingly, and asked: 

‘Ain’t you going to say “for Christ’s Sake?” grandma does.’

Arthur’s face was a study with its mixed expression of surprise, amusement, and self-reproach.  He never prayed except it were in some ejaculatory sentences wrung from him in his sore need, and the thought of asking a blessing on his food had never occurred to him.  But Jerry was persistent.

‘You must say “for Christ’s sake,"’ she continued, and, with his weak brain all in a muddle, Arthur began what he meant to be a brief thanksgiving, but which stretched itself into a lengthy prayer, fall of the past and of Gretchen, whom he seemed to be addressing rather than his Maker.

For a while Jerry listened reverently; then she looked up and moved uneasily in the chair, and at last when the prayer had continued for at least five minutes, she burst out impulsively: 

‘Oh, dear, do say “amen.”  I am so hungry!’

That broke the spell, and with a start Arthur came to himself, and said: 

’Think you, Jerry, praying is a new business for me, and I do believe I should have gone on forever if you had not stopped me.  Now, what will you have?’

He helped her to whatever she liked best, but could eat scarcely anything himself.  It was sufficient for him to watch Jerry sitting there in Gretchen’s chair and using Gretchen’s plate, which every day for so many years had been laid for her.  Gretchen had not come.  She would never come, he feared, but with Jerry he did not feel half as desolate as when alone, with only his morbid fancies for company.  And he must have her there, at least a portion of the time.  His mind was made up on that point, and when about four o’clock, Jerry said to him: 

‘I want to go now.  Grandma said I was to be home by five,’ she replied: 

’Yes, I am going with you.  I wish to see your grandmother.  I am going to drive you in the phaeton.  How would you like that?’