nt Josephine went scarlet with pleasure; Auntie
Con gave a deep, deep sigh.

"And now, Cyril, you must come and see father," said Josephine. "He
knows you were coming to-day."

"Right," said Cyril, very firmly and heartily. He got up from his chair;
suddenly he glanced at the clock.

"I say, Auntie Con, isn't your clock a bit slow? I've got to meet a man
at--at Paddington just after five. I'm afraid I shan't be able to stay
very long with grandfather."

"Oh, he won't expect you to stay very long!" said Aunt Josephine.

Constantia was still gazing at the clock. She couldn't make up her mind
if it was fast or slow. It was one or the other, she felt almost certain
of that. At any rate, it had been.

Cyril still lingered. "Aren't you coming along, Auntie Con?"

"Of course," said Josephine, "we shall all go. Come on, Con."

Chapter 3.IX.

They knocked at the door, and Cyril followed his aunts into
grandfather's hot, sweetish room.

"Come on," said Grandfather Pinner. "Don't hang about. What is it?
What've you been up to?"

He was sitting in front of a roaring fire, clasping his stick. He had a
thick rug over his knees. On his lap there lay a beautiful pale yellow
silk handkerchief.

"It's Cyril, father," said Josephine shyly. And she took Cyril's hand
and led him forward.

"Good afternoon, grandfather," said Cyril, trying to take his hand out
of Aunt Josephine's. Grandfather Pinner shot his eyes at Cyril in the
way he was famous for. Where was Auntie Con? She stood on the other side
of Aunt Josephine; her long arms hung down in front of her; her hands
were clasped. She never took her eyes off grandfather.

"Well," said Grandfather Pinner, beginning to thump, "what have you got
to tell me?"

What had he, what had he got to tell him? Cyril felt himself smiling
like a perfect imbecile. The room was stifling, too.

But Aunt Josephine came to his rescue. She cried brightly, "Cyril says
his father is still very fond of meringues, father dear."

"Eh?" said Grandfather Pinner, curving his hand like a purple
meringue-shell over one ear.

Josephine repeated, "Cyril says his father is still very fond of
meringues."

"Can't hear," said old Colonel Pinner. And he waved Josephine away with
his stick, then pointed with his stick to Cyril. "Tell me what she's
trying to say," he said.

(My God!) "Must I?" said Cyril, blushing and staring at Aunt Josephine.

"Do, dear," she smiled. "It will please him so much."