arranged
round the table, after the fashion of a ghostly banquet: the butler had
evidently bestowed much thought on the grim device. Sheets of quarto
paper, each flanked by a pen on one side and a pencil on the other,
represented the plates--penwipers did duty for rolls of bread--while
ink-bottles stood in the places usually occupied by wine-glasses. The
_piece de resistance_ was a large green baize bag, which gave forth, as
the old man restlessly lifted it from side to side, a charming jingle,
as of innumerable golden guineas.

"Sister, daughter, sons--and Balbus--," the old man began, so nervously,
that Balbus put in a gentle "Hear, hear!" while Hugh drummed on the
table with his fists. This disconcerted the unpractised orator.
"Sister--" he began again, then paused a moment, moved the bag to the
other side, and went on with a rush, "I mean--this being--a critical
occasion--more or less--being the year when one of my sons comes of
age--" he paused again in some confusion, having evidently got into the
middle of his speech sooner than he intended: but it was too late to go
back. "Hear, hear!" cried Balbus. "Quite so," said the old gentleman,
recovering his self-possession a little: "when first I began this annual
custom--my friend Balbus will correct me if I am wrong--" (Hugh
whispered "with a strap!" but nobody heard him except Lambert, who only
frowned and shook his head at him) "--this annual custom of giving each
of my sons as many guineas as would represent his age--it was a critical
time--so Balbus informed me--as the ages of two of you were together
equal to that of the third--so on that occasion I made a speech----" He
paused so long that Balbus thought it well to come to the rescue with
the words "It was a most----" but the old man checked him with a warning
look: "yes, made a speech," he repeated. "A few years after that, Balbus
pointed out--I say pointed out--" ("Hear, hear"! cried Balbus. "Quite
so," said the grateful old man.) "--that it was _another_ critical
occasion. The ages of two of you were together _double_ that of the
third. So I made another speech--another speech. And now again it's a
critical occasion--so Balbus says--and I am making----" (Here Mad
Mathesis pointedly referred to her watch) "all the haste I can!" the old
man cried, with wonderful presence of mind. "Indeed, sister, I'm coming
to the point now! The number of years that have passed since that first
occasion is just two-thirds of t