Wannop chuckled.
"My dear girl, an explanation isn't always desirable. When you know how a thing's done it spoils the trick."
"Oh, well," said Hilda, "it doesn't matter, but you have a suspiciously complacent look. One could imagine that you felt satisfied with yourself."
"There's some truth in that," Wannop laughed. "I feel that we have held our own against the more brilliant members of the family. But here's Robert!"
The clergyman appeared around a turn in the road and joined them.
"You seem amused," he remarked. "May I share the joke?"
"The point's involved," Wannop said. "However, you'll agree that the wisest people's plans sometimes fail."
"I can't deny it," said Robert, looking puzzled. "Still, I fail to understand what the failure of wise people's plans has to do with us."
"As a modest man," said Wannop, "I'll admit that it doesn't seem to have much to do with me."