Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23

to this. then, that a ducal servant must
stoop to handy words with the unbeneiiced
clergy?
The rest of the party stared hard, as in
duty bound. at the Nymph ur DIANA look
ing askance. meanwhile, at the upstart
curate, who had ventured to correct his
ma gniticenCe the butler. But the two in
tell!gent tourists, in gray tweed suits, were
much more occupied just then with the
glass cases in the center. containing the
minor hoDjects of virtue in crystal and
Jewellery collected by the late dook," as
the butler phrased 1t.
That's handsome vase, anyway" one
Intelligent tourist murmured -xpressiveiy
to the other. with a New England accent.
81 wonder what he calls it?'
That" the butler interposed, in his
stateliest tone. lis the famous Forman
Vawse frcm a HosCan tomb, entirely cary
ed out of ore solid mass of the purest ham,
ethyst."
The butler never by any chance dropped
an H. he knew that to be vulgar but
whenever he wished to be most impressive
he gave an extra aspirate by way OF dis
tinction to the most important word of the
sentence In hand which happened to De
destitute of one
The intelligent tourists glanced at one an
other silently. Their eyes met and then
fell. The curate, watching them close, saw
at once this meant business.
And those earrings, he asked gently of
his magniiicence, the butler, unabashed by
his previous rebuke in his thirst for infor-
r.ation. What do you make of those
bracelets and earrings?"
Il don't make anything of them" the
butler answered. in lofty tone. ITS not
my dooty. But If you mean to ask what
honorarium do ladies and gentlemen gen.
orally offer me for supplying hinforma-
Il n"
NO. no." tile curate said, sharply 81
don't mean that l mean. what are they?
What age and material? What sort of thing
do you call them?
"Oh, l see,' the butler answered. little
surprised at the curate's unexpected tone.
"rhat lot there's Etruscdn."
"Gold?' the little curate persisted
solid gold. the butler replied. Bought
for two hundred pounds by his graces
father" And the intelligent tourists eyes
met again with meaning.
They went through the rest of the gallery
in much the same way. The little curate
kept an eye on several gold objects and
several precious stones: and also did the
it's vaulted roof. the fttle curate turned
handy to one of the Americans. TT seems
almost dangerous" he said, in a mild,
small voice. "to keep so much valuable
property lying about uncared for in what
Is practically an unguarded museum"
Il guess the duke looks after 'em WELL
the intelligent tourist remarked, with a
nonchalant air. who should say it was
none of his business.
"Only a single Waterman" the curate re-
piled; $50 the butler tells me. And yet, the
mere value of the gold and stones, as arti-
cles of commerce, must be something con-
siderable
"You betw the intelligent tourist inter-
jected, with jerk. The little curate, snil-
ing, looked him over critically. Strange
folk, these westerners! Then they parted
company.
The intelligent tourists were stopping at
the Dukes Arms. in the village. Tourists
often stopped there-eSpecially Americans
Your son of the great republic dearly loves
q lord; the peerage diversifies English
scenery in his eyes: the first things he
wants to see when he crosses the water are
the castles and country houses of old
nobility. That was why the two intelligent
tourists straight down from Hoxton, had
come there as Americans. You're less like
ly to attract attention in that disguise, the
western accent being a common element of
the situation.
But. once arrived in their own sitting room,
at the snug little inn. the intelligent tour
lists ceased to talk any longer with a nasal
twang: they dropped you bet" and didn't
display the remotest desire to guess or to