At the usual time for tea he had sat down, and, with his cup and brown bread-and-butter alternately at his lips, had looked long and fixedly at the place where the girl was wont to sit.

Having finished, he left the room and went about the house.

He found no one but Miranda, who, seated in the passage leading to the studio, was trying to keep one eye on the absence of her master and the other on the absence of her mistress.

She joined Mr.Stone, maintaining a respect-compelling interval behind him when he went before, and before him when he went behind.

When they had finished hunting, Mr.Stone went down to the garden gate.