Miss Mason was fetched down, and questions about the dear absent one poured out upon him. He replied to everyone with the most demure politeness, but it was not long before Agnes, as well as some of the others, observed a twinkle in the bright eyes, not exactly in accordance with the gravity of his manner. Also some of his calm observations were, to say the least of them, startling.
There was home-made saffron-cake on the table, and Mrs. Denham offered him the plate.
"Ah!" said he, "no wonder that Denham is a little dissatisfied with Burmese cookery, when he gets such cake as this at home."
"I am glad that you like it, for it is a kind of cake which we Cornish people particularly affect. Do you happen to have Cornish connections, Mr. Kershaw?"
"No, madam, I am of Irish extraction."
"Irish!" cried Lisa. "I should so like to visit Ireland. I want to see Fingal's Cave and the Giant's Causeway."
"I suppose you know, Miss Lisa, that the Causeway is supposed not to be a freak of nature but of man's manufacture."
"No, I never heard that," said Lisa. "What ground is there for supposing such a thing?"
"There are so many sham rocks in Ireland," said he sadly.
"Stuff!" said Lisa rudely. The others laughed.