to think. So I hadn't
been sleep-walking, but had been just plain drunk--and _in her
home_!--so jolly well corked, in fact, I hadn't even a dashed glimmer of
memory of it. Had been making a spectacle of myself, going all about the
house in the wee what-you-call-'em hours of the night and probably--oh,
good heavens, probably _singing_!

I dropped my head back upon the pillow.

"Go on," I said. "Tell me _all_!"

"Yes, sir," resumed Jenkins, "as I was saying, you came in with--_you_
know--er--the young fellow. He kinder slouched in, looking a bit sulky.

"'I've been watching for you to get back from the dog-fight,' you says
to him; 'sit down, I want to talk to you.' But the young fellow just
stood square in the middle of the floor and just kinder scowled black.

"Then you says, pleasant-like: 'I've been talking with a friend of
yours, my son, who thinks I haven't treated you quite fair.'

"'O!' says this young fellow, and seems kinder surprised. Then he got
red.

"'And so, my boy,' you went on, tightening your glass as you looked at
him, 'if I've been harsh I'm sorry--suppose we start all over
again--what do you say? I don't want to cross you in anything if I can
help it--I want to _help_ you.'"

My abrupt ejaculation halted Jenkins an instant, then he proceeded:

"'I say, do you mean that?' asks young Mr. Bi--I _mean_, this young
fellow"--Jenkins stirred nervously--"and you says, kinder laughing:
'there's my hand on it!' and then you both shook.

"'One minute,' says the boy, still looking kinder puzzled and uncertain,
'I want to know what about Frances. How do we stand about _that_?'

"You just laughed sorter and went up and clapped him right on the
shoulder and you says: 'Why, if you can, my son, just go in and win her.
_I_ don't care!'--and you said it hearty-like. You went on: 'I haven't a
word to say--in fact, I'd be only too _glad_ to see you succeed.'"

Here I straightened with almost a screech:

"_What?_ I said that? Oh, now, Jenkins, you--oh, you're mistaken!"

Jenkins eyed me sorrowfully.

"Your words, sir, exactly, and then you went on, kinder persuadingly:
'Why, I haven't meant to stand in your way at all!'"

I groaned.

"Go on!" I breathed through my teeth. Then I straightened forward.
"_What_ did the judge call that punch--what kind?"

"Heidelberg punch, sir,"--a sympathetic pause as I swept my hand through
my hair. "Yes, sir, it certainly must be something high--oh, _awful_,
sir!"

He