Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III AND THE CATS' HOME THEY watched the retreating figure of Captain Baster till it was lost to sight among the gorse, in silence. They were glad at his going, but sorry at the manner of it, since Mrs. Dangerfield looked distressed and vexed. Then the vicar said: " There is a good deal to be said for the point of view of Wiggins, Mrs. Dangerfield. After all, Captain Baster was the original aggressor." "Nevertheless I must apologize for my son's exploding such an uncommonly violent bomb at a quiet garden party," said the higher mathematician. " I suspect he underrated its effect." His tone was apologetic, but there was no excess of contrition in it. " What I think is that Captain Baster's notion of humor is catching; and that it affected Erebus andWiggins," said Sir Maurice amiably. " And if we start apologizing, there will be no end to it. I should have to come in myself as the maker of the bomb who carelessly left it lying about." " It was certainly a happy effort," said the vicar, smiling. Then he changed the subject firmly, saying : " We're going to London next week; perhaps you could recommend a play to us to go to, Sir Maurice." A faint ripple of grateful relaxation ran round the circle and presently it was clear that in taking himself off Captain Baster had lifted a wet blanket of quite uncommon thickness from the party. They were talking easily and freely; and Mrs. Danger- field and Sir Maurice were seeing to it that every one, even Mrs. Blenkinsop and Mrs. Morton, were getting their little chances of shining. The Twins and Wiggins slipped away; and their elders talked the more at their ease for their going. In the end the little gathering which Captain Baster had so nearly crushed, broke up in the best of spirits, all the guests in a state o...