n the Tyrol, and chancing to pass by a
shepherd's cottage, turned aside to inquire my way. The good people
of the house, with native hospitality, pressed me to tarry an hour
and partake of their mid-day meal. I acceded. The fare, as you may
suppose, was simple. There was no intoxicating liquor. But never
shall I forget the gesture or the words of that simple shepherd as he
placed a bowl of goat's milk before me on the board. His words--a
short sentence only--left such an impression on my mind that to this
day I never seat myself at table without repeating them to myself.
Three times a day for over thirty years I have repeated those words
and seen in imagination the magnificent gesture which accompanied
them. The words of my simple shepherd were--"

(Here Sir Felix reproduced the simple shepherd's magnificent gesture,
and paused.)

"And then," he pursued, "as he set the bowl of goat's milk on the
board, that simple Tyrolean turned to me with a magnificent sweep of
the hand"--gesture repeated--"and exclaimed--"

Here followed a prolonged pause, and it slowly dawned upon the
audience that by a pardonable trick of memory Sir Felix was for the
moment unable to recall the words he had repeated thrice a day for
the last thirty years.

The situation was awkward. At the back of the platform Mr. Rabling
rose to it. He had once a tenor voice of moderate calibre which he
was used to exert publicly in the days of Penny Readings. And the
word "Tyrolean" now suggested to him a national song which had long
reposed in his musical cabinet at home. He leaned forward, screened
his mouth with one hand and whispered--

"Sir Felix--"

"Hey?" Sir Felix whipped round.

"Did a' say" (with sudden and piercing jodel) "_Lul-ul-i-e-tee!
Lul-ul-i-ee! Lul-ul_--"

Sir Felix stamped his foot; and I think we all felt glad for Rabling
at that moment that he held his cottage on a ninety-nine years'
lease. But the lecture was spoilt before it began. The missionary
piled his statistics to the moon, and turned down the gas, and showed
us "The Child: What will he become?" But we took no interest in that
question. The question for us was, What exactly did that simple
Tyrolese shepherd say to Sir Felix? And that is just what we have
been asking each other for a week past.

Sir Felix recovered himself towards the close of the address, and at
the close acknowledged our vote of thanks in a pleasant little
speech--in which, however, his