Or?_' 'Pray let monsieur not
discommode himself,' said he, with a quick no-offence sort of smile,
'but he has made a little mistake. This is the _Cercle Militaire_.'

"I must say those French officers were jolly decent about it:
especially when I explained about the Mont-Bazillac. They saw me
back to the hotel in a body; and as we turned in at the porchway, who
should come down the street but Jinks, striding elbows to side, like
a man in a London-to-Brighton walking competition! . . . He told me,
as we found our bedrooms, that '_of course_, he had gone up the hill,
and that the view had been magnificent.' I did not argue about it,
luckily: for--here comes in another queer fact--_there was no moon at
all that night_. Next morning I wheedled two more bottles of the
stuff out of old Sebillot--which leaves him two for the wedding.
I thought that you and I might have some fun with them. . . . Now
tell me _your_ experience."

"That," said I, "must wait until you unlock my tongue; if indeed you
have brought home the genuine Mont-Bazillac."

As it happened, Master Dick was called up to Oxford unexpectedly, a
week before the beginning of term, to start practice in his college
"four." Our experiment had to be postponed; with what result you
shall hear.

About a fortnight later I read in our local paper that the Bishop
had been holding a Confirmation service in Gantick Parish Church.
The paragraph went on to say that "a large and reverent congregation
witnessed the ceremony, but general regret was expressed at the
absence of our respected Vicar through a temporary indisposition.
We are glad to assure our readers that the reverend gentleman is well
on the way to recovery, and indeed has already resumed his
ministration in the parish, where his genial presence and quick
sympathies, etc."

This laid an obligation upon me to walk over to Gantick and inquire
about my old friend's health: which I did that same afternoon.
Mrs. Kendall received me with the information that her husband was
quite well again, and out-and-about; that in fact he had started,
immediately after luncheon, to pay a round of visits on the outskirts
of the parish. On the nature of his late indisposition she showed
herself reticent, not to say "short" in her answers; nor, though the
hour was four o'clock, did she invite me to stay and drink tea with
her.

On my way back, and just within the entrance-gate of the vicarage
drive, I happened on old Tr