"He was a very nice man, and his feet weren't a bit flat."
"I believe you did it on purpose to get into conversation with him. Where's Berry?"
At that moment the gentleman in question walked across the lawn towards us.
"Thank Heaven!" he said when he saw me. "I'm so glad you're back. I've run out of your cigarettes."
I handed him my case in silence.
"It's curious," he said, "how used one can get to inferior tobacco."
Tea appeared in serial form. After depositing the three-storied cake dish holder—or whatever the thing is called—with a to-be-completed air, the footman disappeared, to return a moment later with the teapot and hot water. As he turned to go:
"Bring me the tray that's on the billiard-table," said Berry. "Carry it carefully."
"Yes, sir.
"Without moving, we all observed one another, the eyes looking sideways. You see, the tray bore a jig-saw. When I had left on the previous Saturday for a week-end visit, we had done the top right-hand corner and half what looked as if it must be the left side. Most of this we had done on Friday evening; but artificial light is inclined to militate against the labourer, and at eleven o'clock Berry had sworn twice, shown us which pieces were missing, and related the true history of poor Agatha Glynde, who spent more than a fortnight over 'David Copperfield' before she found out that the pieces had been mixed up with those of Constable's 'Hay Wain.' This upset us so much that Jonah said he should try and get a question asked in the House about it, and we decided to send the thing back the next day and demand the return of the money."