Mr. Perry 's oily , complacent voice trickled on . He was in his element . Nothing suited him better than to lay down the law , patronize and exhort . He had no idea of stopping , and he did not stop . He stood before the fire , his feet planted firmly on the rug , and poured out a flood of pompous platitudes . Faith heard not a word . She was really not listening to him at all . But she was watching his long black coat-tails with impish delight growing in her brown eyes . Mr. Perry was standing VERY near the fire . His coat-tails began to scorch -- his coat-tails began to smoke . He still prosed on , wrapped up in his own eloquence . The coat-tails smoked worse . A tiny spark flew up from the burning wood and alighted in the middle of one . It clung and caught and spread into a smouldering flame . Faith could restrain herself no longer and broke into a stifled giggle . Mr. Perry stopped short , angered over this impertinence . Suddenly he became conscious that a reek of burning cloth filled the room . He whirled round and saw nothing . Then he clapped his hands to his coat-tails and brought them around in front of him . There was already quite a hole in one of them -- and this was his new suit .
Faith shook XXXXX helpless laughter over his pose and expression .
at before from into near of over that to with