he was
equally busy with the wine, and that glass after glass disappeared with
more rapidity than was agreeable to his supply. Besides this, Gustave,
who was probably anxious for some excuse to have a word with Lenora upon
any pretext, constantly asked permission to fill her glass; so that,
very soon after the soup and meat had been disposed of, the first bottle
was entirely emptied.

Civility required that it should be immediately replaced; and, as De
Vlierbeck observed that the more Monsieur Denecker talked the more he
drank, he thought he might try whether less conversation would not
moderate the merchant's thirst. But, alas! he was disappointed; for at
that moment Denecker introduced the topic of wine, and, lauding the
generous juice of the grape, expressed surprise at the extraordinary
sobriety of his host. With this he redoubled his attack on the bottle,
and was in some degree, though less vigorously, seconded by Gustave. De
Vlierbeck's agony became more and more intense as he saw the rosy fluid
sink and sink in the second bottle, until at length the last drop was
drained into the merchant's glass.

"Yes," said Denecker, "your wine is both old and good; but I have
always found, in tasting liquors, that if we don't change them we lose
their flavor. I take it for granted that you have a first-rate cellar,
if I may judge by your first samples; so I propose that we now try a
bottle of your _Chateau-margaux_; and, if we have time, we can finish
with a bottle of _hochheimer_. I never drink _champagne_: it is a bad
liquor for wine-drinkers."

As the last words fell from Denecker, poor De Vlierbeck grew deadly
pale, as his frightened spirit went rummaging through the cracks and
crannies of his brain for some inspiration or expedient which might
extricate him from his deep perplexity.

"_Chateau-margaux?_" inquired he, with a calm smile. "Certainly, sir, if
you wish it." And then, turning to the lackey,--"John," said he, "bring
a bottle of _Chateau-margaux_: you will find it in the third cellar on
the left-hand side."

But the rustic stared at his master with gaping mouth, as if he had been
addressed in one of the dead languages. Seeing the predicament, and
mastering it rapidly,--

"Excuse me," said De Vlierbeck, rising; "he would not find it, I fear. I
will be back in a moment."

Rushing into the kitchen, he seized the third and last bottle and
descended to the cellar, where he stopped to draw breath and compose