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I’ll do something stupid. But, as I told him, ‘There will probably be hordes of us there, and probably some of them will be quite bright people, so it won’t depend on me.’ ” She sighed again, even more deeply. “You don’t really mean to say there isn’t going to be anything at all?” Her voice went down into really tragic depths.
    Jacob said, “Well, well—” And then, “I’m afraid you may all be rather disappointed. I have asked you here for three reasons. I thought the family quarrel had gone on long enough. I haven’t made any ties, and I thought it would be interesting to get to know my kith and kin. For which purpose I want to invite you all to pay me a visit at the old family inn.”
    John Higgins’ blue eyes turned on him.
    “ ’ ;Twas sold when great-grandfather died, the old Catherine-Wheel.”
    Jacob said, “Ah, but it wasn’t. My father never sold it, though I daresay it was put about that he had—I don’t say he didn’t put it about himself. He gave a lease, and the lease ran out last year, so it’s back on my hands, with the Castells running it. Mrs. Castell being your father’s sister—Joanna’s daughter, born Annie Higgins.”
    John Higgins said slowly,
    “I knew my Aunt Annie was there. It’s ten years since I saw her.”
    “And you not a mile away in the cottage Joanna got for her share of her mother’s property?”
    “Yes, I’m in the old cottage.”
    “Married, or single?”
    A slow smile gave charm to the impassive face.
    “There’s something you didn’t know? Seemed you knew everything. I’m single, and I do for myself. And I haven’t seen my Aunt Annie for ten years, though she’s living but a mile away.”
    Jacob nodded.
    “Very interesting. United family, aren’t we?”
    John Higgins shut his mouth firmly. He sat with a big hand on either knee, quiet and unembarrassed. Jacob said,
    “The inn is the Catherine-Wheel on the old Ledlington coast road. Nearest station Cliff Halt—a mile and a half. I’m inviting you all to come and stay with me at this next week-end. Some of you may not find it easy to get away—you may have to engage extra help—you may find it difficult to get leave of absence— you may be put to inconvenience or expense. You will therefore each receive the sum of one hundred pounds as, let us say, some recognition that your grandfathers and grandmothers were shabbily treated under old Jeremiah’s will, and that in inviting you for this visit I don’t want to put you to any further inconvenience.” He stopped rather abruptly, crossed his right leg over his left, leaned sideways with his hand on the leather-covered table top, and watched them.
    Geoffrey Taverner had a slight frown. Mildred’s scarf had slipped, she pulled at it with small ineffectual jerks. Florence Duke’s rather heavy features had taken on a look of severity oddly at variance with their previous expression of tolerant good nature. Al Miller had an eager, startled air. John Higgins sat as he had done all through, large, fair, placid, self-contained. Jane had her eyes very wide open and her lips parted. Her hands held one another tightly in her lap. Jeremy looked angry. The only one to speak was Marian Thorpe-Ennington. She said,
    “My dear man—how marvellous!”
    “You’ll come then?”
    “But of course. You do mean Freddy as well, don’t you? He won’t like it if you don’t, and the poor sweet is so upset already.”
    Jacob nodded curtly.
    “He can come.” He turned to Geoffrey Taverner. “You can get away? Your sister said you were in the Civil Service.”
    Geoffrey looked annoyed.
    “My sister was inaccurate—she very often is. I resigned some time ago—I am now in private employ. I could manage the weekend you mentioned.”
    “And you, Mildred?”
    He smiled maliciously at the nervous start which sent her handbag to the floor and once more exposed its contents.
    Jacob took in the whole assembly with a dancing gleam of malice and