The latter had watched the
working geologist slinking off in the Lake Settlement direction across
the fields and by bush tracks. Mr. Terry and the children, having
partaken of tea, remained out in the front with Muggins, and sang some
more hymns, Marjorie leading their choir. The rest of the household,
reinforced by Mr. Perrowne, who, much to Wilkinson's disgust,
monopolized Miss Du Plessis, sat round the ample tea-table. In a
shamefaced way, as if engaged in an illegal ecclesiastical transaction,
the English clergyman mumbled: "For what we are about to receive," and
the evening meal proceeded. The Squire had ceded his end of the table to
his sister, and had taken his post at her left, where he talked to the
dominie, his next neighbour, and across the table to Mr. Errol. Perrowne
flanked the hostess on the right, and Nash on the left. Miss Du Plessis
sat between Perrowne and Wilkinson, a stately and elegant bone of
contention; while the lawyer had the detective on one side and Miss
Carmichael on the other. As that young lady had something to do with the
arrangement of the table by Tryphosa, in the matter of napkin rings, it
was, if Coristine only knew it, a mark of her confidence in him that
she permitted his presence on her right.
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