marble volutes of his Ionic shirt-collar: it was my good friend of the
cathedral. Every trace of his civic grief had disappeared, and he wore
a beaming banquet-room air, though the tear of patriotism was hardly
dry upon his cheek.

As I paused to dispose of my accoutrements the red nose was saying,
"Yes, my dear sir, since yesterday I am a Mason. I have the honor," he
pursued, "to be First Attendant Past Grand. It will be a great thing
for me at Edinburgh. Burns, I believe, was only Third Assistant,
Exterior Lodge: the Rank, however, in his opinion, was but the
guinea's stamp. But the advantages of Masonry are met with everywhere.
Already in the train last night I struck the acquaintance of a fine
fellow, a Mason like myself."

"Allow me to ask," said the cheerful bluebottle, "how you knew him for
a Mason like yourself?"

"I'll tell you. I was unable to sleep, because, you see, I had
to drink Moët for my initiation: as I am unaccustomed to anything
livelier than whisky, it unnerved me. To pass the time I went softly
over the signals."

"What signals, if I may be so indiscreet?"

"Number one, you scratch the nose, as if to chase a fly; number two,
you put your thumb in your mouth; number three--"

"H'm!" said the professor doubtfully, "those are singular
instructions, scratching the nose and sucking the thumb. It strikes
me they have been teaching you nursery signals rather than Masonry