as if you had seen me before."

"So I have," answered the Major.

"Never to my knowledge."

"But I'll swear it!"

"Where then?"

"At the village of Astorga, in the year '8."

De Lapp started, and stared again at our neighbour.

"_Mon Dieu_, what a chance!" he cried. "And you were the English
parlementaire? I remember you very well indeed, sir. Let me have a
whisper in your ear."

He took him aside and talked very earnestly with him in French for a
quarter of an hour, gesticulating with his hands, and explaining
something, while the Major nodded his old grizzled head from time to
time. At last they seemed to come to some agreement, and I heard the
Major say "_Parole a'honneur_" several times, and afterwards "_Fortune
de la guerre_," which I could very well understand, for they gave you a
fine upbringing at Birtwhistle's. But after that I always noticed that
the Major never used the same free fashion of speech that we did towards
our lodger, but bowed when he addressed him, and treated him with a
wonderful deal of respect. I asked the Major more than once what he
knew about him, but he always put it off, and I could get no answer out
of him.