The waiter shut out these sights and sounds, gave the tablecloth a stroke with his dirty hand, and left the room.
They continued their cheerful conversation, Martin laughing at nothing at all, and Maggie smiling, and Uncle Mathew stroking his mouth and sharpening his eyes and standing, in his uneasy fashion, first on one leg and then on the other.

Maggie realised that her uncle was trying to be most especially pleasant to young Warlock.

She wondered why; she also remembered what he had said to her about Martin's father ...

No, he had changed.

She could not follow his motives as she had once been able to do.