nsettles them!"

Dr. Grimstone made no answer, but he put a hand on each knee, and glared
with pursed lips and a leonine bristle of the beard at his youthful
critic for some moments, after which he returned to his _Globe_ with a
short ominous cough.

"I've offended him now," thought Paul. "I must be more careful what I
say. But I'll get him into conversation again presently."

So he began at the first opportunity: "You have this evening's paper, I
see. No telegrams of importance, I suppose?"

"No, sir," said the Doctor shortly.

"I saw a report in to-day's _Times_," said poor Mr. Bultitude, with a
desperate attempt at his most conversational and instructive manner, "I
saw a report that the camphor crop was likely to be a failure this
season. Now, it's a very singular thing about camphor, that the
Japanese----" (he hoped to lead the conversation round to colonial
produce, and thus open the Doctor's eyes by the extent of his
acquaintance with the subject).

"I am already acquainted with the method of obtaining camphor, thank
you, Bultitude," said the Doctor, with dangerous politeness.

"I was about to observe, when you interrupted me," said Paul, "(and this
is really a fact that I doubt if you are aware of), that the Japanese
never----"

"Well, well," said the Doctor, with some impatience, "probably they
never do, sir, but I shall have other opportunities of finding out what
you have read about the Japanese."

But he glanced over the top of the paper at the indignant Paul, who was
not accustomed to have his information received in this manner, with
less suspicion and a growing conviction that some influence during the
holidays had changed the boy from a graceless young scapegrace into a
prig of the first water.

"He's most uncivil"--Mr. Bultitude told himself--"almost insulting, but
I'll go on. I'm rousing his curiosity. I'm making way with him; he sees
a difference already." And so he applied himself once more.

"You're a smoker, of course, Dr. Grimstone?" he began. "We don't stop
anywhere, I think, on the way, and I must confess myself, after dinner,
a whiff or two--I think I can give you a cigar you'll appreciate."

And he felt for his cigar-case, really forgetting that it was gone, like
all other incidents of his old self; while Jolland giggled with
unrestrained delight at such charming effrontery.

"If I did not know, sir," said the Doctor, now effectually roused, "that
this was ill-timed buffoonery,