Carmichael between Coristine and the colonel. Mrs. Carruthers, who
occupied one end of the table, had the colonel on her right, and her
sister-in-law, who took the other end, was supported in the same way by
the host. Squire Walker, a portly man, but not too heavy for exercise,
with a baldish head and large reddish whiskers, sporting a velveteen
shooting coat, high shirt collar, and large blue silk scarf with white
spots, was a man of much intelligence and a good talker. His
conversation compelled attention, and, like the glittering eye of the
ancient mariner, held, now Mr. Perrowne and now the lawyer from much
pleasanter ones with their respective ladies. He seemed to take a
fiendish pleasure in capturing Wilkinson from Miss Du Plessis, and the
Captain from her mother, and even sent his conversational shafts far off
to the Squire and the doctor, and to the presiding matrons. Mr. Errol
and the colonel were happily sheltered from him. Perhaps the new
detective perceived the state of unrest and terrible suspense in which
many of the company were on account of Squire Walker's vagaries, and
chivalrously sought to deliver them. Eyeing keenly the autocrat of the
breakfast table, he remarked, "I'm afraid you heve fergotten me,
Squire?"

"Don't think I ever had the pleasure of your acquaintance, sir."

"Oh, perdon me, you hed though. Two years ago, a large, stout, heavy
bearded men kem to yore ohffice, with a yeng Cuban who could herdly
speak a word of Inglish, asking you to commit him fer smeggling
cigars--"

"Haw! haw! haw!" laughed Mr. Walker, "and you were the bearded man were
you, eh?"

"Do please favour us with the whole story, Mr. Bangs," asked the
hostess.

"Go on, Bangs," added its victim, "I don't mind, haw! haw!"

"The Squire asked the big revenue detective how he knew the cigars were
smeggled, and he said that nobody could pay the duty and sell these
cigars for seven dollars a hendred. The Squire asked to see the cigars,
and while the pore yeng Cuban with the bleck mousteche stood twirling
his sombrero and looking guilty, he took one, smilt it, and then smouked
it. He said to the big detective, 'I won't let you hev a warrent for
that pore foreigner on any sech evidence, for I ken bey the very same
cigar at Beamish's for five dollars.' The detective said, 'Are you shore
the cigar is the same?' when the Squire pulled a drawer open end brought
out a box of the identical erticles. Then, the big men thenked him,