t unexpected ally. On the second
evening a card was solemnly brought up by the landlady's daughter from
the lodger who occupied the room below. On it was inscribed "Captain
Whitehall"; and then underneath, in brackets, "Armed Transport." On
the back of the card was written, "Captain Whitehall (Armed Transport)
presents his compliments to Dr. Munro, and would be glad of his
company to supper at 8.30." To this I answered, "Dr. Munro presents his
compliments to Captain Whitehall (Armed Transport), and will be most
happy to accept his kind invitation." What "Armed Transport" might mean
I had not an idea, but I thought it well to include it, as he seemed so
particular about it himself.

On descending I found a curious-looking figure in a gray dressing-gown
with a purple cord. He was an elderly man--his hair not quite white yet,
but well past mouse colour. His beard and moustache, however, were of a
yellowish brown, and his face all puckered and shot with wrinkles, spare
and yet puffy, with hanging bags under his singular light blue eyes.

"By God, Dr. Munro, sir," said he, as he shook my hand. "I take it as
very kind of you that you should accept an informal invitation. I do,
sir, by God!"

This sentence was, as it proved, a very typical one, for he nearly
always began and ended each with an oath, while the centre was, as
a rule, remarkable for a certain suave courtesy. So regular was his
formula that I may omit it and you suppose it, every time that he opened
his mouth. A dash here and there will remind you.

"It's been my practice, Dr. Munro, sir, to make friends with my
neighbours through life; and some strange neighbours I have had. By
----, sir, humble as you see me, I have sat with a general on my right,
and an admiral on my left, and my toes up against a British ambassador.
That was when I commanded the armed transport Hegira in the Black Sea in
'55. Burst up in the great gale in Balaclava Bay, sir, and not as much
left as you could pick your teeth with."

There was a strong smell of whisky in the room, and an uncorked bottle
upon the mantelpiece. The captain himself spoke with a curious stutter,
which I put down at first to a natural defect; but his lurch as he,
turned back to his armchair showed me that he had had as much as he
could carry.

"Not much to offer you, Dr. Munro, sir. The hind leg of a ---- duck,
and a sailor's welcome. Not Royal Navy, sir, though I have a ---- sight
better manners than many that