that it was the Sabbath day,
and that he had no business to be at the consulate at all.

Unfortunately, with this shameful conviction came the sound of a bell
ringing somewhere in the depths of the building, and the shuffling of
feet on the outer steps. The light of his fire had evidently been seen,
and like a beacon had attracted some wandering and possibly intoxicated
mariner with American papers. The consul walked into the hall with a
sudden righteous frigidity of manner. It was one thing to be lounging
in one's own office on the Sabbath day, and quite another to be
deliberately calling there on business.

He opened the front door, and a middle-aged man entered, accompanying
and partly shoving forward a more diffident and younger one. Neither
appeared to be a sailor, although both were dressed in that dingy
respectability and remoteness of fashion affected by second and third
mates when ashore. They were already well in the hall, and making their
way toward the private office, when the elder man said, with an air
of casual explanation, "Lookin' for the American consul; I reckon this
yer's the consulate?"

"It is the consulate," said the official dryly, "and I am the consul;
but"--

"That's all right," interrupted the stranger, pushing past him, and
opening the door of the private office, into which he shoved his
companion. "Thar now!" he continued to the diffident youth, pointing to
a chair, and quite ignoring the presence of the consul; "thar's a bit
of America. Sit down thar. You're under the flag now, and can do as
you darn please." Nevertheless, he looked a little disappointed as he
glanced around him, as if he had expected a different environment and
possibly a different climate.

"I presume," said the consul suavely, "you wish to see me on some urgent
matter; for you probably know that the consulate is closed on Sunday to
ordinary business. I am here myself quite accidentally."

"Then you don't live here?" said the visitor disappointedly.

"No."

"I reckon that's the reason why we didn't see no flag a-flyin' when we
was a-huntin' this place yesterday. We were directed here, but I says to
Malcolm, says I, 'No; it ain't here, or you'd see the Stars and Stripes
afore you'd see anythin' else.' But I reckon you float it over your
house, eh?"

The consul here explained smilingly that he did NOT fly a flag over his
lodgings, and that except on national holidays it was not customary to
display the national