After Mrs. Penny had spoken, there being no new occupation for her eyes,
she still let them stay idling on the past scenes just related, which
were apparently visible to her in the centre of the room. Mr. Penny's
remark received no reply.

During this discourse the tranter and his wife might have been observed
standing in an unobtrusive corner, in mysterious closeness to each other,
a just perceptible current of intelligence passing from each to each,
which had apparently no relation whatever to the conversation of their
guests, but much to their sustenance. A conclusion of some kind having
at length been drawn, the palpable confederacy of man and wife was once
more obliterated, the tranter marching off into the pantry, humming a
tune that he couldn't quite recollect, and then breaking into the words
of a song of which he could remember about one line and a quarter. Mrs.
Dewy spoke a few words about preparations for a bit of supper.

That elder portion of the company which loved eating and drinking put on
a look to signify that till this moment they had quite forgotten that it
was customary to expect suppers on these occasions; going even further
than this politeness of feature, and starting irrelevant subjects, the
exceeding flatness and forced tone of which rather betrayed their object.
The younger members said they were quite hungry, and that supper would be
delightful though it was so late.

Good luck attended Dick's love-passes during the meal. He sat next
Fancy, and had the thrilling pleasure of using permanently a glass which
had been taken by Fancy in mistake; of letting the outer edge of the sole
of his boot touch the lower verge of her skirt; and to add to these
delights the cat, which had lain unobserved in her lap for several
minutes, crept across into his own, touching him with fur that had
touched her hand a moment before. There were, besides, some little
pleasures in the shape of helping her to vegetable she didn't want, and
when it had nearly alighted on her plate taking it across for his own
use, on the plea of waste not, want not. He also, from time to time,
sipped sweet sly glances at her profile; noticing the set of her head,
the curve of her throat, and other artistic properties of the lively
goddess, who the while kept up a rather free, not to say too free,
conversation with Mr. Shiner sitting opposite; which, after some uneasy
criticism, and much shifting of argument backwards and forwar