neer.

"A gentleman, I believe."

"No other occupation?"

"Not unless you can call a justice of the peace such," replied Mr Bunker,
with a smile.

"And yet he disguises himself as a clergyman!" exclaimed Welsh,
triumphantly, turning to the proprietor.

Mr Bunker saw that he was caught, but he merely laughed, and observed, "My
friend here disguises himself in liquor, a much less respectable cloak."

Unfortunately the humour of this remark was somewhat thrown away on his
present audience; indeed, coming from a professed clergyman, it produced
an unfavourable impression.

"You are not a clergyman?" said the proprietor, suspiciously.

"I am glad to say I am not," replied Mr Bunker, frankly.

"Den vat do you do in dis dress?"

"I put it on as a compliment to the cloth; I retain it at present for
decency," said Mr Bunker, whose tongue had now got a fair start of him.

"Mad," remarked Welsh, confidentially, shrugging his shoulders with really
excellent dramatic effect.

By this time the audience were disposed to agree with him.

"You can give no better account of yourself dan dis?" asked the
proprietor.

"I am anxious to," replied Mr Bunker, "but a public restaurant is not the
place in which I choose to give it."

"Fetch the cab and the policeman," said Welsh to a waiter.

At this moment another gentleman entered the room, and at the sight of him
Mr Bunker's face brightened, and he stopped the waiter by a cry of, "Wait
one moment; here comes a gentleman who knows me."

Everybody turned, and beheld a burly, very fashionably dressed young man,
with a fair moustache and a cheerful countenance.

"Ach, Bonker!" he cried.

This confirmation of Mr Bunker's _aliases_ ought, one would expect, to
have delighted the two conspirators, but, instead, it produced the most
remarkable effect. Twiddel utterly collapsed, while even Welsh's impudence
at last deserted him. Neither said a word as the Baron von Blitzenberg
greeted his friend with affectionate heartiness.

"My friend, zis is good for ze heart! Bot, how? vat makes it here?"

"My dear Baron, the most unfortunate mistake has occurred. Two men here----"
But at this moment he stopped in great surprise, for the Baron was staring
hard first at Welsh and then at Twiddel.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, "Mr Mandell-Essington, I zink?"

Welsh hesitated for an instant, and his hesitation was evident to all.
Then he replied, "No, you are mistaken."

"Surely I cannot be; you di