Morden, put a chair by the fire." So Peter found himself sitting in front of a big wood-fire, drinking a cup of coffee decidedly better in quality than his home-brew.

Blank walls ceased to have any particular value for the time.
In a moment Miss De Voe joined him at the fire.

A small table was moved up, and a plate of fruit, and a cup of coffee placed upon it.
"That is all, Morden," she said.

"It is so nice of you to have come this evening.

I was promising myself a very solitary time, and was dawdling over my dinner to kill some of it.