the sending of a single bottle only, without inquiry
into his preferences....

"No soda," said Bell. He poured out a drink into the tinier glass. He
lifted it toward his lips, hesitated vaguely, and drew out his
handkerchief again.

He sneezed explosively, and the drink spilled. He swore irritably, put
down the glass, and plied his handkerchief vigorously. A moment later
he was standing up and pouring the drink out afresh, from the bottle
in one hand to the glass in the other. He up-tilted the glass.

"Get rid of this for me," he said annoyedly of the handkerchief.

* * * * *

He saw a nearly imperceptible glance pass between the footman and the
major-domo. They retired, and Bell moved about the room exactly like a
young man who has been discomfited by the necessity of sneezing before
servants. Anywhere else in the world, of course, such a pose would not
have been convincing. But your Brazilian not only adopts _fazenda
fita_ as his own avocation, but also suspects it to be everybody
else's too. And a young Brazilian of the leisure class would be
horribly annoyed at being forced to so plebeian an exhibition in
public.

He moved restlessly about the room, staring at the picture. Presently
he blinked uncertainly and gazed about less definitely. He went rather
uncertainly to the chair he had first occupied and sat down. He
poured--or seemed to pour--another drink. Again he sneered, and looked
mortified. He put down the glass with an air of finality. But he
looked puzzledly about him. Then he sank back in his chair and
gradually seemed to sink into a sort of apathetic indifference.

* * * * *

He looked, then, like a very bored young man on the verge of dozing
off. But actually he was very much alert indeed. He had the feeling of
eyes upon him for a while. Then that sensation ceased and he settled
himself to wait. And meantime he felt a particular, peculiar gratitude
to the late American consul at Puerto Pachecho for his interest in
medicinal plants.

That gentleman had gone into the subject with the passionate
enthusiasm of the amateur. He had described _icus_, _uirari_ and
_timbo_. He had particularized upon _makaka-nimbi_ and _hervamoura_.
And he had gone into a wealth of detail concerning _yague_, on account
of its probable value if used in criminology. As consul at Puerto
Pachecho he was not altogether a success in some ways, but he had
invented a