rough this delightful country," said the
clergyman.

"Touring," explained Mr. Hoopdriver. "I can imagine that, with a
properly oiled machine, there can be no easier nor pleasanter way of
seeing the country."

"No," said Mr. Hoopdriver; "it isn't half a bad way of getting about."

"For a young and newly married couple, a tandem bicycle must be, I
should imagine, a delightful bond."

"Quite so," said Mr. Hoopdriver, reddening a little.

"Do you ride a tandem?"

"No--we're separate," said Mr. Hoopdriver.

"The motion through the air is indisputably of a very exhilarating
description." With that decision, the clergyman turned to give his
orders to the attendant, in a firm, authoritative voice, for a cup of
tea, two gelatine lozenges, bread and butter, salad, and pie to follow.
"The gelatine lozenges I must have. I require them to precipitate the
tannin in my tea," he remarked to the room at large, and folding his
hands, remained for some time with his chin thereon, staring fixedly at
a little picture over Mr. Hoopdriver's head.

"I myself am a cyclist," said the clergyman, descending suddenly upon
Mr. Hoopdriver.

"Indeed!" said Mr. Hoopdriver, attacking the moustache. "What machine,
may I ask?"

"I have recently become possessed of a tricycle. A bicycle is, I
regret to say, considered too--how shall I put it?--flippant by my
parishioners. So I have a tricycle. I have just been hauling it hither."

"Hauling!" said Jessie, surprised.

"With a shoe lace. And partly carrying it on my back."

The pause was unexpected. Jessie had some trouble with a crumb. Mr.
Hoopdriver's face passed through several phases of surprise. Then he saw
the explanation. "Had an accident?"

"I can hardly call it an accident. The wheels suddenly refused to go
round. I found myself about five miles from here with an absolutely
immobile machine."

"Ow!" said Mr. Hoopdriver, trying to seem intelligent, and Jessie
glanced at this insane person.

"It appears," said the clergyman, satisfied with the effect he had
created, "that my man carefully washed out the bearings with paraffin,
and let the machine dry without oiling it again. The consequence was
that they became heated to a considerable temperature and jammed. Even
at the outset the machine ran stiffly as well as noisily, and I, being
inclined to ascribe this stiffness to my own lassitude, merely redoubled
my exertions."

"'Ot work all round," said Mr. Hoopdriver.

"You could sc