The vicar was standing by the flower-stand talking to Eve, and opening out the calyx of a new orchid, a half faded blossom of which he had picked from the pot to explain some peculiarities of its nature, while Eve, looking bright and interested, drank in his every word. Mr Purley was filling out an easy-chair, having picked out one without arms for obvious reasons, and he was gossiping away to Mrs Glaire. "How do, Purley?" said Richard, with a face as smooth as if nothing had occurred to fret him. "Glad to see you." "Glad to see you too, Glaire; but you don't say, `How are you?'" "Who does to a doctor," laughed Richard. "Why you couldn't be ill if you tried." "Ha-ha-ha!" laughed Mr Purley. "Well, if I'm not ill, I'm hungry." "Always are," said Richard, with a sneer; and then seeing that his retort was a little too pointed, he blunted it by pandering to the stout medico's favourite joke, and adding, "Taken any one for a ride lately?" "Ha-ha-ha!" laughed the doctor. "That's good! He's getting a regular Joe Miller in kid gloves, Mrs Glaire: that he is. Ha-ha-ha!" Richard gave a short side nod, for he was already crossing the room to the flower-stand. "Talking about flowers?" he said, quietly. "That's pretty. I didn't know they'd asked you to dinner, Mr Selwood, and you must have thought me very gruff." "Don't name it," said the vicar, frankly; but he was looking into the younger man's eyes in a way that made him turn them aside in a shifty manner, and begin picking nervously at the leaves of a plant as he went on-- "Fact is, don't you know, I'm cross and irritable. When a man's got all his fellows on strike or lock out, it upsets him." "Yes, Mr Selwood," interposed Eve, "the poor fellow has been dreadfully worried lately. But it's all going to be right soon, I hope." "I don't know," said Richard, cavalierly; "they're horribly obstinate." Mrs Glaire, who had been watching all this eagerly, while she made an appearance of listening to Mr Purley's prattle, gave her son a grateful look, to which he replied with a smile and a nod, when a servant entered and announced the dinner. Richard Glaire's smile and nod turned into a scowl and a twitch on hearing his mother's next words, which were-- "Mr Selwood, will you take in my niece? Mr Purley, your arm." The vicar passed out with Eve, followed by the doctor and their hostess, leaving Richard to bring up the rear, which he did after snatching up a book and hurling it across the room crash into the flower-stand. "She's mad," he muttered,--"she's mad;" and then grinding his teeth with rage he followed into the dining-room.