deep voice announcing the approaching visit of his
wife's brother `the son of the poet, you know.' He had just arrived in
London from a long voyage, and, directly his occupations permitted, was
coming down to stay with his relatives for a few weeks. No doubt we two
should find many things to talk about by ourselves in reference to our
common calling, added little Fyne portentously in his grave undertones,
as if the Mercantile Marine were a secret society.

"You must understand that I cultivated the Fynes only in the country, in
their holiday time. This was the third year. Of their existence in
town I knew no more than may be inferred from analogy. I played chess
with Fyne in the late afternoon, and sometimes came over to the cottage
early enough to have tea with the whole family at a big round table.
They sat about it, an unsmiling, sunburnt company of very few words
indeed. Even the children were silent and as if contemptuous of each
other and of their elders. Fyne muttered sometimes deep down in his
chest some insignificant remark. Mrs Fyne smiled mechanically (she had
splendid teeth) while distributing tea and bread and butter. A
something which was not coldness, nor yet indifference, but a sort of
peculiar self-possession gave her the appearance of a very trustworthy,
very capable and excellent governess; as if Fyne were a widower and the
children not her own but only entrusted to her calm, efficient,
unemotional care. One expected her to address Fyne as Mr When she
called him John it surprised one like a shocking familiarity. The
atmosphere of that holiday was--if I may put it so--brightly dull.
Healthy faces, fair complexions, clear eyes, and never a frank smile in
the whole lot, unless perhaps from a girl-friend.

"The girl-friend problem exercised me greatly. How and where the Fynes
got all these pretty creatures to come and stay with them I can't
imagine. I had at first the wild suspicion that they were obtained to
amuse Fyne. But I soon discovered that he could hardly tell one from
the other, though obviously their presence met with his solemn approval.
These girls in fact came for Mrs Fyne. They treated her with admiring
deference. She answered to some need of theirs. They sat at her feet.
They were like disciples. It was very curious. Of Fyne they took but
scanty notice. As to myself I was made to feel that I did not exist.

"After tea we would sit down to chess and then Fyne's everlast