, 1891-02-18

missed them III the vestry without chArAc-
ten- / Wish you had known that butler
but excuse me. With the Information l
have supplied you ought to ind no difficult
ty In fixing the price you will take TO clear
out OF my house i~nstanter."
'sSir," / answered, 81 have held a pistol
at one or two heads In my time, but never
at one stuffed with nobler indtscretion-
Your chiyAlry does not, indeed, disarm me,
but prompts me to desire more OF your
acquaintance. l nave oundA gentleman,
and must sup with him before 1 make
terms"
The address seemed to please him. He
shufied across the room to a sideboard and
produced a plate of biscuits, another of
almonds and dried ~raisins, n glass, and
two decAnters.
SHERRY and Madeira" he sand. There
is also a cold pie in the Harder, IL you care for
it."
"a biscuit will serve" I replied. ITO
tell the truth, I'm more for the bucket than
the mAnger, as the grooms say, and. by
your leave, the brandy you were tasting
just now Is more TO my mind than wine"
There is no water handy"
There was plenty out Of doors to last
me with this bottle"
/ pulled over a chair, aid my pistol on
the table and held out the glass for him to
I'LL. Having lone SO he helped himself to
a glass and chair, and sat down facing me.
81 was talking just now OF my late but
ler." he began, with a sip at his brandy.
HAS it struck you nat when confronted
with moral delinquency, / Am apt to let
my Indignation get the better of mei"
Not at all, " 1 answered heartily. refill
ing my glass,
It appeared that another reply would
nave pleased him better.
HIM. | was hoping that perhaps l
had visited his offense too strongly-AsA
clergyman, you see, / WA bound to be
severe, but upon my word, sir. aimee he
went / have felt like n man who has lost a
limb"
He drummed with his fingers on the
cloth for n few moments and went on:
zone has a natural disposition TO forgive
butlers-PhRraoh, for instance. felt it.
There hovers around buffers that peculiar
atmosphere which Shakespeare noticed as
encircling kings-an atmosphere in which
common ethics lose their pertinence. But
mine was a rare bird-A black swan among
buffers. He was more than a butler; he
was a quick and brightly gifted man. OF
the accuracy OF his taste and the unusual
scope Of his endeavor you will be able to
form some opinion when / assure you he
modelled himself upon me"
/ bowed over my brandy.
II am a scholar, yet l employed him to
read aloud to me, and derived pleasure
from his information. l talk as n scholar,
yet he learned to answer me In language
as precise as my own. Ny cast off gar
ments fitted him not more i~rreproschably
than did my amenities OF amer. Divest
him Of his tray and you would find his
mode OF entering a room hardly distin-
guishable from my own-the same urban
Ity, the same alertness OF carriage, the
same superflne Difference toward the weak
er sex. All-all my ~ldiosyncrasies / saw
reflected In this my mirror; and can you
doubt that was gratifedi He was my alter
ego, which makes 1t the more extraordl-
nary that it should have been necessary
to marry him TO the cook"
Look here" 1 broke in, you want a
butler"
"oh, you really grasp that fact, do your.
he retorted.
And You wish to get rid of me as soon
az may bet"
Il hope there is no impoliteness in com
plimenting you on your discernment."
Your two wishes may be reconciled.
Letme cease TO be your burglar. and let
me Continue here as your butler"
He leaned back, spreading out his fingers
as II the tables edge was a ha%rpsichord.
and he stretching octayes pom 1t.
believe me-" 1 went on, you might do
worse. | have been a denny of Magdalen
college, oxford. in my time, and retain
some Greek and Latin. I'll undertake to
read tho Fathers with an accent that shall
not offend you. My knowledge of wine is
none the worse for having been cultivated
in other mems cellars. Moreover, you shall.
engage the ugliest cook in Chrlstendom. So
long as Pm your butler. I've taken a lik-
ing to you-that's fiat-and / apply for the
post"
II give Gao a year" said be.
And I'm cheap at that price"
He filled up his glass, looking up at me
while he did so with the air of one digest
ing n problem. From first to last his face
was grave as a judges.
I'VE are too impulsive, l think. " was his
answer, after a minutes silence, IAN your
speech smRcks of the amateur. You say,
Let me cease to be your burglar, and let
me be your butler The mere aspiration
4. respectable; but a man might as well
say, Let me cease to write poems. let me
paint pictures And truly, sir, you i'm
pressed mt as no expert In our trade, but
a journeyman housebreaker, II / may say
so"
"On the other hand" 1 argued, "con-
slider the moderation OF my demands. That
alone should convince you Of my desire to
turn over u new lodI. L ASK lOT u hOnLn y
trial; II, at the end of that time, l don't
suit, You shall say so, and I'll march from
your door with nothing in my pocket but
my months wages. Be hanged, zrl but
when / reflect on the amount you'll have
70 pay TO get me to face to-night's storm
again, you seem to be getting off dirt
cheapi" cried l, shaping my palm on the
table.
"Ah. II you had only known ~AdolphusI'
he exclaimed.
Now the third glass OF clean spirits had
always a deplorable effect on me. 1t turns
me from bright 70 black, from lightness of
spirits to extreme sulkiness. have done
more wickedness over this third tumbler
than in all the other states of comparative
inebriety within my experience. So now /
glowered at my companion and raped out
. curse.
Look here; l don't want to hear any
more Of Adolphus, and I've a pretty clear
notion of the game you're playing. You
want to make me drunk, and you're ready
to sit prattling there till l drop under the
table"
do me the favor to remember that you
came and are staying at you own invita-
ton. As for the brandy, 1 would remind
you that 1 suggested a milder drink. Try
some Madeira"
He handed me a decanter as he spoke,
and 1 slowly poured out a glass.
"Madeira!" said I, taking a gulp. "Ughi
it's the commonest kin of Marsala!"
l had no sooner said the words than he
rose up and stretched a hand Rrayely
across to me.
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